GSTARS (Generalized Sediment Transport model for Alluvial River Simulation) is a series of computer models developed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation while the author was employed by that agency. The stream tube concept is used in all GSTARS models which allow us to solve one-dimensional equations for each stream tube independently and obtain semi-two-dimensional variation of the hydraulic conditions along and across stream tubes for rivers and reservoirs. Sediment transport, scour, and deposition processes are simulated along each stream tube independently to give us a semi-three-dimensional variation of the bed geometry. Most sediment transport computer models assume that channel width is given and cannot change during the simulation process. GSTARS models apply the theory of minimum stream power to the determination of optimum channel width and channel geometry. The concepts of channel side stability, and active, inactive, and armoring layers are used in all GSTARS models for realistic long-term simulation and prediction of the scour and deposition processes in rivers and reservoirs. GSTARS models have been applied in many countries for solving a wide range of river and reservoir sedimentation problems. Case studies will be used to illustrate the applications of GSTARS computer models.

A method of combining dynamic simulation with real-time control was proposed to fit the randomness and uncertainty in the high arch dam construction process. The mathematical logic model of high arch dam construction process was established. By combining dynamic construction simulation with schedule analysis, the process of construction schedule forecasting and analysis based on dynamic simulation was studied. The process of real-time schedule control was constructed and some measures for dynamic adjustment and control of construction schedule were provided. A system developed with the method is utilized in a being constructed hydroelectric project located at the Yellow River in northwest China, which can make the pouring plan of the dam in the next stage (a month, quarter or year) to guide the practical construction. The application result shows that the system provides an effective technical support for the construction and management of the dam.

River morphology has been a subject of great challenge to scientists and engineers who recognize that any effort with regard to river engineering must be based on a proper understanding of the morphological features involved and the responses to the imposed changes. In this paper, an overview of river morphology is presented from the geomorphic viewpoint. Included in the scope are the regime concept, river channel classification, thresholds in river morphology, and geomorphic analysis of river responses. Analytical approach to river morphology based on the physical principles for the hydraulics of flow and sediment transport processes is also presented. The application of analytical river morphology is demonstrated by an example. Modeling is the modern technique to determine both short-term and long-term river channel responses to any change in the environment. The physical foundation of fluvial process-response must be applied in formatting a mathematical model. A brief introduction of the mathematical model FLUVIAL-12 is described.

The transport characters of non-uniform sediment before and after the reservoir operation are compared and analyzed. Field data from the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), Danjiangkou, and Sanmenxia reservoir indicate that the transport character of coarse particle is various in different reaches. Before the reservoir operation, the dramatic decrease of the hydraulic condition in some reaches is the main reason to cause the coarse particle deposited. After the reservoir operation, almost all grain sized sediment may be eroded, when the reach is eroded seriously. However, the transport character of the coarse particle will be consistent with what it was before, when the reach is not eroded seriously. The deposition amount will be less than its pre-dam value, and it will tend to decrease with the time going on. Erosion of fine particle results from its unsaturation. Long-distance erosion downstream from reservoir is caused by shortage of the supply from riverbed, especially the shortage of fine particle.

For a channel-shoal system in a funnel-shaped basin the impact of dredging and dumping is investigated using a complex process-based model. First, the residual flow and sediment transport circulations are analysed for the channel-shoal pattern, which has emerged after a long-term model simulation. Results are compared to the Western Scheldt estuary, which forms the inspiration for this study. Subsequently, different dredge and dump scenarios are modelled, according to a conceptual model, in which ebb-and flood-channels and enclosed shoals form morphodynamic units (cells) with their own sediment circulation. Model results show that dumping sediment in a channel further reduces the channel depth and induces erosion in the opposite channel, which enhances tilting of the cross-section of the cell and eventually can lead to the degeneration of a multiple channel system into a single channel. The impact of different dredging and dumping cases agrees with results from a stability analysis. This means that this type of model applied to a realistic geometry can potentially be used for better prediction of the impact of human interventions.

A multi-objective optimal operation model of water-sedimentation-power in reservoir is established with power-generation, sedimentation and water storage taken into account. Moreover, the inertia weight self-adjusting mechanism and Pareto-optimal archive are introduced into the particle swarm optimization and an improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization (IMOPSO) is proposed. The IMOPSO is employed to solve the optimal model and obtain the Pareto-optimal front. The multi-objective optimal operation of Wanjiazhai Reservoir during the spring breakup was investigated with three typical flood hydrographs. The results show that the former method is able to obtain the Pareto-optimal front with a uniform distribution property. Different regions (A, B, C) of the Pareto-optimal front correspond to the optimized schemes in terms of the objectives of sediment deposition, sediment deposition and power generation, and power generation, respectively. The level hydrographs and outflow hydrographs show the operation of the reservoir in details. Compared with the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), IMOPSO has close global optimization capability and is suitable for multi-objective optimization problems.

This paper examines scour and scour countermeasures at bridge piers and abutments. Abutment scour is by far more complex than its counterpart associated with piers because of the possibility of the presence of a floodplain. Notwithstanding this, the mechanism of scour at both piers and abutments is very similar; moreover, the failure mechanisms associated with both armoring and flow-altering countermeasures are not very different. In rivers with a floodplain, abutment scour becomes much more complex. In cases where the abutment ends at or near to the floodplain, it can initiate bank erosion, which clearly is an important erosion problem that is quite distinct from the customary scour at either an abutment in rivers without a floodplain or a pier. For this reason, abutment scour can be very site-specific while pier-scour is more generic in nature. To this end, the ability to identify the type of abutment scour that may form in a particular channel is closely related to an engineer’s ability to propose devices for effective scour countermeasure. By summarizing research efforts on using riprap as a pier or abutment countermeasure over the past few decades, this paper highlights the deficiencies of riprap in arresting pier scour. To this end, different failure mechanisms are identified. They are shear failure, winnowing failure, edge failure, bedform-induced failure and bed-degradation induced failure. Each failure mechanism can singly or, more likely, combine to cause the eventual breakdown of the riprap layer. The study shows that a riprap layer is vulnerable to other failure mechanisms even though it is adequately designed against shear failure, rendering it ineffective in arresting scour.

Flash floods result from a complex interaction among hydro-meteorological, hydrological, and hydraulic processes across various spatial and temporal scales. Sichuan Province suffers flash floods frequently owing to mountain weather and topography. A flash flood and gravel bed load transport are two key relative problems in mountain river engineering. Bed materials are often encountered in alternate scouring and deposition in mountain fluvial processes during a flash flood. In this circumstance, CRS-1 bed load numerical model jointly with scale physical model is employed to predict water level and gravel bed scour and deposition for design of flood control dykes and flash flood disaster mitigation. A case study on the mechanism of a flash flood disaster induced by bed load transport for a hydropower station in Sichuan Province is conducted. Finally, suggestions to protect the hydropower station are proposed.

Sediment incipience under flows passing a backward-facing step was studied. A series of experiments were conducted to measure scouring depth, probability of sediment incipience, and instantaneous flow velocity field downstream of a backward-facing step. Instantaneous flow velocity fields were measured by using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), and an image processing method for determining probability of sediment incipience was employed to analyze the experimental data. The experimental results showed that the probability of sediment incipience was the highest near the reattachment point, even though the near-wall instantaneous flow velocity and the Reynolds stress were both much higher further downstream of the backward-facing step. The possible mechanisms are discussed for the sediment incipience near the reattachment point.

With the increase of capacity and size of the hydro-generator unit, the spiral case becomes a more super-giant hydraulic structure with very high HD value, where H and D denote water head and maximum intake diameter of spiral case, respectively. Due to the induced lower stiffness by the more giant size and adverse operation conditions, dynamic performances of the powerhouse and the supporting structure for the giant units have become more important and attracted much attention. If the manner of steel spiral case embedded directly in concrete is adopted, on some locations of the concrete surrounding the spiral case, distributed and concentrated cracks will emerge due to high tensile stress. Although the concrete is reinforced well to control the maximum crack width, definitely these cracks will reduce the local and entire stiffness of the powerhouse. Under dynamic loads such as hydraulic forces including water pressure pulsation in flow passage acting on the structure, effect of the cracks on the dynamic characteristics of the local members and entire structure needs to be evaluated. However, research on this subject is few in hydroelectric engineering. In this paper, Three-Gorge Project was taken as an example to evaluate effect of such cracks on natural frequencies and the vibration responses of the powerhouse under hydraulic and earthquake forces in detail. Results show that cracks only reduce the local structural stiffness greatly but have little effect on the entire powerhouse especially the superstructure; vibrations of powerhouse with cracks in concrete surrounding the spiral case are still under the design limits. Results in this paper have been verified by practice of Three-Gorge Project.