Hydraulic Engineering Construction Research Articles

Investigating the Energy Dissipation Mechanism of Piano Key Weir: An Integrated Approach Using Physical and Numerical Modeling

The enormous energy carried by discharged water poses a serious threat to the Piano Key Weir (PKW) and its downstream hydraulic structures. However, previous research on energy dissipation in PKWs has mainly focused downstream effects, and the research methods have been largely limited to physical model experiments. To deeply investigate the discharge capacity and hydraulic characteristics of PKW, this study established a PKW model with universally applicable geometric parameters. By combining physical model experiments and numerical simulations, the flow pattern of the PKW, the discharge at the overflow edges, and the variation in the energy dissipation were revealed for different water heads. The results showed that the discharge of the side wall constitutes the majority of the total discharge at low water heads, resulting in a relatively high overall discharge efficiency. As the water head increases, the proportion of discharge from the inlet and outlet keys increases, while the proportion from the side wall decreases. This change results in less discharge from the side wall and a consequent reduction in the overall discharge efficiency. The PKW exhibits superior energy dissipation efficiency under low water heads. However, this efficiency exhibits an inverse relationship with an increasing water head. The overall energy dissipation efficiency can reach 40% to 70%. Additionally, the collision of the water flows inside the outlet chamber and the mixing of the overflow jet play a primary role in energy dissipation. The findings of this study have significant implications for hydraulic engineering construction and PKW operational safety.

Research on Outlier Detection Methods for Dam Monitoring Data Based on Post-Data Classification

Safety monitoring of hydraulic structures is a critical task in the field of hydraulic engineering construction. This study developed a method for preprocessing and classifying monitoring data for the identification of gross errors in hydraulic structures. By utilizing linear regression and wavelet analysis techniques, it effectively differentiated various waveform characteristics in data sets, such as Sinusoidal Wave Cyclical, Triangular Wave Cyclical, Seasonal Cyclical, and Weakly Cyclical growth types. In the experiments for gross error identification, the 3σ algorithm, K-medoids algorithm, and Isolation Forest algorithm were applied to test the data. The results showed that the K-medoids algorithm excelled in processing Sinusoidal Wave Cyclical Data Sets; the 3σ algorithm adapted better to Triangular Wave Cyclical Data Sets; the Isolation Forest algorithm performed well in handling data sets with significant anomalies or atypical fluctuations and excelled in scenarios with strong seasonality and large data fluctuations; and for complex Weakly Cyclical Growth Data Sets, all three algorithms were less effective, indicating the potential need for more advanced analysis methods or a combination of multiple techniques. Testing on actual engineering data further confirmed the importance of using specific gross error identification techniques for special data types after data set pre-classification, providing a more effective technical solution for the safety monitoring of hydraulic structures.

Viscosity of Clayey Soils: Experimental Studies

Due to the high rate of the development of housing, transportation and hydraulic engineering construction in the last hundred years, the study of the phenomenon of creep of clay soils has become a subject of scientific research. In the study, experimental investigations of clay soil were conducted using a simple shear device in kinematic loading mode, aimed at examining the influence of shear rate on the viscosity coefficient of the clay soil and its strength characteristics. The tests were performed at four different shear rates and three different vertical load values. Based on the results of experimental and theoretical studies, the viscosity coefficients of clay soil were obtained, and a new rheological equation was proposed, which simultaneously takes into account the influence of Coulomb friction, structural cohesion, cohesion of water–colloidal bonds and viscous resistance of the soil. It has been shown that the shear rate has a significant impact on the viscosity coefficient of clay soil, and the viscosity coefficient itself is a variable quantity, depending both on the magnitude of the applied load and the duration of its application. The obtained results can be used for further improvement of methods for calculating the settlement of structures over time, as well as for predicting the time until the bearing capacity of foundation soils is exhausted.

Human Activities Have Altered Sediment Transport in the Yihe River, the Longest River Originating from Shandong Province, China

Climate change and human activities affect regional sediment transport and ecological environment construction. Investigating sediment transport and its influencing factors in the Yihe River Basin (YHRB) will provide guidance for regional soil and water conservation and sustainable development. We analyzed the chronological changes, cycles, spatial distribution and influencing factors using Mann–Kendall (M-K) trend analysis, wavelet analysis, and the Pettitt mutation point (PMP) test, then quantified the role of precipitation and human activities in sediment transport changes. The results showed that annual precipitation decreased marginally, whereas sediment load has noticeably declined. Four precipitation cycles were observed: 4–8a, 9–14a, 16–19a, and 20–28a, where 9–14a was dominant; sediment transport cycles were tracked: 3–5a, 9–15a, and 30a, where 30a was dominant with a decreasing trend. The sediment load was higher in the central, northern, and southwestern sub-basins of the YHRB, while it was lower in the southeast. The contribution of human activities and precipitation changes to sediment transport was 73.14% and 26.86% in transitional phase I (1965–1980) and 71.97% and 28.03% in transitional phase II (1981–2020), respectively. Hydraulic engineering construction, water resource development, land-use changes, and soil and water conservation measures intercepted precipitation and sediment, making them the primary factor affecting sediment transport changes in the YHRB.

Dam Construction, Company Towns and Planned Urban Development: The Example of Salto del Esla, Spain

ABSTRACT Company towns are integral to the urban and territorial changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, especially in remote, resource-rich areas. Among these, villages constructed alongside dams stand out due to their profound territorial impact. This study focuses on one such unique settlement near the Ricobayo dam in Zamora, Spain, exploring its construction and environmental integration. At its inception, Ricobayo was Europe’s largest dam, its creation marked by notable feats like relocating a church, and pioneering hydraulic engineering and bridge construction, including a record-breaking design by Torroja. The adjacent company town set a precedent for creating liveable spaces for workers in isolated locales, influencing later developments. Research included on-site investigations, archival work at Iberdrola’s Historical Archive, and review of historical texts, underscoring the cultural and landscape significance of 20th-century dam settlements and the distinctive features of Ricobayo’s surroundings.

Уголковые подпорные стены с вертикальными консолями в виде оболочек и складок

The subject of the study is reinforced concrete corner retaining walls, widely used in hydraulic engineering construction. Optimization of the shape of the vertical console of corner retaining walls is important to reduce internal forces and increase the stability of structures. When replacing flat panels with spatial structures in the console, bending moments are reduced; the predominant work of structures for compression or stretching allows reducing their thickness due to more efficient use of materials. The purpose of the study is to determine the optimal shape and nature of reinforcement of vertical retaining wall consoles, depending on their height. The study was conducted in the certified software package “LIRA-CAD2021”. Computational models of corner retaining walls with consoles in the form of multi-wave cylindrical shells and folds have been developed. At the junctions of the waves and the edges of the folds, racks are provided, pinched in the ground. Comparative calculations of structures in the software package “LIRA-CAD2021” were performed. The results of calculations are analyzed. Conclusions are drawn on the optimization of the structures of retaining walls with a vertical console in the form of shells and folds. The study showed that with a retaining wall height of up to 3 m, a retaining wall with a console in the form of a multi-wave shell is more rational in terms of material consumption. At a height of more than 3 m, retaining walls with a console in the form of folds with vertical posts at the interface of the faces become rational. For consoles in the form of shells, double reinforcement is recommended with an increase in the area of the reinforcement in the lower part and at the interface areas of adjacent waves. For consoles in the form of folds, double reinforcement is also recommended, but additional reinforcement is required only in the area of the interface of the panels with the foundation plate.

Research on Seepage Prevention and Reinforcement Techniques for Dams in Hydraulic Engineering Construction

Research on Seepage Prevention and Reinforcement Techniques for Dams in Hydraulic Engineering Construction

Практическая реализация инженерной методики определения напряженного состояния в горизонтальных сечениях железобетонных подпорных стен

Retaining walls made of reinforced concrete are widely used in hydraulic engineering and transport construction. Since their rear faces are covered with ground filling, it seems difficult to control the stressed state of the rear working fittings, which in some cases led to deviations in the work of structures from the project. In this article, corner type retaining walls are considered. The purpose of the work was to develop and test an engineering technique for determining the stress state in horizontal sections of retaining walls made of reinforced concrete. In the framework of this work, studies were conducted on the structures of reinforced concrete retaining walls that interact with the soils of the base and backfill. At the same time, using the provisions of structural mechanics and the theory of reinforced concrete, an engineering technique was developed that allows calculating the stress state of reinforced concrete retaining walls along horizontal sections. To test the proposed calculation methodology, the in-situ data of instrumental surveys of the operated lower retaining walls of the PSPP water intake (pumped storage power plant) were used on the basis of the “reinforcement unloading” method in relation to the facing structural reinforcement of the walls. The developed method was practically implemented to assess the effective tensile stresses in the rear working reinforcement, as well as the compressive stresses in the concrete of retaining walls.

The Role of Water Culture and Water Landscapes in Modern Hydraulic Engineering Construction

The Role of Water Culture and Water Landscapes in Modern Hydraulic Engineering Construction

Causal Analysis of Fall Accidents in Hydraulic Engineering Based on Text Mining and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory and Interpretative Structural Modeling

Hydraulic engineering construction safety has become a major concern in engineering sustainability. Fall accidents, as a common type of accident during the hydraulic engineering construction process, have caused physical and fatal injuries and property losses on an individual and societal scale. With a sizable workforce, complex operational structures and demanding construction conditions, hydraulic engineering projects present more pronounced safety management challenges than other infrastructure initiatives. As a result, the risk of accidents, particularly fall accidents, is heightened in this domain. To prevent fall accidents and minimize losses, this study used the investigation reports of 389 cases of fall accidents as the analyzed corpus, and 16 contributing factors of fall accidents were extracted with the utilization of text mining. Accident feature terms were visualized through word clouds and ring bar graphs. The logical relationship among the influencing factors was quantified based on Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory and Interpretative Structural Modeling (DEMATEL-ISM). The contributing factors and occurrence mechanism of fall accidents in hydraulic engineering were analyzed by establishing a multilevel hierarchical hybrid model. The results showed that the multilevel hierarchical hybrid model was divided into five levels. Thirteen causal chains were obtained. Chaotic security management, weak safety awareness and an inadequate safety system were the most critical factors, while the remaining eleven transitional factors and four surface factors also contributed significantly to the occurrence of accidents. Human and management factors dominated the overall factor transfer pathway. This study proposes countermeasures to the above-mentioned factors and provides a theoretical basis for the sustainable and safe construction of hydraulic engineering.

Identifying changes in flood characteristics and their causes from an event-based perspective in the Central Taihu Basin

Increasing rainstorms induced by climate change and modification in the land surface due to urbanization have greatly altered floods at different spatio-temporal scales. However, investigating flood events in urbanized plains is challenging as anthropogenic behaviors can change river flow without rainfall. In addition, while the frequency and magnitude of floods have been well examined, knowledge about variations in the rate of flood change is still limited. To fill these gaps, we proposed a scheme that focused on flood responses to rainfall to detect changes in flood characteristics in the Central Taihu Basin, a highly urbanized region in the Yangtze River Delta of China. Four characteristic metrics were adopted to summarize the flood hydrograph, including the peak, increment, rising rate, and falling rate. We then examined trends of these metrics based on the selected rainfall-flood events from ten hydrological stations during 1970–2020. Subsequently, the reduction method was used to separate the impacts of regional climate change and human activities on flood characteristics alterations. Furthermore, the importance of fifteen factors was quantified by the random forest model. We found that there is a significant upward trend in the evolution of flood characteristics, except for the increment of floods. Flood characteristics exhibit higher values when rainfall accumulates, indicating stronger responses of floods to a large amount of rainfall. The results also show that human activities dominate and impact the peak, rising rate, and falling rate of floods more than climate change. Meanwhile, although cumulative precipitation is the most important factor, flood characteristics are also susceptible to anthropogenic factors, such as land use change and hydraulic engineering construction. Our findings, which provide insights into flood event identification and enhance the understanding of regional flood changes, will serve as a reference for water resource management and flood mitigation in urbanized areas.

Contribution of Climate Change and Human Activities to Runoff and Sediment Discharge Changes Based on Budyko Theory and Water–Sediment Relationships during 1960–2019 in the Taohe River Basin, China

Variations in runoff and sediment discharge are important characteristic variables for revealing the coupled effects of climate change (including both the natural variability of climate and anthropogenic climate change) and human activities (including soil and water conservation measures, land use changes, and hydraulic engineering construction). Based on the meteorological data from 19 meteorological stations and the hydrological data from the watershed control station of Hongqi Station, the temporal and spatial evolution of runoff and sediment discharge and the water–sand relationship were analyzed, and the response mechanisms of runoff and sediment discharge changes were clarified using Mikhail Budyko’s theory and other qualitative and quantitative methods. The results determined that: (1) The runoff and sediment discharge showed significant downward trends, with linear change rates of −0.28 × 108 m3/a and −46.10 × 104 t/a, respectively. The change points of the runoff and sediment discharge occurred in 1987 and 1996, respectively. (2) The spatial distribution of water and sediment was different, and the upper and middle reaches produced water, while the downstream produced sediment. (3) Comparing potential evapotranspiration and rainfall based on Budyko theory and the regression relationship, runoff is more closely related to rainfall, and runoff changes are more affected by it. The change in sediment discharge is most closely related to sediment concentration, followed by rainfall and potential evaporation. (4) The contribution rates of runoff and sediment discharge changes influenced by climate change were 24% and 3%, respectively, and the contribution rates by human activities were 76% and 97%, respectively. Human activities, including soil and water conservation measures, land use changes, and hydraulic engineering construction were the main influencing factors, and the impacts of human activities increased from 1960 to 2019. The research results are of great significance for erosion control and ecological restoration in the Tao River Basin under the conditions of the changing environment.

Experimental investigation on the anisotropy of mode-I fracture and tensile failure of layered shale

Mode-I fracture toughness (KIC) and tensile strength (σt) are significant parameters in hydraulic fracturing. Owing to the unique mineral composition and sedimentary environment of shale, the mechanical properties of shale exhibit anisotropy. In this study, the notched semi-circular bend (NSCB) and Brazilian disc (BD) tests were combined with acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) technology to investigate the anisotropic fracture and tensile behaviors of layered shale. The critical plane approach (CPA) criterion is extended and validated, and the universality of the extended CPA criterion is confirmed for both KIC and σt prediction. In addition, the variation of KIC and σt versus loading angle, the relationship between KIC and σt, the typical failure modes of both NSCB and BD specimens, and the fracture initiation angle of layered shales are discussed comprehensively. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) KIC and σt increased with increasing in the loading angle (β), which indicated significant anisotropy of layered shale, and the AE responses for different loading angles also differed significantly. (2) The variation of anisotropic KIC and σt of different shales could be predicted by adjusting the spatial distribution parameter (Ω0), so that the extended CPA criterion could predict KIC and σt of different shales accurately, which confirmed the universality of the extended CPA criterion for both KIC and σt prediction. (3) There exists an approximately linear or power relationship between KIC and σt, and the power relationship can match both experimental and theoretical results much better. (4) The data from DIC and failure modes confirmed that when β was low, the failure modes were primarily affected by the bedding plane. In contrast, when β was great, the failure modes were primarily affected by the matrix. The NSCB specimens exhibited tensile failure, whereas the BD specimens exhibited more complex failure modes, which were a combination of tensile and shear failure. The results of this study can be used for guiding the design and construction of hydraulic fracturing and rock engineering.

Engineering Curriculum Reform Based on Outcome-Based Education and Five-Color Psychology Theory

Innovation in curriculum design at the system level is crucial for nurturing students’ sustainability skills. This study focuses on the teaching reform of a hydraulic engineering construction and management course, taking a sustainable development perspective and achieving a harmonious integration of knowledge acquisition and skill development. A “One Center, Two Platforms, and Three Education” teaching model is devised, incorporating outcome-based education and five-color psychological theory. This model encompasses a student-centered approach, leveraging the Chaoxing platform and a virtual simulation experiment platform while addressing theoretical, practical, and ideological-political education. The study participants consisted of water and hydropower engineering students at the School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xihua University. This teaching model not only enhances students’ learning motivation but also elevates their academic performance. Moreover, the model has yielded notable improvements in students’ overall quality, independent learning abilities, and innovation aptitude. The effectiveness of this teaching model in engineering courses has garnered positive feedback from both graduates and employers, who acknowledge its contribution to enhancing teaching quality and promoting sustainable development in engineering education. Furthermore, this model can serve as a reference for enhancing college education and fostering students’ abilities and ethical standards.

Safety Management and Quality Control in Hydraulic Engineering Construction

Water conservancy projects are important infrastructure projects related to the national economy and people's livelihood, which have great help for the development of transportation and agriculture, and can bring great economic benefits. In the construction of water conservancy projects, due to the complexity of construction technology and the difficulty of construction, it is easy to form safety hazards. In addition, due to the large scale of construction, the large number of construction units, and the complex construction methods, it will also have a negative impact on the quality control work. The importance and existing problems of safety management and quality control in water conservancy project construction are analyzed. On this basis, safety management strategies and quality control strategies are discussed respectively, with a view to providing reference for safety management and quality control in water conservancy project construction.

Complex diagnostics of concrete lining technical condition

The main use of concrete lining is mine and hydraulic engineering construction. The options of its use in underground structures and mining operations have been considered. The advantages of this lining during construction and operation have been reflected. A long service life of underground facilities with concrete lining in Ukraine has been noted. The typical defect types have been identified. The main reasons for defect formation have been reflected. The impact of natural factors on the deterioration of the lining has been researched. The possible consequences of the flaw growth have been reported. Limited opportunities for visual inspection of the concrete surface have been noted. The main areas of non-destructive test of linings have been analyzed. The basic set of methods and control devices have been established. Special features of monitoring with various methods have been indicated. The main requirements for the registration of primary data have been defined. Typical options of office data processing have been outlined. According to the processing results, the category of the technical condition of the lining is determined. Criteria for assessing the technical condition have been presented. Specific examples of complex examination of concrete lining have been provided.

Intelligent analysis method of dam material gradation for asphalt-core rock-fill dam based on enhanced Cascade Mask R-CNN and GCNet

Reasonable dam materials’ gradation design for asphalt-core rock-fill dams is one of the main ways to control permeability. It is a challenge to test whether it can meet the requirements of dam construction. The computer vision method provides a new idea for asphalt-core rock-fill dam material gradation testing. However, due to the characteristics of densely overlapping and multi-scale sizes of dam material particles, the traditional image segmentation methods and algorithms cannot achieve accurate segmentation of dam materials’ images, and it is hard to apply the segmentation result to quantify the gradation curve. In this research, the enhanced Cascade Mask R-CNN with ResNet and PAFPN (Path Aggregation Feature Pyramid Networks) is proposed. Multi-scale features extracted by ResNet and feature ensemble can be realized using PAFPN. Data augmentation (DA) and online hard example mining (OHEM) are also applied in segmentation model training. Moreover, the GCNet is proposed to calibrate the gradation curve. The nonlinear relationship between the real gradation and the one based on the segmentation results can be revealed and the model of dam materials’ gradation analysis can be established. In the research, the enhanced Cascade Mask R-CNN can achieve 84.2 mAP, which is higher than that of Cascade Mask R-CNN with 74.9 mAP. The effectiveness of the proposed module and training strategies is proved using ablation experiments. The average error of each level for the gradation calibration using GCNet is 0.55%, 1.87%, 2.22%, 1.18%, and 2.42% respectively. The accuracy can meet the requirements of hydraulic engineering construction, which verifies the effectiveness of the GCNet network for gradation calibration, and the research provides a new method and technology for intelligent gradation testing of the asphalt-core rock-fill dam.

Study of possibility application of anti-erosion coating - geomate with ground and sowing of permanent grasses

Geosynthetic materials are considered modern, reliable, and durable building materials used in many construction areas. Geosynthetic building materials provide a viable and long-term economic alternative to conventional building materials. During the operation of hydraulic structures, they are affected by water and air erosion; the impact of these processes can lead to negative consequences, as a result of which erosion and destruction of structures are possible. To eliminate such consequences, choosing the right protective anti-erosion material and the slope fastening design is necessary. Common geosynthetic materials are geomats, which have found their application in construction. Like other geosynthetic materials, geomats have a fairly wide range of applications in hydraulic engineering construction. This study aimed to study the options for using a geomat with vegetation, namely the selection and selection of a mixture of herbs and the formation of herbage for further application of anti-erosion coating. Currently, the issue of increasing environmental factors is quite acute. This coating will give the slope a natural look without losing protective properties. Also, thanks to the sowing of perennial grasses, the use of this coating will increase the environmental characteristics of the structure, which will favorably affect flora and fauna.

Teaching practice of artificially lowering groundwater level in the course of hydraulic engineering construction

The course of hydraulic engineering construction involves many contents, wide scope and short class hours, and teachers often do not have enough time to teach many knowledge points that need to be mastered in practical projects, among which the knowledge point of "artificially lowering groundwater level" has this characteristic.Based on tube-well method and well-point method, this paper designs the teaching path based on the concept of case teaching method, and makes use of effect drawings, engineering drawings, PPT animation, FLASH animation and engineering cases in limited class hours to make students understand the basic principles, technical characteristics, scope of application, design and calculation of these two0 methods. Finally, the students can initially master the calculation of the displacement of foundation pit, the number and layout of pipe wells in artificially lowering groundwater level, and have the preliminary ability of engineering practice.

Hydraulic Engineering Construction Teaching Based on Case Method-Taking Wave Climbing as an Example

Hydraulic Engineering Construction Teaching Based on Case Method-Taking Wave Climbing as an Example