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<p>Unlined dam spillways have been subjected to severe rock mass scour/erosion over the years, and this erosion has been considered a critical safety concern in the design of these hydraulic structures. Development of a reliable assessment method necessitates the proper understanding of the mechanisms involved in the scouring process and the associated scour parameters. This study investigates the effect of rock block geometry and its orientation on block stability using physical model testing. An analytical model is developed to evaluate the block stability using the results of model tests under varied geomechanical parameters, especially, joint orientation and block protrusion. The effect of block geometry like aspect ratio and exposure length on the instability is further examined through a comprehensive parametric analysis. The stability analysis presents the possibility of block removal by overturning in blocks oriented at −&#xa0;45° to the flow direction with factor of safety less than 1 under different pressure combinations and by uplift in blocks oriented at + 45° and 0° under specific protrusion configurations with factor of safety less than 1 under certain pressure combinations. The proposed approach presents a novel experimental–analytical framework linking quantifiable hydraulic and geomechanical parameters to predict probable scour mechanisms. The findings of this study offer practical insights to better evaluate the erosion risks and enhance dam safety assessments.</p>

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Influence of Rock Block Geometry and Orientation on Scour Formation in Dam Spillways Based on Physical Model Testing

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月20日

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  • Vineeth Reddy Karnati,
  • Ali Saeidi,
  • Alain Rouleau,
  • Marco Quirion

摘要

Unlined dam spillways have been subjected to severe rock mass scour/erosion over the years, and this erosion has been considered a critical safety concern in the design of these hydraulic structures. Development of a reliable assessment method necessitates the proper understanding of the mechanisms involved in the scouring process and the associated scour parameters. This study investigates the effect of rock block geometry and its orientation on block stability using physical model testing. An analytical model is developed to evaluate the block stability using the results of model tests under varied geomechanical parameters, especially, joint orientation and block protrusion. The effect of block geometry like aspect ratio and exposure length on the instability is further examined through a comprehensive parametric analysis. The stability analysis presents the possibility of block removal by overturning in blocks oriented at − 45° to the flow direction with factor of safety less than 1 under different pressure combinations and by uplift in blocks oriented at + 45° and 0° under specific protrusion configurations with factor of safety less than 1 under certain pressure combinations. The proposed approach presents a novel experimental–analytical framework linking quantifiable hydraulic and geomechanical parameters to predict probable scour mechanisms. The findings of this study offer practical insights to better evaluate the erosion risks and enhance dam safety assessments.