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Local scour around spur dikes under ice-jammed flow conditions
Shiwen Cheng1, Zhenhu Hu1, Jun Wang2
1School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China.
Scientific Reports
|June 25, 2026
Summary
Ice jams significantly increase local scour around spur dikes in cold regions, with scour depths rising 150-200% compared to open flow. Scour is linked to ice-water flow ratio and sediment size.
Area of Science:
- River engineering
- Environmental hydraulics
- Cold regions hydrology
Background:
- Ice jams in rivers during winter complicate local scour around spur dikes.
- Understanding scour dynamics under ice conditions is crucial for infrastructure safety in cold regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of various factors on maximum scour depth and ice jam thickness around spur dikes.
- To compare scour depths under open flow, sheet-ice cover, and ice jam conditions.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory experiments were conducted.
- Investigated effects of flow Froude number, ice-water flow ratio, spur dike length to flume width ratio, and sediment median particle size.
- Measured maximum scour depth and ice jam thickness distribution.
Main Results:
- Maximum scour depth increased by 10-30% under sheet-ice cover and 150-200% under ice jam conditions compared to open flow.
- Under ice jams, scour depth correlated positively with ice-water flow ratio and velocity, and negatively with sediment size.
- Spur dike length to flume width ratio influenced scour differently under open flow versus ice jam conditions.
Conclusions:
- Ice jams drastically increase scour depth around spur dikes, necessitating specific design considerations.
- Flow velocity, ice-water ratio, sediment size, and spur dike geometry are key factors influencing scour under ice jam conditions.
- A critical flow Froude number at the spur dike location is identified during ice jam progression.
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