Large debris transported by flood affects scour features at bridge piers and increases the risks of structural failure. Geometric characteristics of the debris and the relative position of the pier with respect to the river bank are important parameters for the scour process. The interaction between the water flow and debris accumulation increases the shear stress, turbulence and consequently enhances the scour depth at the pier. This paper aims at analyzing such effects on scour evolution at bridge piers. To this end, two series of tests were carried out under clear water condition with different debris geometries and percentage blockage ratios. Experimental evidences showed that the pier position only influences scour evolution and equilibrium morphology for low water depths. Conversely, its effect becomes negligible for scour at bridge piers with debris accumulation and higher water depths. Useful practical relationships have been derived, with satisfactory prediction capability of the scour evolution for all the tested configurations.
Beiyun River Basin is holistically suffering a water shortage and relatively concentrated flood risk. The current operation (level-control) of dams and floodgates, which is in passive defense mode, cannot meet the demands of both flood control and storm water resources. An integrated flood forecasting and management system is developed by the connecting of the hydrological model and hydrodynamic model and coupling of the hydrodynamic model and hydraulic model for dams and floodgates. Based upon the forecasted runoff processes, a discharge-control operation mode of dams and floodgates is proposed to be utilized in order to well regulate the flood routing in channels. The simulated water level, discharge, and water storage volume under different design conditions of rainfall return periods and floodgates operation modes are compared. The results show that: (1) for small floods, current operation modes can satisfy the objectives, but discharge-control operation can do better; (2) for medium size floods, since pre-storing of the floods affects the discharge of follow-up floods by floodgates, the requirement of flood control cannot be satisfied under current operations, but the discharge-control operation can; (3) for large floods, neither operation can meet the requirement because of the limited storage of these dams. Then, the gravel pits, wetlands, ecological lakes and flood detention basins around the river must be used for excess flood waters. Using the flood forecasting and management system can change passive defense to active defense mode, solving the water resources problem of Beijing city and Beiyun River Basin to a certain extent.
This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical study of a vertical slot fishway (VSF). A 2-D depth-averaged shallow water numerical model PCFLOW2D coupled with three different turbulent models (constant eddy viscosity, Smagorinsky and k - ε) was used. A detailed analysis of numerical parameters needed for a correct simulation of the phenomenon was carried out. Besides the velocity field, attention was paid to important hydraulic parameters such as maximum velocity in the slot region and energy dissipation rate ε in order to evaluate the performance of VSF. A scaled physical hydraulic model was built to ensure reliable experimental data for the validation of the numerical model. Simulations of variant configurations of VSF showed that even small changes in geometry can produce more fishfriendly flow characteristics in pools. The present study indicates that the PCFLOW2D program is an appropriate tool to meet the main demands of the VSF design.
Flash flood events are common in the Mediterranean basin, because of a combination of rugged coastal topography and climatological characteristics. The Balearic Islands are a flood-prone region with the research area, Sóller (Mallorca) being no exception. Between 1900 and 2000, Sóller experienced 48 flash floods with 17 categorised as catastrophic. In Sóller, the local surface water network comprises ephemeral streams. These are natural water networks that only carry water during periods of intense rainfall. Using the available evidence from the 1974 flash flood, this research used Flood Modeller to simulate the event. The research developed a one-dimensional (1D) and a onedimensional two-dimensional (1D-2D) model that assisted in the understanding of the behaviour of the ephemeral stream during the flood. Analysis of hydraulic parameters such as water flow, depth and velocity provided an appreciation of the interaction between the channel and floodplain. Model development aims to forecast the impending impacts of climate change and urbanisation. The results suggest that the characteristics of Sóller’s catchment area naturally encourage flash flooding and hence can be deemed a flashy catchment. The model demonstrates that the interaction between the channel and floodplain relies heavily on surface roughness of both areas. The model proves that if flood intensity increases with climate change, the extent of flooding and consequently the damage will become more severe.