Abstract
Erosion at either dam or spillway foundations, destabilization in riverbanks, and damage in the natural environment located downstream of either dams or spillways represent crucial elements to be taken into account in the risk assessment of hydraulic structures. One of the main problems is related to the scouring that water flow may induce at the downstream boundary of spillways. This issue is exacerbated in the case of undersized stilling basins, i.e., when a significant level of energy migrates downstream by acting on unprotected natural riverbed. If the scour depths are large enough, the structural stability of the infrastructure will be threatened. This paper aims to illustrate an innovative technical solution suitable to protect the riverbed located just downstream of stilling basins by means of artificial Antifer blocks. These kinds of artificial blocks are widely used in the field of maritime construction, but in the literature, there are no theoretical formulations for their design within the frame of river engineering. In order to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technical solution, it is applied to a real case investigated by means of physical modeling. The riverbed located just downstream of the stilling basin of Liscione Dam (Campobasso, Italy) experienced scour due to high discharges during and after extreme rain events. Different protection strategies have been tested to assess the influence of different placement methods and packing densities on the stability of Antifer block armor layers. Experimental findings reveal that regular placements behave more stable than irregular placements with a similar packing density.
Highlights
Hydraulic risk is one of the issues that has most undermined the safety of populations and infrastructures over the years
This paper aims to illustrate an innovative technical solution suitable to dissipate excess flow energy at the outlet of undersized stilling basins
In order to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technical solution, it is applied to a real case investigated by means of physical modeling
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. It is employed to quantitatively estimate the possibility of damage to the socio-economic fabric and public health of a specific area because of the occurrence of hazardous events (e.g., [2]) In this context, the investigation of the safety conditions of large hydraulic infrastructures such as dams is of great interest for safeguarding territories and assessing their risk level. In order to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technical solution, it is applied to a real case (e.g., the Liscione Dam, Italy) investigated by means of physical modeling In this framework, physical models, i.e., “physical” reproductions of a scaled artifact (i.e., geometric similarity) and the phenomena that occur in it (i.e., cinematic and dynamic similarities), coupled with suitable instruments and methodologies, are key tools for assessing the current and future safety conditions of dam structures, as well as of receiving riverbeds which require proper protection strategies.
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