Chancy-Pougny is a run-of-river dam on the Swiss-French border constructed in the early 1920s. Since its commissioning, the operation of the four spillway gates has been responsible for a progressive erosion of the stilling basin. The future scour potential of the unlined stilling basin of the Chancy-Pougny dam was assessed by hybrid modeling, combining both a physical and a numerical model. The physical model investigated the flow structure in the basin as well as the dynamic pressure fluctuations exerted by the flow on the rocky bottom of the stilling basin. The presence of a large gyre, generated by a flow recirculation in the nonsymmetrical basin, was found to be one of the main causes of significant scour formation. The numerical model used the pressure recordings to reconstitute the observed scour since 1924, predicting significant additional long-term erosion in the stilling basin. As such, a series of scour mitigation measures, including a free-standing wall and various configurations of concrete prisms for scour protection, were tested on both models. A tailor-made solution containing a layer of randomly distributed concrete prisms laid on the basin's current bottom was identified through this study, proving the importance of both numerical and physical approaches in hydraulic engineering.

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Rigorously derived shallow water equations (SWEs) are applied to results of large eddy simulation (LES) of a continuously fed gravity current in order to assess (1) sensitivity of current depth results to its definition; (2) coefficients in depth-averaged continuity and momentum equation due to the nonuniformity of density and velocity profiles; and (3) sensitivity of entrainment coefficient to definition of current depth. It is shown that using different definitions of the current depth may produce significantly different numerical results. The coefficients due to nonuniformity in the continuity equation are very close to unity, whereas the coefficients in the momentum flux and the pressure term in the momentum equation are different from unity by a margin that is very sensitive to the definition of current depth. The entrainment coefficient is more sensitive to the selected parameterization than to the definition of the current depth.

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Tsunamis, impulse waves and dam-break waves represent extreme events that endanger human lives and generate damage to critical infrastructure. Recent events in the Indian Ocean (2004), in Japan (2011) and in Indonesia (2018) showed that constructive measures could be used to reduce the loads exerted on structures. Thus, the objective of this research is to study the loading process of different building configurations during wave impact. Through an extended experimental program, this research initially characterises the hydrodynamic behaviour of wet bed bores and dry surges in terms of their front celerity, water depths and velocity profiles behind the front. Then, the advantage of porous buildings in reducing inundation depths and loadings on the building is shown and discussed. Finally, this study provides simples formulae to predict the hydrodynamic load on a building, taking into account the effect of openings through an adapted resistance coefficient. These results reveal important information for the design of safer infrastructure that will act as vertical shelters in case of water related natural hazards.

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Steady free-surface flows around buildings occurring during flood or tsunami events can produce major damages and a quantification of the post-peak forces is essential for safety and resilience of coastal structures. The loading process is highly affected by the flow Froude number and the drag coefficient, commonly defined for highly subcritical flows, while field observations of tsunami flows reported Froude numbers close to one, visually appearing as a choked regime. The present experimental study addresses the hydrodynamic forces on emerging buildings in a subcritical choked regime, focusing on the effect of openings and orientation. Laboratory experiments indicated a substantial difference in flow depths between the up- and downstream side of the building for increasing Froude numbers. The presence of openings induced a flow through the building lowering the difference in flow depth, limiting the effect of the hydrostatic component of the loading process. The formulation of an empirical resistance coefficient C_R allowed a combination of both form drag and hydrostatic forces. Whilst for impervious buildings C_R was consistent with reference studies, for buildings with openings C_R was directly dependent upon porosity. Contrarily to the unsteady flow conditions, results showed that the sidewalls also played a role in the loading process. Buildings with a rotated orientation resulted in slightly larger surfaces exposed to the flow and larger horizontal forces. Nevertheless, these were applied at lower cantilever arms, thus reducing the tilting moment. Altogether, this study provides experimentally-derived parameters that will support hydraulic engineers in the design of coastal structures.

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Tsunamis, impulse-waves and dam-break waves have affected humanity in recent decades and the construction of vertical shelters can provide safety to people. However, for non-critical infrastructures, typically residential houses of lower height, overtopping is accepted during such events. This study experimentally quantifies the effect of building overtopping, i.e. water flowing over the roof, on the resulting loading process. Both surges and bores were investigated and the impact against buildings with two different heights was assessed. Detailed measurements of forces and moments allowed key differences to be captured between the scenarios with and without overtopping. Results showed that overtopping induced higher downstream water depths, leading to lower horizontal forces and a reduced resistance coefficient. Furthermore, cantilever arm, moment and impulse values were constantly lower in case of overtopping. Finally, this study presents an innovative methodology to assess the main loading features of buildings subject to overtopping, supporting engineers to design safer resilient structures.

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River reaches downstream of dams with constant residual discharge often lack sediment supply and periodic high flows due to dam sediment retention and flow regulation, respectively. To test a novel multi-deposit methodology for defining environmental flows for activating the dynamics of the river morphology downstream of dams, a flood was released from Rossens Dam in Switzerland. This event was combined for the first time with a multi-deposit configuration of sediment replenishment consisting of four artificial deposits allocated as alternate bars along the riverbanks as a restoration measure. To validate the sediment transport behaviour observed in laboratory tests, stones were equipped with radiofrequency identification (RFID) passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, a fixed antenna was installed at the river bed and a mobile antenna was used to enable the investigation of the erosion, transport and deposition of replenished sediments. The duration of the erosion period was determined for the tracked stones, and average transport velocities were found to be on the order of 10^–3 m/s. To estimate the erosion efficiency of the flood, defined as the eroded tagged stones compared with the released water volume, the hydrograph was divided into different periods: rising limb, constant peak discharge, decreasing limb. During the rising limb of the flood, which lasted for 20% of the total flood duration, more than 40% of the PIT tags were transported. The defined erosion efficiency is a measure to support the hydrographic design of artificial flood releases from dams. The deposition of tagged stones resulted in a repeating cluster formation, as expected from previous laboratory experiments, creating an increase in hydraulic habitat diversity. Comparison of the results obtained in the field and from laboratory experiments confirmed the robustness of the multi-deposit sediment replenishment method. Combined with the knowledge gained on the erosion efficiency, these results could motivate further applications and research into multi-deposit sediment replenishment techniques as a habitat-oriented river restoration measure.

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Tsunamis, impulse waves, and dam-break waves are rare but catastrophic events, associated with casualties and damage to infrastructures. An adequate description of these waves is vital to assure human safety and to generate resilient structures. Furthermore, a specific building geometry with openings, such as windows and doors, reduces wave-induced loads and increases the probability that a building withstands. However, waves often carry a large volume of debris, generating supplementary impact forces and creating debris dams around buildings, limiting the beneficial effects of the openings. Herein, a preliminary study on the three-dimensional (3D) effect of debris dams on postpeak wave-induced loads under unsteady flow conditions is presented based on laboratory experiments. Both wooden logs (forest) and shipping containers were tested, showing different behaviors. Shipping containers were associated with severe impact force peaks, whereas the interlocking nature of forest-Type debris provoked a compact debris dam, leading to higher and longer-lasting hydrodynamic forces. The arrangement of the debris also had an influence on the resulting structural loading. All tested scenarios were analyzed in terms of horizontal force, cantilever arm, and impulse acting on the building. This study presents a methodology to support the evaluation of postpeak debris-induced loads for the design of safer resilient buildings.

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River reaches downstream dams where a constant residual flow discharge is imposed, often lack sediment supply and periodic inundation due to the absence of natural flood events. In this study, a two-year return flood was released from an upstream reservoir and combined with sediment replenishment to enhance instream habitat conditions downstream of Rossens hydropower dam on the Sarine River in western Switzerland. Sediment replenishment consisted of four sediment deposits distributed as alternate bars along the river banks, a solution which was previously tested in laboratory. The morphological evolution of the replenishment and of the downstream riverbed were surveyed including pre- and post-flood topography. A hydro-morphological index to evaluate the quality of riverine habitats, based on the variability of flow depth and flow velocity in the analyzed reach, was investigated. The combination of the artificial flood with sediment replenishment proved to be a robust measure to supply a river with sediment and to enhance hydraulic habitat suitability.@en

Overbank sedimentation is predominantly due to fine sediments transported under suspension that become trapped and settle in floodplains when high-flow conditions occur in rivers. In a compound channel, the processes of exchanging water and fine sediments between the main channel and floodplains regulate the geomorphological evolution and are crucial for the maintenance of the ecosystem functions of the floodplains. These hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes depend on variables such as the flow-depth ratio between the water depth in the main channel and the water depth in the floodplain, the width ratio between the width of the main channel and the width of the floodplain, and the floodplain land cover characterized by the type of roughness. This paper examines, by means of laboratory experiments, how these variables are interlinked and how the deposition of sediments in the compound channel is jointly determined by them. The combination of these compound channel characteristics modulates the production of vertically axised large turbulent vortical structures in the mixing interface. Such vortical structures determine the water mass exchange between the main channel and the floodplain, conditioning in turn the transport of sediment particles conveyed in the water, and, therefore, the resulting overbank sedimentation. The existence and pattern of sedimentation are conditioned by both the hydrodynamic variables (the flow-depth ratio and the width ratio) and the floodplain land cover simulated in terms of smooth walls, meadow-type roughness, sparse-wood-type roughness, and dense-wood-type roughness.

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Tsunami, impulse-waves and dam-break waves afflict humanity with casualties and damages. An insight into the flow mechanisms of these waves is important to provide safety and reduce reconstruction costs. This experimental study focuses on the effect of bed roughness on the main hydrodynamic properties of surges propagating on dry bed. In addition, the resulting wave impact forces on buildings with and without openings are studied. Results pointed out that dry bed surges on a rough bed had a lower front celerity and a higher flow depth, resulting into inundation depths during the impact around 20% higher as compared to the smooth bed. Furthermore, a rough bed induced a lower momentum flux during wave propagation, resulting into lower impact forces exerted on the building. The rough bed configuration also caused shorter impact durations, leading to lower impulse values transferred to the building. Results pointed out that even on rough bed, openings within the buildings linearly reduced impact forces, thus providing some helpful information for the design of safer coastal structures.@en

We present the results of laboratory investigations of continuously-fed density currents that propagate first over a smooth horizontal bed and then over a porous substrate of limited length. Inflow discharge, initial excess density, and substrate porosities are varied. Density measurements, acquired through an image analysis technique, are performed above the porous layer simultaneously with quasi-instantaneous vertical velocity profiles. After a first phase in which the current sinks into the substrate, freshwater entrainment from the bed begins and, gradually, a mixing layer forms at the interface between the surface flow and the porous bed. Shear-driven and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities rule the dynamics of this mixing layer. The porous boundary effects are observed in the vertical distributions of both density and velocity, especially in the near-bed region. Here, larger flow velocities are recorded over porous substrates. We argue that these are due to the presence of a longitudinal pressure gradient, which in turn is a consequence of the current mass loss. Its presence over the porous substrate is proved by the current interface longitudinal slope. However, other effects of the presence of the porous substrate, such as the relaxation of the no-slip boundary condition and the bed-normal momentum exchange, also affect the velocity field. The turbulent structure changes significantly over the porous substrate: while streamwise turbulence decreases, shear and bed-normal Reynolds stresses increase in large part of the current depth. Buoyancy instabilities further enhance the bed-normal momentum flux and, in the near-bed region, contribute to turbulent kinetic energy generation together with shear.@en

We investigate to what extent the initial conditions (in terms of buoyancy and geometry) of saline gravity currents flowing over a horizontal bottom influence their runout and entrainment capacity. In particular, to what extent the effect of the introduction of an inclined channel reach, just upstream from the lock gate, influences the hydrodynamics of gravity currents and consequently its potential erosion capacity is still an open question. The investigation presented herein focuses on the unknown effects of an inclined lock on the geometry of the current, on the streamwise velocity, on bed shear stress, and on the mechanisms of entrainment and mass exchange. Gravity currents were reproduced in the laboratory through the lock-exchange technique, and systematic tests were performed with different initial densities, combined with five initial volumes of release on horizontal and sloped locks. The inclination of the upstream reach of the channel (the lock) was varied from 0&thinsp;% to 16&thinsp;%, while the lock length was reduced by up to <span classCombining double low line"inline-formula">1ĝ•4</span> of the initial reference case. We observed that the shape of the current is modified due to the enhanced entrainment of ambient water, which is the region of the current in which this happens most. A counterintuitive relation between slope and mean streamwise velocity was found, supporting previous findings that hypothesized that gravity currents flowing down small slopes experience an initial acceleration followed by a deceleration. For the steepest slope tested, two opposite mechanisms of mass exchange are identified and discussed, i.e., the current entrainment of water from the upper surface due to the enhanced friction at the interface and the head feeding by a rear-fed current. The bed shear stress and the corresponding potential erosion capacity are discussed, giving insights into the geomorphological implications of natural gravity currents caused in different topographic settings.@en

The protection of river banks in mountain rivers by riprap requires large blocks with weights typically exceeding 1 t. Thus, the blocks have to be placed individually. Such packed riprap has a relatively small spacing between the blocks. Consequently, the interlocking forces between the blocks are high, and the resistance of this protection to erosion is increased compared with traditional dumped riprap used for bank protection in low-grade rivers. Based on 98 systematical laboratory experiments, an adapted design method was developed for the case of riprap riverbank protection using large, individually placed blocks. Three different block sizes were tested by varying the longitudinal channel slope and bank inclination. For comparison, 34 tests were performed with dumped riprap. A design relationship is presented as a function of block size relative to the flow depth and a modified block Froude number considering the mean flow velocity. The additional resistance of riprap to erosion with large, individually placed blocks compared with dumped riprap is quantified. The proposed equations are compared with existing riprap sizing equations. The suggested method proved to be reliable in the assessment of the stability of packed riprap. Furthermore, it is shown that a second layer significantly delays riprap failure.

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Tsunamis, landslide-generated waves, and dam failures are rare, but highly destructive phenomena, associated with extreme loading on infrastructure. Recent events showed that specific measures must be taken to guarantee safety of both people and the built environment. This experimental study investigates the forces and moments exerted on free-standing buildings that are induced by both surges and bores. The hydrodynamic impact was characterized by high splash, subsequently followed by a quasi-steady flow around the structure. For dry bed surges, the time history of the horizontal force was proportional to the momentum flux per unit width. For wet bed bores, an attenuation of the peak force due to the presence of an aerated front was observed and the introduction of a reduction coefficient was necessary to achieve a realistic force estimation. Additional force analysis in terms of peak time, wave height at maximum force and impulse also pointed out some key differences between forces exerted by dry bed surges and wet bed bores. The occurrence of the maximum tilting moment on the building coincided with the maximum horizontal force and an evaluation of the cantilever arm was possible. These findings provide engineers with practical information for the design of safer coastal structures.

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Previous studies and field surveys showed that specific structural designs can decrease the load on free-standing buildings along the coast, providing safer vertical shelters. This experimental study investigated the effect of openings in buildings (windows, doors and foyers) on horizontal forces and tilting moments induced by both dry bed surges and wet bed bores. Four configurations with seven porosity values ranging from 0% (impervious) to 84% (highly permeable) were systematically tested. Due to the presence of openings, the flow through the building reduced the upstream water depths. The porosity resulting from the presence of openings was shown to produce a linear reduction of the maximum horizontal force, when compared to the corresponding impervious building. The configuration with an impervious back showed results similar to those measured for the fully impervious buildings. The occurrence of the maximum tilting moment was shown to coincide with the maximum horizontal force and an estimation of the cantilever arm was therefore possible. The latter was constant for all configurations, independent of the geometry of the openings. Finally, two equations to predict the maximum horizontal force and the tilting moment were proposed, taking into account the effect of building openings within the resistance coefficient. These showed good agreement with experimental data and previous studies. These findings provide engineers with practical information for the design of safer vertical shelters in tsunami-prone areas.

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Tsunamis, impulse waves, and dam failures are disasters that challenge humanity, often leading to massive casualties and extreme economic losses. The highly unsteady flow conditions generated by such events are often in the form of turbulent bores. The purpose of this study was to investigate and validate a new generation system for bores propagating over dry and wet bed conditions. There are multiple techniques to generate such waves experimentally, and the study focused on the generation of tsunami-like inundation conditions through the vertical release of a water volume. A detailed methodology to characterize the generated waves hydraulically, in terms of their wave heights and flow velocities, is presented, and good agreement with the classical dam-break case for both dry bed surges and wet bed bores was demonstrated. Because of the importance of estimating the impact forces induced by such waves, particular attention was given to the wavefront celerity and the velocity profiles measured behind the wavefront; these were found in agreement with Prandtl's power law for open channel flows, and in-depth measurements allowed for the definition of an expression to estimate flow deceleration behind the wavefront. Along with considerations of the Froude number and momentum, this paper provides relevant information to assist engineers in designing safer infrastructures in areas prone to such extreme loading.

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Chancy-Pougny is a run-of-river dam on the Swiss–French border constructed in the early 1920s. Since its inauguration, the operation of the four spillway gates was responsible for a progressive erosion of the stilling basin. Thus, a hybrid modelling was performed to study the scour potential and to determine adequate solutions to maintain future scour within acceptable levels. Visual observations on the physical model identified a strong recirculation in the nonsymmetrical basin that combined with the outflow from the spillway gate, lead to an enhanced specific discharge and to the formation of a turbulent vortex impacting on the rocky foundation. Some measures to limit the recirculation, including a free-standing wall and various configurations of concrete prisms for scour protection were tested on both the physical and numerical model. The pressure and water depth measurements resulting from the physical model were used within the numerical model to determine the corresponding scour potential for each of the tested mitigation measures. A solution containing a layer of randomly distributed concrete prisms laid on the basin’s current bottom was identified through this study, proving the importance of both numerical and physical approaches in hydraulic engineering.

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Uncontrolled scour is affecting multiple mobile dams. The plunge pool of the Chancy-Pougny barrage, located on the Rhone River bordering France and Switzerland, has recently been reported to develop in a potentially unfavourable direction after almost 100 years of acceptable scour development. In order to estimate the future scour potential of this asymmetrical plunge pool and validate and optimize possible solutions to limit its development, a physical model was built at LCH-EPFL. First-stage diagnosis tests showed the presence of recirculation surface currents interacting with the spillway outflow jets producing downward vorticity responsible for scour progression. In partnership with the responsible engineering company, different solutions were proposed and tested, starting with the installation of a vertical guide-wall to prevent the formation of the return currents. A solution with randomly-arranged concrete prisms was finally retained as the most favourable compromise between the effective protection of the riverbed and site implementation. Herein the robustness of this solution is analysed for two different, but plausible, operation scenarios. Both the closure of a spillway gate and the lowering of the water level proved the effectiveness of the chosen solution without endangering the stability of the prism-arrangement. The technical solution presented herein enlarges the range of alternative solutions for uncontrolled scour control not only at the Chancy-Pougny barrage but also for a large number of structures with similar layout.@en

Waves impacting against structures can create damages and devastation. This topic regained interest after some recent catastrophic events and the present paper investigates the main phases of a wave impacting against a residential house commonly observed in areas subject to tsunami hazards. The project is based on an experimental approach and both dry bed surges and wet bed bores were tested. Through some visual observations and high speed cameras, important run-up heights in the vertical direction were observed for all configurations; these were more intense for wet bed bores. For the largest waves a full overflow of the structure was observed and the presence of the structure provoked a change of regime and the upstream propagation of a bore.@en

In the context of a comprehensive research project investigating the hydrodynamic loading on structures with openings, this paper focuses on the wave generation techniques currently used and the test results associated with it, proposing a particular tsunami-like wave using a vertical water volume release mechanism. The latter allowed a certain volume of water to flow gravitationally from an upper reservoir into a lower basin through a set of pipes. The propagation of the resulting wave took place in a horizontal channel where wave height and velocities were measured. Both dry bed surges and wet bed bores were investigated, however the present paper mostly focuses on dry bed surges. The study indicated that the surges generated with this mechanism had similar behavior to those resulting from a dam-break technique and a good agreement between the experimental points and the theoretical solutions of Ritter (1892) and Whitham (1955) was found. Lastly some differences between wet bed bores and dry bed surges are presented and briefly discussed herein.@en