Analysis of the stress on L-shaped urban emergency flood control screens based on polymer materials

Research on polymer-based urban emergency flood control equipment is relatively rare in China. In this study, a combination of water tank experiments and fluid-structure interaction numerical simulations was used to investigate the stress characteristics of urban emergency flood control screens (referred to as “flood control screens” hereafter). The results show good agreement between the numerical simulation and experimental results. As the water depth and flow velocity increase, the stress and deformation of the flood control screens gradually increase. The maximum stress is located at the heel of the flood control screens, while the maximum deformation is observed at the top sides of the water-blocking surface. The stress coefficient of the flood control screens decreases rapidly with the increase of the incoming flow Froude number, and it tends to a constant value when the Froude number exceeds 0.15. Gravity has a greater influence on the maximum stress of the flood control screens compared to inertial forces. The findings of this study can provide a reference for the further optimization design of flood control screens.