Nappe flow regime energy loss in stepped chutes equipped with reverse inclined steps: experimental development

With advances in technology and the invention of the Roller-Compacted Concrete (R.C.C) technique, stepped spillway construction has become much faster than in the past. Due to this, designers have become more interested in using this kind of chute as one of the best energy dissipaters. Along with the increasing use of stepped spillways, researchers have focused on increasing the efficiency of this hydraulic structure. They have proposed different methods to achieve this. Step geometry optimization, regarding flow regime type, is one of these efforts. In this experimental research, reverse inclined steps have been applied for three degrees (7o, 10 o, and 12o) to investigate their effect on the energy dissipation rate in the Nappe Flow Regime of stepped spillways. Energy loss rates obtained from the reverse inclined steps have been compared with the energy loss rate in a horizontal step. Results indicate a slight increase in the energy loss rate when the reverse inclined steps have been applied in the Nappe Flow Regime of stepped spillways.