Coupled Model of Bank Erosion and Meander Evolution for Cohesive Riverbanks

Abstract

In this paper, a physics-based model that couples a bank erosion model with a meander evolution model is developed and evaluated. The physics-based bank erosion model considers the cantilever failure mechanism with slump blocks and decomposition effects. Moreover, bank accretion was considered using critical values of time required for landing, shear stresses and water depths. Two cases were tested. The first case consists of a hypothetical small-scale channel with cohesive riverbanks. Cross sections in the straight and curved part of the channel were compared to evaluate the curvature effect. Furthermore, the effect of the bank strength in the plan shape of the channel was tested in this case. The results show that the curvature increases the erosion rate in the outer bank and changes the cross-sectional profile by narrowing and widening the channel width. The plan shape of the channel changed as the bank strength was increased. In the second case, the model is compared with the River meander migration software (RVR meander) and the advantages and limitations of the model are discussed in terms of meander migration plan form and bank erosion processes. The results showed that the presented model is capable of simulating asymmetric bends.