Hybrid modelling of low velocity zones in box culverts to assist upstream fish passage

A culvert is a covered channel designed to pass water through an embankment. The recognition of the adverse ecological impacts of culverts on upstream fish passage is driving the development of new culvert design guidelines, with a focus on small-bodied fish species seeking low velocity zones to minimise energy expenditure. Herein a hybrid modelling technique was applied, combining physical modelling, one-dimensional theoretical calculation and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modelling. The results reveal fundamental turbulent processes that may affect small-body-mass fish navigability and provide new insights for the development of standard box culvert design guidelines. Systematic validations were performed to a wide range of initial conditions and smooth barrel geometries. A physical relationship was derived from numerical and experimental data of past and present studies, correlating the dimensionless flow area with a normalised local velocity V/Vmean.