Determination of bed shear stress in gravel-bed rivers using boundary-layer parameters

Abstract

Abstract The behaviour of velocity profiles and shear velocity for non-uniform flow in gravel-bed rivers is studied, with the objectives: (a) to test a new method of shear velocity estimation in gravel-bed rivers that is based on boundary layer parameters, and to compare it with the log law and parabolic law; (b) to consider the influence of flow non-uniformity on the outer layer region of velocity profiles; and (c) to investigate the effect of aspect ratio on velocity profiles. For the primary study river, mid-channel velocity profiles were analysed with relative submergence ranging from 9.7 to 33.3 in channel sections with aspect ratios ranging between 16.2 and 50. Velocity profiles deviated from the log law in the outer region due to flow non-uniformity or pressure gradient effects, and the vertical extent of the inner region was variable. Estimates of shear velocity using the boundary layer parameters (δ* and θ) compared well with estimates from the log law. In a second study river, boundary-layer parameter estimates of shear velocity compared well to shear velocity estimates from linear extrapolation of Reynolds stress profiles.