Behavior of Meandering Overbank Channels with Graded Sand Beds
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 8
Abstract
Measurements of velocity distributions, depth variation, and sediment transport have been made under bankfull and overbank flow conditions in meandering channels with a graded sand bed, using the large-scale U.K. Flood Channel Facility. The overbank conditions depend upon the relative strength of opposing secondary circulation cells generated by shear at the channel crossover and centrifugal forces around the meander bend. Generally the shear-generated secondary flow either reversed or weakened the centrifugal circulation around the next downstream bend. This led to considerable modification of the main channel bed morphology, which, in turn, altered flow distributions. Measurements of the lateral distribution of bed load were made using a -scale Helley–Smith sampler. This demonstrated that the bed load was generally concentrated within a limited width of the channel and tended to take the shortest route through the meanders. Comparisons of observed and calculated bed material load gives an indication of how secondary circulation around meanders, under both bankfull and overbank conditions, affects the predictive performance of formulas derived for predominantly one-dimensional flow.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the U.K. EPSRC and the help and advice of members of staff at Hydraulics Research Wallingford United Kingdom throughout this work.
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© 2005 ASCE.
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Received: Mar 26, 2003
Accepted: Nov 22, 2004
Published online: Aug 1, 2005
Published in print: Aug 2005
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