Assessment of Pollutants from Diffuse Pollution through the Correlation between Rainfall and Runoff Characteristics Using EMC and First Flush Analysis

Urban stormwater runoff is an important source of pollution in receiving water bodies, mainly in cities in development. However, strategies to deal with the impacts caused by the runoff discharges, such as implementing a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) with optimized management, need information usually obtained through monitoring studies. Brasília is a city that has one of the highest urban growth rates in Brazil, with significant impacts on urban water resources, including diffuse pollution, generated by new unregulated urban developments that initially start being built with precarious sanitation infrastructure. The Vicente Pires (VP) watershed is highly urbanized and comprises two areas that have been intensively occupied more recently, at a fast pace, and do not have yet basic sanitation systems fully implemented. Stormwater quality at the outlet of the VP watershed was analyzed by monitoring the rainfall, runoff flows, and pollutant concentration. Event Mean Concentration (EMC) and first-flush (FF) phenomenon were calculated, and hydrologic characteristics were compared for different events through correlation analysis. During dry periods the flow varied between 0.5 and 1.29 m3/s, while in flood periods the maximum value was 72.17 m3/s, forming floods with great volume. Nitrate during dry periods stands out with its high concentration; the maximum was 1.49 mg/L, while the maximum concentration during the flood events was 0.43 mg/L, probably due to dilution. Ammonia results showed very low values, probably because nitrification is occurring up to the collection point. The EMC values of solids in flood events were higher and can be attributed to river bed scour along the VP watershed. The EMC SS values for the VP watershed are also similar to areas in the initial stages of building development. The EMC values in the dry season indicate strong correlations between some water quality parameters such as NH+3-N and SS, TS and NO−3-N; NO−3-N, and COD. These correlations indicate that these pollutants are probably being generated by the same source, probably sewage discharges. During flood events, the correlation between pollutant loads and peak flow can be associated with the scouring during surface washing off, because greater concentrations of solids and organic matter occur in events with greater flow rates. For the first 30% of the initial runoff volume, about 29% of SS, 38% of NH+3-N, and 35% of reactive P were carried during flood events. It was verified that large values of maximum or mean rainfall intensity are related to the occurrence of First Flush (FF) for most pollutants. Antecedent dry days (ADD) did not influence build-up processes in this watershed; however, they are related to FF occurrence. Data indicate that the sewage and stormwater collection networks were being installed caused a high impact on observed water quality, with high concentrations of solids during flood events. On the other hand, the wastewater collection after the sewer network installation led to a decrease in COD concentrations over time. For sustainable management of diffuse pollution, the adoption of distributed SUDS to enhance runoff volume reduction is a recommended solution for the case.

Application of gradient tree boosting regressor for the prediction of scour depth around bridge piers

Scour around bridge piers is a complex phenomenon and it is essential to assess or predict the scour hazard around bridge piers in tandem with completely understanding its mechanism. To date, there is no exact method for the estimation of scour depth. Nowadays, machine learning techniques are being recognized as effective tools for the prediction of scour depth using experimental data. In the present study, gradient tree boosting (GTB) technique was used for the prediction of scour depth around various pier shapes under different streambed conditions. Sediment size, sediment quantity, velocity, and flow time were used as input parameters to predict the scour depth under clear-water and live-bed scour conditions. The scour depth was predicted for different pier shapes such as, circular, rectangular, round-nosed and sharp-nosed shaped. The GTB model predicted scour depth values were compared with that of the group method of data handling (GMDH) technique. The performance of GTB and GMDH models were then evaluated based on statistical indices such as RRMSE, NNSE, WI, MNE, SI, and KGE. The study concludes that the GTB model performance was relatively superior to that of GMDH in the prediction of scour depth around different pier shapes.

Effect of Sediment Feeding on Live-Bed Scour around Circular Bridge Piers

The effect of sediment feeding was investigated in the case of live-bed scour around circular bridge piers under flood waves to provide contributions for future experimental procedures. Circular piers of three different diameters were tested in a long rectangular flume containing uniform sediment layer 25 cm thick, by generating 7 different triangular hydrographs with different durations ranging between 6 and 20 minutes and the peak discharges varying from 18 to 38 L/s. Experiments were first conducted without sediment feeding and total load was collected at predetermined time intervals. Then the same experiments were performed by feeding with the same amount of collected sediment. Time dependent scour depths were measured using UVP. Bed degradation was also determined by using an empirical equation existing in the literature. It was found that feeding with the rates equal to the transported ones did not significantly change the scour depth and total sediment load within the limits of the experiments. No significant bed degradation was observed, except at the upstream end. It was revealed that the sediment feeding may not be required in the experiments where temporal evolution of the scour depth is studied in a sufficiently long flume containing sufficient sediment. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091699 Full Text: PDF

A natural approach to river engineering practice. A case study of the Ljiljanska river

In the past 30 years the efforts to protect river beds and banks have increased significantly. The selection and design of proper structural solution means finding a solution in accordance with construction principles, river geomorphology, avoiding channel aggradation, bed scour, bank erosion, resulting structure failure and significant harm to the stream and nearby property. On the other hand, the structure should be environmentally-friendly. Hydraulic structures generally have a strong impact on the environment, so providing ?the right solution? presents a real challenge to engineers.

NEW RATIONAL MODEL FOR THE CURRENT-INDUCED THREE DIMENSIONAL SCOUR BENEATH SUBMERGED PIPELINES

New experiments involving the three-dimensional current-induced live-bed scour beneath submerged horizontal cylinders are presented, spanning larger Shields parameter and cylinder-to-sediment diameter ratio than previous studies. Specific emphasis is on gaining a better understanding of, and ability to predict, the span migration velocity during the initial and subsequent development of such a scour hole. Consistent with previous experimental observations, both a primary (faster) and secondary (slower) span migration are observed. Process visualization of suspended sediment patterns are in line with prior speculation that this transition coincides with reduced local bed shear stress amplifications as the scour hole both deepens and widens. Dimensional analysis and physical insight are combined, leading to a new rational model for predicting the span migration velocity in both live-bed and clear-water regimes, with predictions naturally coinciding at the limit of far field incipient motion conditions. In both regimes the data cluster as predicted, and fitted closed-form expressions are provided for predicting the span migration velocity. The rational approach likewise includes a new and simple criterion for the transition from primary to secondary migration in the live-bed regime. In the clear-water regime the model incorporates primary dependence on the ratio of the Shields parameter to its critical value, resolving apparent contradictions with a previous study which suggests that the depth-based Froude number is the most important governing parameter. The developed rational model can be used to quantitatively predict all known major features of the span migration velocity in the early stages of the three dimensional (live-bed and clear-water) scour beneath submerged horizontal cylinders induced by perpendicular flow, and can hence be regarded as the first complete model for this evolution.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/7BCXoqafbH4

Does Open Cut Pipeline Installation Affect the Geomorphology of Rivers?

Open cut has traditionally been the preferred method of pipeline installation traversing watercourses. It is well understood and accepted that open cut excavation of the channel bed and banks during construction causes temporary disturbance to watercourse and aquatic habitat. Horizontal directional drilling, direct push and other subsurface installation methods can potentially avoid channel bed and bank disturbance but may have unique environmental effects such as frac-outs of drilling fluid. Although highly dependent on site conditions, open cut crossings are generally less costly than comparable subsurface installation methods. When a pipeline is installed in an open cut, the pipe is typically installed on a gravel or sand bed, laid in place, surrounded by a sand pack and surrounding soils placed back in the cut in a manner that attempts to replicate the soil lithology, horizons and native compaction of the cut. It has long been thought that this sediment and soil disturbance and backfilling has the potential create a zone of geomorphological weakness at the cut where soil and sediment become dissimilar to the surrounding channel bed and banks and can result in the acceleration of bed scour, bank erosion, widening and slope instability. In this paper we examine the longer-term effects of open cut pipeline installations on the geomorphic characteristics of watercourses. Over the course of four years of field investigation, nearly 750 pipeline watercrossings throughout Ontario were visited and assessed for geomorphic stability and depth of cover. The fluvial geomorphology of Ontario is diverse and ranging from alluvial, sinuous, unconfined, low gradient watercourses in the southwest to karst-influenced morphologies in eastern Ontario and often greater slope, confined and bedrock dominated watercourses in the north. By examining the field-based geomorphological characteristics of pipeline watercourse crossings in Ontario installed by open cut and crossing a wide range of fluvial geomorphological types we will explore and draw empirically-based conclusions on whether open cuts do in fact affect the long term geomorphological conditions of the watercourse.

Local Scour Near Flexible Flow Deflectors

Rigid flow deflectors are usually used on water flow beds to protect engineering structures such as breakwater in coasts and to regulate flow routes in open channels. To reduce its side-effects, i.e., local scour at the toe of deflectors, a flexible flow deflector is proposed, and the corresponding local scour was investigated in this study. A flume experiment was conducted to investigate local scour. To show the advantage of flexible deflectors, a control experimental test was also conducted using a traditional rigid deflector under the same blockage area configuration and the same flow conditions. The flow field near the flexible deflector was also measured to reveal the local flow field. The results show that the bed-scour develops near the toe edges of both flexible and rigid deflectors, but the maximum and averaged scour depths for the flexible deflector are smaller. This advantage of flexible deflector in scour depth is mainly caused by its prone posture, which induces the upward stretching and enlarging horizontally rotating vortex and the upward shifted vertically rotating vortex. The former dissipates more turbulent energy and the latter results in smaller bed shear stress, which lead to smaller scour depth directly. In addition, the up- and down-swaying movement of the flexible deflector can also assistant to dissipate more turbulent energy, thereby damping the intense of the horseshoe vortices and thus weakening scour depth as well. The results of this study provide an elementary understanding on the mechanisms of a flexible flow structure and an alternative deflector-device to reduce scour depth.