Analysis of an alluvial channel bend

Abstract

Abstract The existence of the secondary current changes the vertical and lateral velocity distributions, bed topography, and sediment gradations in an alluvial channel bend. An analytical solution is proposed to describe the transverse bed slope, lateral depth‐averaged mean velocity distributions and sediment distributions for both developing and fully‐developed reaches of an alluvial channel bend under steady uniform flow conditions. The theory is based on the findings of Odgaard [20] and Hussein and Smith [10], coupled with a streamwise momentum equation, and a longitudinal force balance equation. The results are verified by experimental data of Lee [15] and Odgaard and Bergs [21], and by field data of Sacramento River [22]. The solutions obtained are quite accurate.