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A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Hydraulics of Roman Aqueducts: Steep Chutes, Cascades and Dropshafts
Drop structures and stepped cascades have been used for over 3,000 years. In particular, Roman engineers designed stepped spillways successfully in Tunisia, Syria, Spain and Iraq. There is however little information available on the hydraulics of supercritical flows in Roman aqueducts. Some believe that these aqueducts were designed and operated with subcritical flows, and that no energy dissipation device was required. The writer shows that Roman aqueducts included some very-steep sections (i.e. bed slope up to 78%) operating with supercritical flows. Both 'smooth' chutes and steeped cascades were used. The presence of steep chutes associated with torrential flow regime implied the occurrence of a hyraulic jump at the downstream end. An analysis of tailwater flow conditions highlights the presence of unfavourable flow conditions: undular and ocillating jumps. Stilling basins were sometimes introduced to dampen the downstream wave propagation, as at the Brevenne and Carthage aqueducts.
Hydraulics of Roman Aqueducts: Steep Chutes, Cascades and Dropshafts
Drop structures and stepped cascades have been used for over 3,000 years. In particular, Roman engineers designed stepped spillways successfully in Tunisia, Syria, Spain and Iraq. There is however little information available on the hydraulics of supercritical flows in Roman aqueducts. Some believe that these aqueducts were designed and operated with subcritical flows, and that no energy dissipation device was required. The writer shows that Roman aqueducts included some very-steep sections (i.e. bed slope up to 78%) operating with supercritical flows. Both 'smooth' chutes and steeped cascades were used. The presence of steep chutes associated with torrential flow regime implied the occurrence of a hyraulic jump at the downstream end. An analysis of tailwater flow conditions highlights the presence of unfavourable flow conditions: undular and ocillating jumps. Stilling basins were sometimes introduced to dampen the downstream wave propagation, as at the Brevenne and Carthage aqueducts.
Hydraulics of Roman Aqueducts: Steep Chutes, Cascades and Dropshafts
H. Chanson (author)
1998
104 pages
Report
No indication
English
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