Author(s): E. F. R. Bollaert; E. J. Lesleighter

Linked Author(s): Eric J Lesleighter

Keywords: Spillways; Energy dissipators; Rock scour history; Scour evaluation methods

Abstract: The challenge for spillway design over many decades has been to arrive at a design that can discharge floods of a wide-ranging magnitude without the scour of the material on and below which the spillway is founded. Typically, the material is rock; sometimes weak and poor quality rock for which various measures are applied to protect in the energy dissipation areas from scour that could lead to structural damage or failure. Sometimes the rock is strong and apparently of good quality. Nonetheless, in virtually all situations major scour has occurred. This is a world-wide experience. In Australia, those who design spillways have rightly considered the potential for scour, and rock scour. In many cases spillways have been constructed but have never been “put to the test”. Our purpose is to go some way to lift the lid on what can really happen, making reference to recent major floods in Australia along the east coast. Our paper discusses numerous spillways, where over the past four decades, damage has been appreciable or extensive, the important hydraulic and geologic factors that comprise a vital part of dealing with the problems, and a few case studies where modern analysis procedures have been applied to explain the scour and quantify scour as a vital design component.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14264/uql.2014.35

Year: 2014