Local scour around two side-by-side cylindrical bridge piers under ice-covered conditions

In the current study, 108 flume experiments with non-uniform, cohesionless sediments have been done to investigate the local scour process around four pairs of side-by-side bridge piers under both open channel and ice-covered flow conditions. Similar to local scour around bridge piers under open channel conditions and a single bridge pier, it was observed in the experiments that the maximum scour depth always occurred at the upstream face of the pier under ice-covered conditions. Further, the smaller the pier size and the greater the spacing distance between the bridge piers, the weaker the horseshoe vortices around the bridge piers, and, thus, the shallower the scour holes around them. Finally, empirical equations were developed to estimate the maximum scour depth around two side-by-side bridge piers under both open channel and ice-covered flow conditions.     

THE FORMING CONDITIONS OF ALLUVIAL RIVER CHANNEL PATTERNS

1 INTRODUCTION It is well known that the river channel patterns are determined by long-term water-sediment conditions. However, quantitative expressions for river channel patterns and their fluvial processes still remain not clear. Existing theories in this aspects, such as geomophological theory, theory of maximum energy consuming rate, stability theory, theory of probability, and statistic analysis, are developed based on certain simplified assumptions and can not be successfully used t…     

EFFECTS OF RIVER NETWORK WORKS AND SOIL CONSERVATION MEASURES ON RESERVOIR SILTATION

Knowledge of the morphological dynamics of a water course is essential for management of reservoir siltation. With an example of sedimentation in a reservoir in Basilicata, Italy, this paper demonstrates the effect on reservoir siltation of the hydraulic works, which are aimed to reduce sediment transport along the fluvial network and to prevent part of the sediment discharge from reaching the lake. The effect depends on the river type and on the the geological features of river basin slopes. The paper also shows how mass erosion can significantly contribute to development of reservoir siltation. Finally, preliminary results are provided about the time needed for river training works to be effective.     

FLOW FIELD IN SCOURED ZONE OF CHANNEL CONTRACTIONS

Experiments were conducted in a laboratory flume to measure the two-dimensional turbulent flow field in the scoured zone of channel contractions under a clear-water scour condition. The Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) was used to detect the flow field at different vertical lines along the centerline of uncontracted (main channel) and contracted zones of the channel. The distributions of time-averaged velocity components, turbulent intensity, turbulent kinetic energy, and Reynolds stresses are presented in nondimensional graphical form. The bed shear stresses are computed from the measured Reynolds stresses being in threshold condition within the zone of contraction where bed was scoured. The data presented in this paper would be useful to the investigators for the development of kinematic flow model and morphological model of scour at a channel or river contraction.     

PRINCIPLES OF RIVER TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT

River regulation and river training have been performed for various purposes and negative effects have been shown in numerous cases. In some cases the negative effects are so serious that humans have to consider to "renaturalize" the regulated rivers. Only by using the strategy of integrated river management the diverse river uses and natural fluvial processes and ecological systems may be harmonized. Based on analysis of case studies and data collected from literatures this paper presents the concept of integrated river management and four principles of river training. The integrated river management comprises: 1) taking the watershed, upper stream basin including the tributaries, middle and lower reaches and the estuary as an integrated entity in the planning, design and management; and 2) mitigating or controlling the negative impacts on hydrology, erosion and sedimentation, fluvial processes, land use and river use, environment and ecology while in achieving economic benefit from water resources development, flood safety management and hydropower exploitation. River training and management should be in accordance with the four principles: 1) extending the duration of river water flowing on the continent, which may be achieved by extending the river course or reducing the flow velocity; 2) controlling various patterns of erosions and reducing the sediment transportation in the rivers; 3) increasing the diversity of habitat and enhancing the connectivity between the river and riparian waters; and 4) restoring natural landscapes.     

Effects of hydraulic structures on river morphological processes

Study of hydraulic structures such as groins and bandal-like structures can provide valuable information on their influences on morphological processes in natural rivers.These structures usually used for bank protection and formation of deep navigation channel can locally create complex flow patterns,reduce flow velocities and also increase the flood levels.Most of the previous studies are focused on structures like groins under non-submerged flow condition.However,the recent demand of nature friendly low cost and sustainable methods for river bank protection and channel formation leads to the necessity of study different type of structures like bandal-like structures.In this context, this study investigates the flow characteristics and sediment transport process influenced by bandal-like structures through laboratory experiments.The experiments were carried out under live-bed scour condition with sediment supplied from the inlet for two submergence(non-submerged and submerged)conditions.The experimental measurements contribute to better understand the mechanism of deposition/erosion process around different type of hydraulic structures.The performance of bandal-like structures considering the erosion around the structures,the deposition near the bank and the formation of deep main channel show promising results compared with conventional structures such as groins(impermeable and permeable ones).     

LOCAL SCOUR DEPTH AROUND SPURS IN THE LOWER YELLOW RIVER

1 INTRODUCTION The Lower Yellow River is a suspended river channel bed much higher than the adjacent ground behind the dikes, well known all over the world. The floods flow east into the sea under the constraints of dikes. The safety of the dikes or embankments mainly relies on the protection provided by the river training works that have been constructed and maintained for several thousand years. There are three types of river training works and they are spurs, guide banks, and reve…     

EFFECT OF TIDAL FLOW ON ESTUARINE SEDIMENTATION

1. INTRODUCTIONIn the regulation of an estuary and the maintenance of a tidal channel for navigation, it is highlyimportant to investigate the interplay between tide and river flow and to anticipate its effects on sedimentation. In this paper. sediment--laden flow in an estuary is treated as a case of two--phase flow. resulting in a set of four governing equations. A theoretical solution is then derived for a simplified casefor qualitative assessment. Numerical computations are also carri…     

EFFECTS OF SEDIMENT GRADATION ON THE GEOMETRY OF RIVER DELTAS

l INTRODUCTlONIn this study, formation of alluvial deltas was treated as a river-dominated type of topograPhy process,caused simply by sediment deposition from a channel into a wide basin. The influences of waves, tides,and density differences related to coastal effects were excluded. There have been numerous experimentalstUdies on river delta problems. For examPle, Shieh et al. (1988, 1997) used coarse sediment asexperimental material and revealed the development and the geometric simil…     

Effects of fluvial processes and human activities on stream macro-invertebrates

Benthic macro-invertebrates are vital components of river ecosystems.The effects of fluvial processes and human activities on the distribution of macro-invertebrates were studied through field investigations and experiment.Sixty-one sampling sites on 31 rivers in China were selected to investigate the structures of macro-invertebrate assemblages.The rivers,according to their fluvial conditions,are classified as streams with a stable channel bed,degrading channel bed,aggrading channel bed,and intensive bed load motion.The structures of macro-invertebrate fauna for the four types of rivers are very different.Stable rivers have a large number of individuals,abundant fauna, and high biodiversity;while the density and taxa richness for degrading rivers are small,and those for aggrading rivers are much less;whereas the ecology of rivers with intensive bed load motion are the worst.This paper proposes that streambed stability is the primary influential factor shaping the structure of benthic macro-invertebrate communities.Organic pollution can obviously result in the decrease of biodiversity,in the simplification of macro-invertebrate structures,and in the distortion of functional feeding group composition.In a river with high total nitrogen content,the relative abundance of collector-gatherers is high,and that of collector-filterers,scrapers,shredders,and predators are low.Scrapers,shredders,and predators disappear in severely polluted rivers.The isolation of aquatic habitat results in a distinct decrease of individual numbers and taxa richness.This result demonstrates that the connectivity of aquatic habitat significantly affects macro-invertebrate assemblages.A practical method to calculate a Habitat Suitability Index(HSI) is proposed,integrating the effects of the primary physical(including biotic and abiotic) and chemical factors.The biodiversity and taxa richness increase non-linearly with HSI.     

Relationship between the equilibrium morphology of river islands and flow-sediment dynamics based on the theory of minimum energy dissipation

River islands are vital geomorphic units in alluvial rivers, and the variation of their morphology and position plays a significant role in regulating flow-sediment transport and channel stability. Based on the theories of minimum energy dissipation theory of fluid movement and river morphodynamics, this study uses the river islands in anabranching channels to analyze the relationship between the shape coefficient of river island and the flow-sediment dynamics under stable equilibrium conditions...     

Old and new concepts based on coherent structures for understanding sediment transport

Coherent structures develop due to an instability process on smooth beds under turbulent flow conditions and they are relevant for the incipient motion of fine sand sediment.Similar flow structures were found to be relevant for the sediment transport under rough wall conditions,but an instability process could not explain them.In this article we show that rough walls produce a new class of A-vortices,these vortices develop from separations on the grains,and are new relevant flow structures.     

Morph-and hydro-dynamic effects toward flood conveyance and navigation of diversion channel

The functions of the diversion channel are usually disturbed by sediment erosion and deposition. Con-sidering the effects of unsaturated sediment flow and narrowed cross section the diversion channel is enormously eroded. The discharge capacity, however, is deteriorated for the local deposition which lessens the water depth to satisfy the minimum navigable flow rate. In this study, the alternative diversion channel with unsaturated sediment flow at Hanjiang River, China, was taken as an example. The impacts of bed morphology for flood events and normal flow conditions were analyzed. The results show that the consideration of bed morphology is essential to design the diversion channel. Even for the unsaturated and eroded channel, the local deposition can reduce the water depth and restrict the navigable requirement under normal flow conditions.     

Hydrometeorological assessments and suspended sediment delivery from a central Himalayan glacier in the upper Ganga basin

Integrated hydrometeorological investigations are not frequently available at a regional scale over a longer time period, especially near the terminus of Indian Himalayan glaciers. An integrated approach to the collection of hydrological data has major advantages for understanding the runoff generation mechanisms at basin scale, particularly when coupled with meteorological observations. The current study involves time series analysis of hydrometeorological records collected near the terminus of the Chorabari Glacier, for four consecutive ablation seasons(June-Sept.) 2009-2012. The analysis shows that variation in rainfall was higher(c_v= 0.9) at the same elevation over proximal sites, while the intensity of extreme rainfall events was 121-160 mm/d. The diurnal temperature range(DTR) has a tendency to reduce over the ablation season because of the onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon(ISM) and then further increases during the ISM withdrawal indicating humid-temperate conditions. The peak discharge(Qpeak) was found to be higher during July and August. Snow and glacier melt contributed 76% of the total suspended sediment transport during peak ISM months(July and August) reflecting seasonal evolution of the hydrologic conduits. The results indicate that Karakoram and western Himalayan glaciers produce comparatively low sediment yield compared to central Himalayan glaciers. The hydrological variations are depicted through flow duration curves(FDC) for meltwater discharge and sediment load. The flow corresponding to Q_(50), Q_(75), and Q_(90)(where Qx is the discharge that is exceeded x percent of the time referred to as % dependability) are 4.2, 3.7, and 2.8 m~3/s; and the corresponding dependability for suspended sediment loads(SSLs) are 409.0, 266.0, and 157.2 t/d, respectively. The daily SSL and discharge(Q) from 2009 to 2012 were used to develop a sediment rating curve(SSL = 39.55 × Q~(1.588). R~2 = 0.8).Multiple regressions are used to determine the impacts of meteorological parameters on glacier melt.The meteorological conditions, hydrological characteristics, and suspended sediment delivery for the Chorabari Glacier provide insight on meltwater generation processes and sediment transport patterns during the ISM season.     

Numerical simulation of low-flow channel evolution due to sediment augmentation

For the conservation and restoration of river environment,a sediment replenishment technique, which conveys a part of the sediments excavated and/or dredged from reservoirs to the river below dams is developed and has been implemented tentatively in several dams.Sediments placed as replenishment can be flushed out and transported downstream by floodwater or dam releases.The flushed sediments are expected to contribute to the control of degradation and the variation of the low-flow channel.However,this technique is in the development stage because there are many unknown factors.Therefore,systematic investigations are necessary for practical management of the technique.In this study,the effects of the location of replenishment sediment on sediment flushing and on control of degradation were investigated by means of flume experiments.A two-dimensional numerical model was also developed to further investigate the effects of sediment augmentation on river restoration.The numerical model treats bank erosion and sediment transport over fixed beds. The simulation results were verified against the experimental results.The flushing process of replenishment sediment was investigated first,and then its effect as a countermeasure for river bed degradation was analyzed.Results are summarized as follows:(1) Augmentation at upper riffles is effective for flushing of replenishment sediment and variation of low-flow channel.(2) Amelioration of degradation can be found in the cases of two types of placement.The amelioration effect of upper riffle placement was larger than that of lower riffle placement(3) Aggradation rate of the bed near the replenishment site in the fixed bed is large in the lower riffle placement compared with the upper riffle placement.(4) The numerical model was found to be generally successful as a predictive tool.     

VELOCITY PROFILES OF TURBULENT OPEN CHANNEL FLOWS

1 INTRODUCTIONThe vertical velocity profile of open channel flows is the most basic infOrmation for the stUdy of flowresistance, channel bed stability, river nuvial process and sediment transport. Although it has been asubject of great interest for many years, there does not exist a consensus on some perPlexing questions,such as the position of the theoretical bed level. In order to investigate the properties of velocity profile,data measured in open channel nows from eight sources were …     

FLOOD AND FLOOD CONTROL OF THE YELLOW RIVER

1 INTRODUCTION Flood of the Yellow River occurred frequently in history. The natures of large impact and heavy losses have made the flood of the Yellow River being in the front rank among major rivers in China. Statistics shows that during the period 602 AC to 1938 BC, embankment of the Lower Yellow River had been breached 1590 times and the channel had changed its course for 26 times among which 6 times were major ones. Thus, flood of the Yellow River has endangered economic cons…     

MODELING OF THE DIVERSION CHANNEL CLOSURE FOR THE THIRD STAGE OF THE THREE GORGES PROJECT

The closure of third stage diversion channel for the Three Gorges Dam is characterized by large closure discharge, large drop in water surface, and high gap velocity. 1D and 2D flow mathematical models were used in this paper to simulate the hydraulic conditions during the closure. The variation of discharge in the diversion channel and the drops in water surface shared by the upstream and downstream cofferdams were computed using the ID model, and the detailed hydraulic patterns in the diversion channel were simulated using the 2D model. The computed results indicate that the designed closure scheme for discharge of 9,010 m^3/s was feasible for construction, while the designed closure scheme for discharge of 12,200 m^3/s was inapplicable.