Mitigation of Riverbank Erosion Using Controlled Wave-Energy Dissipation Mechanisms

Riverbank erosion represents a persistent environmental and socio-economic challenge in river-
dominated regions, particularly in large alluvial river systems such as those found in Bangladesh.
Continuous bank retreat results in significant land loss, population displacement, and long-term
degradation of agricultural productivity. Conventional erosion-control measures—including rigid
embankments, revetments, and sandbag-based protection—often provide only short-term
stability and are associated with high construction costs, ecological disruption, and erosion
transfer to adjacent or downstream river reaches.
This study proposes a mechanically based river-wave energy dissipation framework that
mitigates erosion by attenuating hydrodynamic energy within the river channel prior to bank
interaction, rather than resisting erosive forces at the bank interface. The proposed system
utilizes submerged, horizontally aligned cylindrical rolling mechanisms that interact with
incoming surface gravity waves. Through wave–structure interaction, a portion of linear wave
momentum is converted into rotational mechanical motion and subsequently dissipated via
viscous friction and turbulence within the flow field.
By reducing wave height, orbital velocity, and associated momentum flux, the system effectively
lowers boundary shear stress acting on riverbank materials, maintaining applied stresses below
critical erosion thresholds. The framework is grounded in established principles of fluid
mechanics, wave-energy theory, sediment transport, and river morphology, ensuring consistency
with fundamental physical laws and conservation principles.
The proposed approach offers a passive, low-impact, and morphology-preserving alternative to
conventional embankment-based erosion control. While further site-specific modeling,
experimental validation, and field-scale implementation are required, the conceptual framework
demonstrates strong potential for sustainable application in erosion-prone river systems.............

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