BRI-STARS

BRI-STARS (BRIdge Stream Tube model for Alluvial River Simulation) model is a generalized semi-two-dimensional water and sediment-routing model with an integrated graphical interface for solving complicated river engineering problems with limited data and resources. This model is capable of computing alluvial scour/deposition through subcritical, supercritical, and a combination of both flow conditions involving hydraulic jumps. Unlike conventional water and sediment routing models, it is also capable of simulating channel widening/narrowing phenomenon as well as local scour due to highway encroachments. It contains a subset of Federal Highway Administration’s WSPRO subroutines for computing bridge hydraulics.

BRI-STARS visual output can be observed in the following screen windows:

Potential applications of the BRI-STARS can be summarized as:
  • The model can be used as a fixed-bed model to compute water surface profiles for subcritical, supercritical, or the combination of both flow conditions involving hydraulic jumps. These computations include but are not limited to:
  • Flow profiles in manmade channels with no sediment.
  • Flow profiles over spillways and waterways.
  • Water surface profiles in rivers where bed elevation changes are negligible.
  • The model can be used as a movable bed model to route water and sediment through alluvial channels.
  • The use of stream tubes allows the model to compute the variation of hydraulic conditions and sediment activity not only in the longitudinal but also in the lateral direction.
  • With the selection of a single stream tube, the model becomes one-dimensional. By selection of multiple stream tubes, changes in cross section geometries in the lateral direction can be simulated.
  • The armoring option allows simulation of longer term riverbed changes.
  • With the selection of minimization procedure option, the model can simulate channel widening and narrowing processes.
  • With the selection of WSPRO bridge hydraulics option the model utilizes specialized routines for the computation of flows through highway bridge openings.
  • Maximum potential bridge pier scour for given flood hydrographs are computed through the use of several equations for various pier geometries.
  • Flow diversion problems can be studied through the use of lateral inflow/outflow options.
  • Aggregate mining studies can be conducted by simulating various mining alternatives (quantity and physical location).
  • Dredging studies can be conducted by the use of the lateral sediment outflow option without any water outflow.
  • Bank failures with known rates of bank regression can be simulated through the option of lateral sediment inflow without water inflow.