Analysis of Hydraulic Effect by River Dredging in a Meandering Channel

Abstract

This paper attempted to analyze the hydraulic effects that the dredging can take as an alternative to reduce possible damages of flooding due to the overflow of river levee in meandering rivers, where riverbed aggradation, seepage and erosion may occur. In order to make a hydraulic analysis in a section of meandering rivers, a two-dimensional hydraulic analysis model, RMA-2, was selected. The GIS was applied to construct two-dimensional finite element grids to consider the hydraulic conditions before and after dredging. The water surface elevations, depths, velocities, and tractive forces were compared before and after the dredging. The difference of water surface elevation between the inside and outside of river was turned out to be the maximum value of 0.58m under the design flood condition. It could be evaluated that the tractive force at the bank decreased about 42 to 67% on average for all the sections. These results could give valuable information that the dredging of the stream channel at the meandering sections decreased the risk of overflow, seepage and erosion of the banks. The methodologies given in this study will contribute to mitigating the flood damages in the surrounding farmlands.