Hydraulic effects of ice breakup on bridges

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyros Beltaos ◽  
Lindon Miller ◽  
Brian C Burrell ◽  
David Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Change ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Empirical Methods ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup ◽  
Bridge Structures ◽  
Ice Impacts

The passage of river ice during the breakup event can have several effects on bridge structures. Design for ice passage at bridges has largely been empirical, such as the determination of superstructure clearance requirements based on historical stage data. As hydrologic and river ice processes in rivers are modified by climatic change, the use of empirical methods based on past observations and measurements could become less reliable. To advance beyond empiricism, it is necessary to develop rational design criteria based on a thorough understanding of the factors governing the interaction between bridges and ice. This concern applies especially during the breakup event when river flows, velocities, and hydrodynamic forces are usually higher and moving ice is thicker and stronger than during freeze-up. This paper provides guidance on the design of bridges to minimize ice impacts on the structure during the breakup period.Key words: breakup, bridges, design, forces, ice jam, impact, river ice, scour, waves.

Ice jam mitigation

1990 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold S. Belore ◽  
Brian C. Burrell ◽  
Spyros Beltaos
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Ice Jams ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup

In Canada, flooding due to the rise in water levels upstream of an ice jam, or the temporary exceedance of the flow and ice-carrying capacity of a channel upon release of an ice jam, has resulted in the loss of human life and extensive economic losses. Ice jam mitigation is a component of river ice management which includes all activities carried out to prevent or remove ice jams, or to reduce the damages that may result from an ice jam event. This paper presents a brief overview of measures to mitigate the damaging effects of ice jams and contains a discussion on their application to Canadian rivers. Key words: controlled ice breakup, flood control, ice jams, ice management, river ice.

Forecasting breakup water levels at Fort McMurray, Alberta, using multiple linear regression

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1227-1238 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Mahabir ◽  
F E Hicks ◽  
C Robichaud ◽  
A Robinson Fayek
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Fort Mcmurray ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup

Spring breakup on northern rivers can result in ice jams that present severe flood risk to adjacent communities. Such events can occur extremely rapidly, leaving little or no advanced warning to residents. Fort McMurray, Alberta, is one such community, and at present no forecasting model exists for this site. Many of the previous studies regarding ice jam flood forecasting methods, in general, cite the lack of a comprehensive database as an obstacle to statistical modelling. This paper documents the development of an extensive database containing 106 variables, and covering the period from 1972 to 2004, that was created for ice jam forecasting on the Athabasca River. Through multiple linear regression analysis, equations were developed to model the maximum water level during spring breakup. The optimal model contained a combination of hydrological and meteorological data collected from early fall until the day before river ice breakup. The number of historical years of data, rather than the scope of variables, was found to be the major limitation in verifying the results presented in this study.Key words: river ice, breakup jam, multiple linear regression.

Field measurements of ice-jam-release surges

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 699-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyros Beltaos ◽  
Brian C Burrell
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Water Wave ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Reporting Method

Surges are the most violent and spectacular events that occur during the ice breakup. Upon the release of an ice jam, water and ice held by the jam are suddenly free to move. The resulting surge generates increased water stages and higher flow velocities, such that the water wave and ice run pose a risk to downstream structures, people, and aquatic life. Climate-induced changes to river ice processes, such as enhanced mid-winter jamming or increased spring flows, could result in more frequent occurrence of major and damaging surges. To address a dearth of related quantitative data, a remote water-level reporting method has been developed and used to obtain field measurements on ice-jam generated surges. The results are consistent with the few available data but only partly conform to existing theories.Key words: breakup, celerity, ice jam, release, river, surge, wave.

scholarly journals Interdisciplinary approach to hydrological hazard mitigation and disaster response and effects of climate change on the occurrence of flood severity in central Alaska

2015 ◽  
Vol 369 ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Y. Kontar ◽  
U. S. Bhatt ◽  
S. D. Lindsey ◽  
E. W. Plumb ◽  
R. L. Thoman
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Response ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Disaster Response And Recovery

Abstract. In May 2013, a massive ice jam on the Yukon River caused flooding that destroyed much of the infrastructure in the Interior Alaska village of Galena and forced the long-term evacuation of nearly 70% of its residents. This case study compares the communication efforts of the out-of-state emergency response agents with those of the Alaska River Watch program, a state-operated flood preparedness and community outreach initiative. For over 50 years, the River Watch program has been fostering long-lasting, open, and reciprocal communication with flood prone communities, as well as local emergency management and tribal officials. By taking into account cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic features of rural Alaskan communities, the River Watch program was able to establish and maintain a sense of partnership and reliable communication patterns with communities at risk. As a result, officials and residents in these communities are open to information and guidance from the River Watch during the time of a flood, and thus are poised to take prompt actions. By informing communities of existing ice conditions and flood threats on a regular basis, the River Watch provides effective mitigation efforts in terms of ice jam flood effects reduction. Although other ice jam mitigation attempts had been made throughout US and Alaskan history, the majority proved to be futile and/or cost-ineffective. Galena, along with other rural riverine Alaskan communities, has to rely primarily on disaster response and recovery strategies to withstand the shock of disasters. Significant government funds are spent on these challenging efforts and these expenses might be reduced through an improved understanding of both the physical and climatological principals behind river ice breakup and risk mitigation. This study finds that long term dialogue is critical for effective disaster response and recovery during extreme hydrological events connected to changing climate, timing of river ice breakup, and flood occurrence in rural communities of the Far North.

scholarly journals River predisposition to ice jams: a simplified geospatial model

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 1033-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane De Munck ◽  
Yves Gauthier ◽  
Monique Bernier ◽  
Karem Chokmani ◽  
Serge Légaré
Keyword(s):  
False Negative ◽  
Channel Morphology ◽  
River Channel ◽  
Geospatial Data ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Ice Jams ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup ◽  
Broken Ice

Abstract. Floods resulting from river ice jams pose a great risk to many riverside municipalities in Canada. The location of an ice jam is mainly influenced by channel morphology. The goal of this work was therefore to develop a simplified geospatial model to estimate the predisposition of a river channel to ice jams. Rather than predicting the timing of river ice breakup, the main question here was to predict where the broken ice is susceptible to jam based on the river's geomorphological characteristics. Thus, six parameters referred to potential causes for ice jams in the literature were initially selected: presence of an island, narrowing of the channel, high sinuosity, presence of a bridge, confluence of rivers, and slope break. A GIS-based tool was used to generate the aforementioned factors over regular-spaced segments along the entire channel using available geospatial data. An ice jam predisposition index (IJPI) was calculated by combining the weighted optimal factors. Three Canadian rivers (province of Québec) were chosen as test sites. The resulting maps were assessed from historical observations and local knowledge. Results show that 77 % of the observed ice jam sites on record occurred in river sections that the model considered as having high or medium predisposition. This leaves 23 % of false negative errors (missed occurrence). Between 7 and 11 % of the highly predisposed river sections did not have an ice jam on record (false-positive cases). Results, limitations, and potential improvements are discussed.

scholarly journals Impact of Climate Change on the Frequency of Dynamic Breakup Events and on the Risk of Ice-Jam Floods in Quebec, Canada

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Turcotte ◽  
Brian Morse ◽  
Gabriel Pelchat
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
River Ice ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Cold Regions ◽  
Ice Jams ◽  
Ice Jam ◽  
Ice Breakup

In cold regions, every year, river-ice jams generate sudden, surprising, intense flooding that challenges the capacity of public security services. This type of flood is commonly unpredictable and often appears chaotic because its occurrence depends on multiple, interacting weather, hydrological, ice and morphological parameters. This paper presents the findings of a research project assessing how climate change impacts dynamic river-ice breakup and associated floods along seven rivers of the province of Quebec, Canada. A combination of empirical river-ice breakup models, state-of-the-art hydrological simulations and standardized climate projections was used to estimate the historical (1972–2000) and future (2042–2070) frequencies of dynamic breakup events. Ice jam flood damage reimbursement data were used to predict changes to financial risk associated with dynamic breakup events. Results show that, overall, ice-jam floods will generate more damage in the future, which justifies watershed-based flood adaptation plans that take into account cold regions hydrological processes. The success of the methodology also sets the table for a comparable project that would include more rivers from different regions of Northeastern America.

Finite element modeling of surge propagation and an application to the Hay River, N.W.T.

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 454-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. E. Hicks ◽  
P. M. Steffler ◽  
R. Gerard
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Channel Flow ◽  
Open Channel ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Open Channel Flow ◽  
Kinematic Wave ◽  
Finite Element Scheme ◽  
Flow Problems ◽  
Ice Jam

This paper describes the application of the characteristic-dissipative-Galerkin method to steady and unsteady open channel flow problems. The robust performance of this new finite element scheme is demonstrated in modeling the propagation of ice jam release surges over a 500 km reach of the Hay River in Alberta and Northwest Territories. This demonstration includes the automatic determination of steady flow profiles through supercritical–subcritical transitions, establishing the initial conditions for the unsteady flow analyses. The ice jam releases create a dambreak type of problem which begins as a very dynamic situation then develops into an essentially kinematic wave problem as the disturbance propagated downstream. The characteristic-dissipative-Galerkin scheme provided stable solutions not only for the extremes of dynamic and kinematic wave conditions, but also through the transition between the two. Key words: open channel flow, finite element method, dam break, surge propagation.

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