Hydrodynamic Loads in a Stilling Basin of a Converging Stepped Spillway: An Experimental Study

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for estimation of hydrodynamic loads acting on the bottom and at the walls of a stilling basin of a stepped chute with converging walls, based on the pressure measurements at the selected points of a scale model. This is the first study of hydrodynamic loads for this type of structure, and the first one of the loads on the stilling basin walls in general. For selected flow discharges, step heights and hydraulic jump submergence ratio, the hydrodynamic pressures were measured at a significant number of points, providing the spatio-temporal distribution of relevant hydrodynamic loads. The most influential effect proved to be a convergence angle of the chute walls. Based on these measurements, appropriate regression expressions were proposed for predicting hydrodynamic loads. These expressions show good agreement with measurements, offering a reliable tool for the structural design of stepped spillway stilling basins.