Experimental study for performance improvement of debris flow breaker

Debris flow breaker structure is known as a structure with simple, applicable, reliable, and economic design for preserving the downstream. The structure is able to drainage the debris flow, and therefore, reduces the volume of debris toward the river downstream and decreases the damages to downstream. In this study, dimensional analysis was carried out in order to investigate the structure behavior against debris flow. The structure performance was evaluated by calculating the structure efficiency and dimensionless parameters of distance traveled by the debris and location of the maximum height of the debris accumulation on the structure. Structure performance was investigated by changing in the opening, its building, and the establishment of an integrated barrier on the structure with different concentrations and velocity of the debris flow. The results showed that debris flow velocity is affected by flume slope. The amount and state of opening in the structure are the most effective parameters in the structure performance. With a 40% reduction in the structure opening, the efficiency increased by 95%. Change in the building of the structure has increased the structure efficiency by 44%. The application of an integrated barrier to the breaker structure, in addition to increase the efficiency of the debris control, has reduced the length of the distance traveled by the debris until the final stop and the length of the clamor in the upstream of barriers.