Abstract:The local scouring of underwater foundations significantly affects the safety and stability of both the foundation itself and the superstructure. Using the deepwater foundation of a cross-river bridge as a study case, a 3D numerical model of local scouring is built to quantitatively analyze the scouring characteristics of group piles and cofferdams in the intensely scouring river section. The results indicate that there is significant scouring among the first three rows of piles in the pile group, and the intense scouring occurs at the two corners of the water-facing side of the steel cofferdam. By using the standard formulas and the mathematical modeling methods, the maximum local scour depth of the steel cofferdam increases by 58% to 69% and 40% to 46% compared with the pile group, respectively. If the steel cofferdam is placed during the flood season, severe bottom scouring and large void areas will occur. For constructing the ultra-deep foundations in intensely scouring river sections, it is recommended to implement the scour protection firstly during the dry season, and then the placement and sinking of the cofferdam are conduced, finally the construction of bored piles is followed. The scour protection should be carried out before the flood season arrives.