Abstract
Understanding the downstream bed topography of culverts is essential for assessing the stability and performance of hydraulic structures. This study evaluates the downstream bed topography of a box culvert through a series of controlled experimental tests, considering variables such as wing-wall angles, particle Froude numbers, and relative tailwater depths. Temporal variations in scour depths are analyzed, revealing that as the duration of the experiments increased and approached equilibrium, the percentage change in maximum scour depth diminished. This finding highlights the importance of incorporating time-dependent effects in the evaluation of scour downstream of culverts. Additionally, results indicate that increasing the wing-wall angle leads to larger scour hole dimensions and sediment ridges. Notably, bed profile dimensions exhibit significant differences between 15° wing walls and those at 45° and 75° angles, while variations between 45° and 75° angles are less pronounced. New equations are also derived for predicting critical parameters related to scour holes. These insights are invaluable for engineers and practitioners engaged in the design, maintenance, and risk assessment of culverts.