Experimental studies on the interaction between vehicles and floodplain flows

Floodwater flows through urban floodplains with storm water systems are often inadequate during extreme storm events and/or when the river flood inundation extent becomes extreme. Such flows may cause potential hazard risks to humans and their properties along the floodplains. Recently, flood hazards relating to vehicles have become more noticeable and it is vital to investigate the hydraulic behaviour of vehicles on urban floodplains. Therefore, this paper outlines a study of the theoretical and experimental aspects of the hydrodynamics of floodwater flows over urban floodplains with vehicles. A theoretical background study is discussed to establish an understanding of the hydrodynamics of floodwater flows over urban floodplains with vehicles; a condition which can be very important for extreme storm events, or even moderate storm events, when the storm water system is insufficient to drain away the surface runoff. Extensive investigations have been undertaken on stationary scaled die cast model vehicles in laboratory hydraulics flumes by conducting a series of physical experimental studies on: (i) the threshold of vehicle instability, (ii) the effects of vehicle orientation, (iii) the effects of ground surface gradient, (iv) the vehicle stability on urban floodplains, and (v) the influence of vehicles on floodwater flows. The results for all the test cases have been analysed to investigate the effects of vehicles on floodwater flow propagation over urban floodplains and, on the other hand, the influence of the floodwater flows on the stability of model vehicles. The two principal factors of hazards (i.e. the floodwater depth and flow velocity) that affect the stability of model vehicles in urban floodplains have been identified to confirm the significant impact of hydrodynamic processes in urban floodplains with vehicles. All experiments undertaken so far have only looked into the conditions under which the model vehicles begin to be moved. Observations have been made from the theory studied and experiments conducted to systematically look into the hydraulic behaviour of vehicles in urban floodplains. The main findings have highlighted that: (i) the model vehicles had a significant impact on the floodwater flow propagation and the hydrodynamic processes in the flooded area, (ii) if the incoming flow depth was less than the vehicle height, then the threshold velocity increased for a decease in the depth of flow; (iii) if the incoming flow depth was greater than the vehicle height, then the threshold velocity would rise with an increase in the depth of flow, and (iv) a flooded vehicle was more likely to move if the incoming depth just approached the vehicle chassis height due to the buoyancy effects. Based on these findings, an innovative approach of a straightforward three colour zone envelope curve has been developed, and first introduced herein, which has been defined as the Traffic Light of Hydraulic Stability (TLHS) system. This novel approach can be readily used to evaluate the degree of hydraulic stability for model vehicles, and it is also invaluable for assessing the vehicle hazard conditions in urban floodplains.