Experimental Study on the Characteristics of Local Scour Hole Downstream of V-shaped Drop Structure Model

A drop structure, one of the representative river-crossing structures, is constructed to stabilize a riverbed. On the other hand, the structure interrupts the continuity of the river and causes the destruction of the hydro-ecological environment. Therefore, laboratory experiments of a natural type of drop structure with low differences were performed, and the empirical formula of a local scour hole is proposed. Four experimental flow rates were tested for various types of the drop structure models with 28 test cases. Based on the scour test, it was confirmed that the maximum scour depth occurs rather than the result of applying the previously proposed scour depth formulae. Correlation analysis of the major factors of scour hole at the downstream of the drop structure revealed a strong correlation between the upstream flow characteristics, drop structure height, and total crossing length of the drop model. In addition, the depth and length estimation formula of the maximum scour hole were proposed using the dimensionless variables and validated. In the future, it is also expected that more accurate scour prediction and calculation can be derived by conducting experimental studies and numerical analysis considering the various bed materials and flow conditions.