Clogging Patterns of Urban Road Storm-Water Inlets Caused by Floating Debris

To investigate the impact of different floating debris on the drainage performance of urban pipe network system systems, this study conducted a series of physical model tests based on slope experiments by considering the drainage process of the pipe network. The effects of varying surface slopes, storm-water inlet clogging, and typical floating debris clogging on the performance of the pipe network system were examined. The results show that: ① Under four clogging conditions on a flat slope, the drainage capacity of the storm-water inlet decreases by 21.45%~27.43%, 37.59%~65.25%, 10.69%~24.61%, and 25.66%~58.96% compared to the clogging-free condition. ② At lower flow rates, even though the clogging area of floating debris is small, the flow rate of the drainage pipe network during clogging of the storm-water inlet by typical floating debris decreases by 5.64%, 16.38%, 13.67%, and 37.48% compared to the clogging-free condition. This indicates that the reduction in drainage capacity is related to the obstruction caused by floating debris upstream of the storm-water inlet. ③ When the storm-water inlet has 60% clogging at three different slopes, the flow rates of the drainage pipe network decrease by 15.86%, 12.33%, and 29.61%, respectively. The slope of the road also has a significant impact on the discharge capacity of the storm-water inlet. ④ The degree of impact of different floating debris on the drainage system varies significantly under different slopes. The research findings provide an empirical basis for the design and evaluation of urban drainage systems, which is of great significance for enhancing the flood prevention capabilities of urban drainage systems and responding to extreme weather events.