T.B. Le
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7 records found
1
The Dutch River Waal, a branch of the Rhine, has been trained for centuries to mitigate the effects of ice-jams and improve navigation. The works, started in 1850, involved river straightening and narrowing by a series of transverse groynes. Besides fulfilling their goal, the groynes also created the need to raise flood protection works and caused undesirable channel incision. This study assesses the effectiveness of training the river with a longitudinal wall instead of with groynes. The investigation analyzes the long-term response of the historical river with a two-dimensional depth-averaged (2DH) morphodynamic model. The results show that the wall would create two parallel channels, one becoming deeper and the other one shallower. The former would be as suitable for navigation as an equally-wide channel obtained with groynes. The latter would contribute in conveying water during high flow events and improve the river ecology. Training the river with a wall would also lessen channel incision. The best performance is obtained if the wall is built on the channel centerline, starting just upstream of a point bar top.
On the stability of river bifurcations created by longitudinal training walls
Numerical investigation
Training rivers with longitudinal walls
Long-term morphological responses
Recent developments in river training include the replacement of series of transverse groynes by a longitudinal training wall. The idea is to obtain higher flood conveyance capacity during peak discharges and maintain the navigation channel at low flows. This new type of interventions creates a (near-bank) side channel parallel to the main (navigation) channel, splitting water discharge and sediment transport between the two channels. However, it is not clear yet whether the two-channel system is stable, i.e. both channels tend to remain open, and whether the intervention will meet the objectives, particularly considering the long term morphological adaptations. This study examines the stability of two-channel systems created by longitudinal training walls in low-land rivers with a bed topography characterized by alternate bars. Based on the results of preliminary numerical simulations, showing high risk of system instability with the closure of one of the two channels, this study concentrates on experimental tests. The work is on-going and the preliminary results suggest that the position of a training wall related to a near-bank bar plays an important role on the stability of the system. Further work will be carried out with more extensive experimental investigations to carefully verify the long-term effects of a longitudinal training wall in a river with alternate bars, starting at different locations related to a bar.