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Types and causes of debris flow damage to drainage channels in the Wenchuan earthquake area

  • Special topics from the 35th IAHR World Congress
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Abstract

Debris flows are among the most common geological disasters in China, and have been particularly frequent in Sichuan Province since the Wenchuan earthquake on 12 May 2008. The construction of debris flow drainage channels is a countermeasure used to distribute debris flow fans, and these channels play a critical role in the mitigation and prevention of damage resulting from debris flows. Under field conditions, the useful life of drainage channels can be greatly shortened as a result of strong abrasions to the drainage structure caused by the debris flow. Field investigations have shown that the types of damage to drainage channels include (a) erosion caused by hyper-concentrated silt flow, (b) impact fractures and foundation scour at the groundsills of the drainage channel, (c) destruction of the drainage channel outlet, and (d) destruction of the drainage channel caused by debris flow abrasion. In addition, based on the destruction of the drainage channel during the debris flow drainage process, a new type of drainage channel with energy dissipation components was proposed and applied in a steep, narrow gully for debris flow mitigation. Moreover, design and engineering repair recommendations for drainage channels are provided as a reference for repairing the damage to the channel. The results can provide an important reference for the effective repair and optimal design of drainage channels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Processes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Jian-gang Chen, Xiao-qing Chen, Tao Wang, Yu-hua Zou & Wei Zhong

  2. Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Conservancy, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Jian-gang Chen, Xiao-qing Chen, Tao Wang, Yu-hua Zou & Wei Zhong

Authors
  1. Jian-gang Chen
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  2. Xiao-qing Chen
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  3. Tao Wang
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  4. Yu-hua Zou
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  5. Wei Zhong
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Correspondence to Xiao-qing Chen.

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Chen, Jg., Chen, Xq., Wang, T. et al. Types and causes of debris flow damage to drainage channels in the Wenchuan earthquake area. J. Mt. Sci. 11, 1406–1419 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-014-3045-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-014-3045-x

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