Analysis on Scour Characteristics under River Bed Variation in Weir Downstream

Abstract

Various river projects are underway in small rivers in Korea that typically have natural flows. However, recent findings have shown that damages could be aggravated by structures such as weirs and drop structures during flood incidents. Experimental studies for securing the stability of flood control for these artificial structures have been insufficient, and designs applying the existing domestic design standards would not be suitable for the steep flow sections such as the actual small rivers, possibly aggravating the damages. The present study involved hydraulic model experiments conducted in a laboratory to investigate the surrounding flow patterns according to the river bed slope at the downstream part of the weir model. Further, the scour characteristics in the apron section during the overflow of the structure were analyzed to determine the appropriateness of the apron length. Thus, as the upstream river bed slope gradually increased, the experimental scour length deviated more from the design criteria formula. The results suggest that both the formula suggested by the National Construction Research Institute and Bligh’s formula presented in the River Design Criteria are not suitable for steep-slope rivers, such as small rivers in Korea, because both formulas were proposed based on the seepage line distance and river bed materials without considering the slope of the river bed. Thus, in designing the apron and bed pitching of weirs and drop structures, the river bed slope, scour characteristics of weir overflow, and existing design factors should be comprehensively considered to devise a design formula appropriate for environment of the small rivers in Korea.