Methodology for calculating shear stress in a meandering channel

Abstract

Natural channels never stop changing their geomorphic characteristics. Natural alluvial streams are similar to living creatures because they generate water flow, develop point bars, alter bed profile, scour the bed, erode the bank, and cause other phenomena in the stream system. The geomorphic changes in a natural system lead to a wide array of research worldwide, because methods of predicting channel change are limited. Bank erosion due to meandering of the channel is a critical issue in modern river engineering. In the United States, the severity of the problem was recognized when Congress enacted the Streambank Erosion Control Evaluation and Demonstration Act of 1974 and authorized research in the field (Odgaard 1986). The increased demand for bank erosion research resulted in many theoretical and experimental studies to predict geomorphic changes in natural channels. Julien (2002) described the magnitude and orientation of applied shear stress as one of the main factors of bank erosion. Julien (2002) also describes the damping of shear stress by erosion control.

Citation

Sin, Kyung-Seop; Thornton, Christopher I.; Cox, Amanda L.; Abt, Steven R. 2012. Methodology for calculating shear stress in a meandering channel. Prepared for U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University, Engineering Research Center. 168 p.