Experimental study on time-averaged pressures in stepped spillway

Steps located in the non-aerated flow region of a chute are prone to cavitation damage. Two models operated with various Froude numbers and bottom slopes were employed to measure the pressure on the steps. The minimum and maximum pressures on the horizontal step surfaces occurred at the chute beginning and at the chute end, respectively. These characteristics were also found in the fully-developed flow region. The time-averaged pressure on the horizontal step surfaces is negative at the chute start, and then becomes positive along the flow direction in the non-uniform flow region. On the vertical step surfaces, the pressure is always negative at the top and remains negative along the entire vertical surface if the unit discharges are high enough in the non-uniform flow region. These results differ from the pressure characteristics in the uniform aerated flow region.