Hydro-abrasion processes and modelling at hydraulic structures and steep bedrock rivers: 2. Hydro-abrasion model development and application
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Date
2026-03-30
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Hydro-abrasion is a process of wear resulting from the mechanical stress exerted by impacting particles in the flow on a riverbed or banks or on the invert of hydraulic structures. Hydro-abrasion models represent the mechanics of invert abrasion by bed load particles and allow to predict hydro-abrasion rates. The present study deals with the enhancement of the existing mechanistic saltation hydro-abrasion model by incorporating new equations for particle velocity, hop length, an exponential cover effect term, and two additional important terms accounting for particle hardness and saltation probability, respectively. We particularly focus on the effects of particle and bed lining material hardness, bed cover, and low aspect ratio on hydro-abrasion, which were not holistically investigated in previous studies. The non-dimensional hydro-abrasion coefficient kv (also known as the rock resistance coefficient) in the enhanced model was calibrated using both experimental laboratory data and field measurements obtained from three Swiss Sediment Bypass Tunnels as part of our research project. A constant value of kv = 4.8 ± 2.2 × 10^4 was obtained for a range of different materials with less scattering compared to the coefficients reported in previous studies. The enhanced model demonstrated a good performance when validated with independent data from laboratory and field studies, indicating that the laboratory results can be upscaled to prototype conditions.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
64
Pages / Article No.
100690
Publisher
Elsevier
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Edition / version
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Subject
Hydro-abrasion mechanics; Saltation-abrasion model; High speed flows; Particle motion; River and landscape evolution; Sediment bypass tunnels
Organisational unit
03820 - Boes, Robert / Boes, Robert
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Funding Info about funding
166253 - Hydro-Abrasion at Hydraulic Structures and Steep Bedrock Rivers (SNF)