Impact of the Combined Performance of Canal Inside Slope and Wing Wall Geometry on Scour Behavior: Towards Sustainable Water Structure Design

Abstract

Water structures play a vital role in regulating irrigation water within open-channel networks by controlling discharge, water levels, flow direction, and velocity. Despite their importance, these structures act as hydraulic obstructions that induce flow disturbances, which may reduce hydraulic efficiency and threaten structural integrity. One of the most critical consequences is localized erosion downstream, posing serious risks to structural safety and long-term performance. From a sustainability perspective, maintaining structural stability and hydraulic efficiency is essential to ensure reliable water delivery, minimize maintenance costs, and extend the service life of irrigation structures. Therefore, mitigating such adverse hydraulic effects is a key component of sustainable water resources management. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon and propose engineering solutions to reduce its impacts. The geometry of upstream wing walls significantly influences flow behavior both through and downstream of the structure. Additionally, irrigation canals are constructed with varying side slopes depending on soil conditions, which further affect flow characteristics. However, the combined effect of different upstream wing wall configurations and canal inside slopes has not been sufficiently addressed. Accordingly, this research evaluates their integrated impact to support the development of more efficient, resilient, and sustainable irrigation structures. A total of 435 laboratory experiments were conducted using a physical model under varying discharge conditions. Common canal inside slopes were tested with four widely used wing wall types. Scour hole geometry, including depth, length, and shape, was measured and analyzed. Results indicate that the splayed wing wall configuration outperforms the box type, reducing maximum scour depth and length by approximately 22.74% and 23.61%, respectively, when combined with a 1:1 canal inside slope. Additionally, new dimensionless empirical equations were developed to predict downstream scour behavior, providing practical tools for selecting optimal wing wall configurations under different canal conditions.