Flow Characteristics of Viscous Fluids on the Basis of Self-Similarity Law and Its Applications to High Flow Concrete

Unsteady open channel flows with viscous fluids caused by instantaneous gate removal, so-called dam break flows, were studied theoretically under the assumption of self-similarity of hydraulic variables. Fundamental flow characteristics such as the propagation velocity of front position of a flow, the attenuation rate of flow depth, etc. were derived by using the depth averaged flow equations, and were compared with the results of numerical simulations. Theoretical results were applied to a flow of high flow concrete, which is classified as Bingham fluids, induced by slump flow test. It was pointed out that in the case of high flow concrete with large plastic viscosity, the similarity laws derived for viscous fluids can be observed clearly in the temporal variations of depth and front position.