Experimental study of flow characteristics around floodplain single groyne

Abstract

This study investigated the flow around river’s floodplain single groynes. Two different compound channels with one and two symmetrical floodplains having widths of 1- and 2-times of the main channel width, respectively, were used. Both impermeable and permeable groynes with three different relative lengths (relative to the floodplain width) and having three different permeability values of 40, 60, and 80% were investigated. The 3D flow velocities were measured in the horizontal plane at 0.25 and 0.5 of floodplain water depth (hf), and in the vertical plane at the main channel's centerline. Therefore, the flow velocities in the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions, and the flow water surfaces were measured and analyzed. The results showed that, as the groyne permeability increased up to 60%, a reduction of up to 30% to the maximum velocity and 22 % to the tip velocity were observed. The permeable groyne length had limited influence on the flow structure. Both the groyne permeability and the length ratio had significant effects on the floodplain water depth. The scouring and the deposition activities resulting from impermeable groynes can be avoided, should the groyne length be kept below half of the floodplain width.