Speaker(s): Greg Richards, PE, CFM, Senior Project Manager, Dams and Hydraulics, Gannett Fleming, Inc.; Brian Crookston, PhD, PE, Associate Professor, Utah State University, Utah Water Research Laboratory
PDH's: This webinar is eligible for 2 PDH credits.
Spillways are complex hydraulic structures with materials and geometries that are often tailored to unique site conditions. As such, the analysis associated with the design and assessment of spillways needs to be commensurate with the complexity of the structure and the risk posed by the structure. Some of the complex hydraulic issues often considered at spillways include approach conditions, control section performance, discharge capacity, submergence, cross waves, training wall heights, cavitation potential, joint stagnation pressures, erosion/rock scour, and energy dissipation. Tools to address these issues range from empirical methods to various types of models. Deciding which method of analysis to use is key to having a successful project that efficiently meets the intended performance criteria.
This webinar will discuss in detail these issues related to spillway hydraulics and provide an overview and comparison of available design and analysis tools including empirical methods, numerical models, and physical models. The applicability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and/or physical models as well as the data requirements, costs, and schedule requirements associated with each will also be discussed. Example projects will be used throughout.
Key Takeaways:
1. Gain perspective of the various types of spillway and energy dissipation structures and the hydraulic issues that need to be addressed when designing and assessing them.
2. Understand the current best practices of spillway hydraulic design and assessment.
3. Develop a foundational knowledge of the available industry-accepted design and analysis tools for various spillway and energy dissipation structure types.
4. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of 3D CFD modeling compared to physical modeling.
5. Understand when a spillway requires higher order analysis tools such as a 3D CFD model or a physical model.