Equilibrium scour morphology downstream of rock sills under unsteady flow conditions

The present study aims to analyze the equilibrium scour morphology occurring downstream of rock-made sills with different shapes, under different inflow conditions. Namely, experimental tests were conducted under both steady and unsteady flow conditions. In this last case, the peak discharge was kept the same as the respective base tests performed for steady flow conditions. The scour evolution was carefully monitored, as well as the main characteristic lengths of the scour hole (e.g., maximum scour depth and axial length). The inflow discharge characteristics were varied, i.e., the maximum peak discharge was reached by adopting different hydrographs, in order to test their influence on the equilibrium morphology. Experimental results showed significant similitudes in terms of equilibrium scour morphology between steady and unsteady flow conditions when the hydrograph duration is enough long. The results of the present study can be useful for a correct design of such structure typology in usual applications.