Impact of Bed Scour on the Length and Stability of Rock Vanes and Bendway Weirs
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 5
Abstract
Consequences are presented from flume experiments regarding bed scour at rock vanes and bendway weirs constructed of loose rock placed on sand bed channels. The experiments involved three flow discharges adjusted to replicate approximately the rising limb of a hydrograph and two bed-material sizes (a medium sand and a very coarse sand) subject to live-bed and clearwater scour. Observations show that these structures shortened due to rock dislodgement triggered by relatively modest contraction scour, which undermined the toe of the crest tip of these loose rock structures, causing the tips to become geotechnically unstable. Additionally, flow dislodgment of rock destabilized by tip slope failure further shortened the crest length of these structures and decreased tip slope. Displaced rock partially armored the scour zone and, thereby, affected scour depth and thalweg development. The experiments illustrated thalweg development as flow rate increased. Design dimensions are given for rock vanes and bendway weirs.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Bureau of Reclamation under Agreement No. R14AC00045. The writers also thank Alisher N. Khazratov from Qarshi, Uzbekistan for his LSPIV work supporting the experiments, and the two reviewers of this manuscript.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 5 • September 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 15, 2023
Accepted: May 6, 2024
Published online: Jul 12, 2024
Published in print: Sep 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 12, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Barriers (by type)
- Bed materials
- Coastal engineering
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Engineering fundamentals
- Equipment and machinery
- Geology
- Geotechnical engineering
- Hydraulic engineering
- Hydraulic structures
- Hydraulics
- Hydrologic engineering
- Hydrology
- Protective structures
- River and stream beds
- River engineering
- Rivers and streams
- Rocks
- Sand (hydraulic)
- Scour
- Shores
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
- Vanes
- Water and water resources
- Weirs
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