Fast clogging problem of open check dams and a new type suggestion: curved footed type open check dam

Driftwood is one of the important physical components in mountainous rivers which causes severe hazards due to the clogging of bridges, culverts, and narrow sections during floods. Therefore, the understanding of driftwood dynamics and mitigation measures are crucial for managing wood in rivers. Open check dams are the most commonly used engineering measure for preventing driftwood from reaching downstream areas. Nevertheless, these open check dams frequently lose their sediment transport function when they are blocked by sediment and driftwood, especially during major flood events. This paper proposes a new type of open check dam for preventing from clogging. Thus, flume experiments were conducted to examine the influence of different types of open check dams on the characteristics of driftwood deposition. For the model with wood length (L-WD)=16.5 cm, wood diameter (D) =15 mm, and wood number (N)=172, the highest trapping efficiency was observed with 90.1% and 87.2% retention rates for the classical debris flow breaker and curved footed open check dams, respectively. Laboratory tests showed that through this proposed design, woody debris blockage in a very short time was prevented from the accumulation of woods beside the dam. In addition to this, most of the sediment passed through the check dam and most of the driftwood got trapped. It can be briefly stated that the geometrical design of the structure plays an important role and can be chosen carefully to optimize trapping efficiency. By designing this type of open check dams in mountain river basins, it may provide a better understanding of the driftwood accumulation and basis for the optimal design of these structures. Further development of the solution proposed in this work can pave the way for designing different types of open check dams for effective flood management.

Automated summary

Driftwood is a significant component in mountainous rivers that causes severe hazards by blocking bridges, culverts, and narrow sections during floods. Open check dams are commonly used to prevent driftwood from reaching downstream areas, but they often lose their function when blocked by sediment and driftwood. This paper proposes a new type of open check dam to prevent clogging, and flume experiments were conducted to examine its effectiveness. The results showed that the design of the dam plays an important role in trapping efficiency, and by implementing this type of dam, it may provide a basis for the optimal design of open check dams in mountain river basins for effective flood management.