Steel stakes to capture debris-wood on an impermeable Sabo-type dam

Abstract

It is important to capture driftwood, namely, woody debris, in upstream areas to prevent debris flows from blocking downstream bridges. Specific details of the conditions of dams in Japan must be taken into consideration when investigating this issue. There have been recent proposals to use steel stakes as countermeasures to woody debris blockage at impermeable Sabo-type dams. To design such a countermeasure effectively, it is necessary to clarify the woody debris capture mechanisms implemented by the countermeasure. We proposed a structure composed of steel stakes for use at impermeable Sabo-type dams. This proposal is based on experiments that take into consideration the rotation of woody debris at Sabo dams and the mechanism by which woody debris is captured at the stakes.