STABILITY ANALYSIS OF RIVERBANK SUBJECT TO SEEPAGE

The stability of riverbanks subject to seepage is studied experimentally and theoretically in this paper. By including seepage in a 3-dimensional theoretical analysis, the study first shows how the critical slope or angle of repose of a cohesionless material is related to the ratio of the hydraulic gradient of seepage to its critical value under the fluidization condition. The critical stable slope is shown to be related to not only the hydraulic gradient but also the seepage direction. Measured laboratory data reasonably fit well with the theoretical relationship for the case of injection and suction. The data reveal that the slope is reduced with injection and increased with suction, respectively. Additionally, the study identifies the seepage direction which results in a minimum critical stable slope for a certain hydraulic gradient of seepage.     

Incipient motion of cohesionless sediments on riverbanks with ground water injection

This study investigates the influence of ground water injection on the initial movement of non-cohesive sediment particles on a riverbank slope analytically and experimentally.By including the hydrauli...     

Spatial variations in surface sediment structure in riffle–pool sequences: a preliminary test of the Differential Sediment Entrainment Hypothesis (DSEH)

Riffle–pool sequences are maintained through the preferential entrainment of sediment grains from pools rather than riffles. This preferential entrainment has been attributed to a reversal in the magnitude of velocity and shear stress under high flows; however the Differential Sediment Entrainment Hypothesis (DSEH) postulates that differential entrainment can instead result from spatial sedimentological contrasts. Here we use a novel suite of in situ grain‐scale field measurements from a riffle–pool sequence to parameterize a physically‐based model of grain entrainment. Field measurements include pivoting angles, lift forces and high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired using terrestrial laser scanning, from which particle exposure, protrusion and surface roughness were derived. The entrainment model results show that grains in pools have a lower critical entrainment shear stress than grains in either pool exits or riffles. This is because pool grains have looser packing, hence greater exposure and lower pivoting angles. Conversely, riffle and pool exit grains have denser packing, lower exposure and higher pivoting angles. A cohesive matrix further stabilizes pool exit grains. The resulting predictions of critical entrainment shear stress for grains in different subunits are compared with spatial patterns of bed shear stress derived from a two‐dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the reach. The CFD model predicts that, under bankfull conditions, pools experience lower shear stresses than riffles and pool exits. However, the difference in sediment entrainment shear stress is sufficiently large that sediment in pools is still more likely to be entrained than sediment in pool exits or riffles, resulting in differential entrainment under bankfull flows. Significantly, this differential entrainment does not require a reversal in flow velocities or shear stress, suggesting that sedimentological contrasts alone may be sufficient for the maintenance of riffle–pool sequences. This finding has implications for the prediction of sediment transport and the morphological evolution of gravel‐bed rivers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling the initiation of sediment motion under a wide range of flow conditions using a Geno-Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System method

The current study introduces a novel approach to estimate the incipient motion of sediments under a wide range of flow regimes by developing a fuzzy model with a fuzzy-band that refers to a transition from weak motion to general motion of sediment. The partial sediment entrainment is defined by fuzzy sets considering the uncertainty related to the individual ratio of inertia to viscous forces which is the definition of shear Reynolds number. In the current study, the Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System (Mamdani FIS) is used to develop a comprehensive fuzzy model of the incipient motion of sediment. The Mamdani FIS has a shortcoming regarding the training of the fuzzy model. To estimate the dimensionless shear stress, a new method is developed by combining a genetic algorithm with the fuzzy approach which is named the Geno-Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System (GMFIS) method. The performance of the GMFIS model is evaluated using experimental data by considering root mean square error (RMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (CE), degree of robustness (D_r), and concordance coefficient (CC) as evaluation criteria. The GMFIS model performed very well based on the RMSE, CE, D_r, and CC values and satisfactorily represented the three types of incipient motion. Finally, a new range of fuzzy, dimensionless, critical shear stress values is established in all flow conditions from weak to general sediment entrainment.     

An analysis of the characteristics of rough bed turbulent shear stresses in an open channel

Entrainment of sediment particles from channel beds into the channel flow is influenced by the characteristics of the flow turbulence which produces stochastic shear stress fluctuations at the bed. Recent studies of the structure of turbulent flow has recognized the importance of bursting processes as important mechanisms for the transfer of momentum into the laminar boundary layer. Of these processes, the sweep event has been recognized as the most important bursting event for entrainment of sediment particles as it imposes forces in the direction of the flow resulting in movement of particles by rolling, sliding and occasionally saltating. Similarly, the ejection event has been recognized as important for sediment transport since these events maintain the sediment particles in suspension. In this study, the characteristics of bursting processes and, in particular, the sweep event were investigated in a flume with a rough bed. The instantaneous velocity fluctuations of the flow were measured in two-dimensions using a small electromagnetic velocity meter and the turbulent shear stresses were determined from these velocity fluctuations. It was found that the shear stress applied to the sediment particles on the bed resulting from sweep events depends on the magnitude of the turbulent shear stress and its probability distribution. A statistical analysis of the experimental data was undertaken and it was found necessary to apply a Box-Cox transformation to transform the data into a normally distributed sample. This enabled determination of the mean shear stress, angle of action and standard error of estimate for sweep and ejection events. These instantaneous shear stresses were found to be greater than the mean flow shear stress and for the sweep event to be approximately 40 percent greater near the channel bed. Results from this analysis suggest that the critical shear stress determined from Shield's diagram is not sufficient to predict the initiation of motion due to its use of the temporal mean shear stress. It is suggested that initiation of particle motion, but not continuous motion, can occur earlier than suggested by Shield's diagram due to the higher shear stresses imposed on the particles by the stochastic shear stresses resulting from turbulence within the flow.     

INITIATION OF SHELL MOTION ON SAND BEDS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

1 INTRODUCTION Bivalve shells are found in biologically productive coastal regions encompassing the surf zone, tidal entrance and estuarine waters near the entrances. An example of a beach composed exclusively of shells (about 97% of the surficial sedimentary material) is the beach at John o'Groats in Scotland (Raymond and Hutchins, 1932; Komar, 1976). Southern Gulf Coast of Florida in USA (Runsak et al., 1966; Austin, 1971) and the banks of Lower Medway estuary in England (Kirby,…     

Flow and deformation failure of sandy slopes

The effects of earthquake induced pore pressure on seismic and post seismic stability conditions of cohesionless slopes are investigated with reference to the infinite slope scheme. In cohesionless slopes the shear strength reduction caused by pore pressure build-up may lead the slope to a deformation failure or to a flow failure if liquefaction conditions are approached. Two critical values of the seismic induced pore pressure ratio are introduced to evaluate the effect of shear strength reduction on the slope failure mechanism. The results are given in the form of stability charts and a procedure for the evaluation of the seismic stability condition is described. The procedure gives useful information about the failure mechanism that slopes may exhibit and the displacement analysis which should be carried out.     

Effect of seepage on flow and bedforms dynamics

This study, using an experimental approach, focuses on the effect of downward seepage on a threshold alluvial channel morphology and corresponding turbulent flow characteristics. In all the experiments, we observed that the streamwise time‐averaged velocities and Reynolds shear stresses were increased under the influence of downward seepage. Scales of eddy length and eddy turnover time were significantly increased with the application of downward seepage, leading to sediment transport and initiation of bedforms along the channel length. As the amount of seepage discharge increased, eddy length and turnover time were further increased, causing the development of larger bedforms. It was revealed that the geometry of bedforms was linked with the size of eddies. In this work, statistics of bedform dynamics are presented in terms of multi‐scalar bedforms in the presence of seepage. These multi‐scalar ubiquitous bedforms cast a potential impact on flow turbulence as well as stream bed morphology in channels. We used wavelet to analyse temporally lagged spatial bed elevation profiles that were obtained from a set of laboratory experiments and synchronized the wavelet coefficients with bed elevation fluctuations at different length scales. A spatial cross‐correlation analysis, based on the wavelet coefficients, was performed on these bed elevation datasets to observe the effect of downward seepage on the dynamic behaviour of bedforms at different length scales. It was found that celerity of bedforms reduced with increase in seepage percentage. Bedform celerity was best approximated by a probability density function such as Rayleigh distribution under varying downward seepage. Further, statistical analysis of physical parameters of bedforms ascertained that the reduction in bedform celerity was a result of increased bedform size. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two-dimensional numerical simulation of sediment transport using improved critical shear stress methods

Research on the critical shear stresses for erosion and deposition for cohesive sediment has attracted substantial attention from both engineering and theoretical viewpoints due to their importance in sediment transport theory.Previous studies have proposed a large number of empirical and semiempirical methods to estimate the critical erosion and deposition shear stress,but comparative analyses and validation of the existing methods are still lacking,leaving questions regarding the applicability ranges of the methods.The current paper evaluates the performance and applicability range of five critical erosion shear stress methods derived from different hypotheses on sediment transport for flume experiments and natural tidal rivers using a process-based model.In addition,the effect of the critical deposition shear stress on sediment transport is investigated.The results show that the different critical erosion shear stress methods yield distinctly different prediction results,and their performance and applicability ranges are discussed by comparing their predictions with measured sediment concentrations from the Shenzhen River and measured geometric changes from the Partheniades' flume experiment.The hiding and exposure effect has been recognized as a crucial factor in the incipient motion of sediment on nonuniform beds.A sensitivity analysis of selective deposition and continuous deposition justifies the existence of the critical deposition shear stress.The current study highlights the performance and applicability ranges of the existing critical shear stress methods in sediment transport modeling for uniform and nonuniform beds,which will enrich understanding of the underlying mechanisms of erosion and deposition of cohesive sediment.     

Formation and erosion of sediment cover in an experimental bedrock‐alluvial channel

Sediment grains in a bedrock‐alluvial river will be deposited within or adjacent to a sediment patch, or as isolated grains on the bedrock surface. Previous analysis of grain geometry has demonstrated that these arrangements produce significant differences in grain entrainment shear stress. However, this analysis neglected potential interactions between the sediment patches, local hydraulics and grain entrainment. We present a series of flume experiments that measure the influence of sediment patches on grain entrainment. The flume had a planar bed with roughness that was much smaller than the diameters of the mobile grains. In each experiment sediment was added either as individual grains or as a single sediment pulse. Flow was then increased until the sediment was entrained. Analysis of the experiments demonstrates that: (1) for individual grains, coarse grains are entrained at a higher discharge than fine grains; (2) once sediment patches are present, the different in entrainment discharge between coarse and fine grains is greatly reduced; (3) the sheltering effect of patches also increases the entrainment discharge of isolated grains; (4) entire sediment patches break‐up and are eroded quickly, rather than through progressive grain‐by‐grain erosion; (5) as discharge increases there is some tendency for patches to become more elongate and flow‐aligned, and more randomly distributed across the bed. One implication of this research is that the critical shear stress in bedrock‐alluvial channels will be a function of the extent of the sediment cover. Another is that the influence of sediment patches equalizes critical shear stresses between different grain sizes and grain locations, meaning that these factors may not need to be accounted for. Further research is needed to quantify interactions between sediment patches, grain entrainment and local hydraulics on rougher bedrock surfaces, and under different types of sediment supply. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flume experiments on wood entrainment in rivers

A flume experiment on entrainment of woody debris is carried out. Woody debris is modeled using smooth, cylindrical dowels, in touch with the flume bed. The water depth and velocity are evaluated that initiate the motion of the partially submerged dowels. On the basis of the experimental finding, a theoretical model of log entrainment is developed, providing in dimensionless form the equilibrium equation for incipient motion. The experiment shows that the equilibrium equation must keep into account the modification of the local water profile, affecting the force balance at incipient motion. This issue has been apparently neglected in the wood entrainment models so far developed. The entrainment model is less sensitive to the choice of the apparent drag coefficient. The capability of the model in predicting the critical log diameter for initiation of motion is discussed and compared with that from the recent entrainment model from Braudrick and Grant, 2000. The comparison shows interesting results and provide evidence of the needs for further studies on wood entrainment in rivers.     

Numerical simulation of incipient particle motion

A two-dimensional(2 D) computational model for simulation of incipient sediment motion for noncohesive uniform and non-uniform particles on a horizontal bed was developed using the Discrete Element Method(DEM).The model was calibrated and verified using various experimental data reported in the literature and compared with different theories of incipient particle motion.Sensitivity analysis was done and the effects of relevant parameters were determined.In addition to hydrodynamic forces such as drag,shear lift and Magnus force,the particle-particle interaction effects were included in the model.The asymptotic critical mobility number was evaluated for various critical particle Reynolds numbers(R*) in the range of very small and very large R*.The obtained curve is classified into four regions.It was found that in the linear region,the drag force has the principal role on the initiation of motion.Moreover,the critical mobility number is independent of particle diameter.A procedure for estimating the critical shear velocity directly from the information on particle diameter and roughness height was developed.Finally,the mechanism of incipient motion for the different regions was studied and the effect of different forces on the incipient particle motion was obtained.It was found that the maximum effects of lift and Magnus forces were,respectively,less than ten and twenty percent of the total force.The drag force,however,was typically the dominant force accounting for majority of the net hydrodynamic force acting on sediment particles at the onset of incipient motion.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON INCIPIENT MOTION OF SEDIMENT PARTICLES ON GENERALIZED SLOPING FLUVIAL BEDS

1 INTRODUCTIONWhen water flows over a fluvial bed, hydro-dynandc force induced by the flow is acting on thesediment particles lying on the bed. A further increase in flow velocity results in an increase in themagnitude of this fOrce; and sediment particles begin to move if a situation is eventu8lly reached whenthe hydro-dynandc force exceeds a certain critical value. This initial movement of sediment pallicles istermed inciPient motion. The erosion and sedimentation of nuvial beds can be…     

Assessing entrainment of bed material in a debris‐flow event: a theoretical approach incorporating Monte Carlo method

Entrainment of underlying bed sediment by a debris flow can significantly increase the debris‐flow magnitude. To study this phenomenon, a theoretical approach to assessing bed‐sediment entrainment is presented. The approach is based on a static approximation that bed‐sediment entrainment occurs when the shearing stress of the flow is sufficiently high to overcome the basal resistance of the bed sediment. In order to delineate erodible zones in a channel, we analyze the critical condition of this static equilibrium model, and subsequently propose a new concept of a critical line to detect the entrainment reaches in a channel. Considering the spatial and temporal uncertainties of the input parameter, the approach is further incorporated within a Monte Carlo method, and the distribution of entrainment zones and post‐entrainment volumes can be analyzed. This approach is illustrated by back‐analysis of the 2010 Yohutagawa debris‐flow event, Japan. Results from 10 000 trials of Monte Carlo simulation are compared with the in situ surveys. It is shown that the present approach can be satisfactorily used to delineate erodible zones and estimate possible entrainment volume of the event. Discussion regarding the sensitivities and limitations of the approach concludes the paper. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability of composite river banks

The stability of a river bank depends on the balance of forces, motive and resistive, associated with the most critical mechanism of failure. Many mechanisms are possible and the likelihood of failure occurring by any particular one depends on the size, geometry and structure of the bank, the engineering properties of the bank material, the hydraulics of flow in the adjacent channel and climatic conditions. Rivers flowing through alluvial deposits often have a composite structure of cohesionless sand and gravel overlain by cohesive silt/clay. Bank erosion occurs by fluvial entrainment of material from the lower, cohesionless bank at a much higher rate than material from the upper, cohesive bank. This leads to undermining that produces cantilevers of cohesive material. Upper bank retreat takes place predominantly by the failure of these cantilevers. Three mechanisms of failure have been identified: shear, beam and tensile failure. The stability of a cantilever may be analysed using static equilibrium and beam theory, and dimensionless charts for cantilever stability constructed. Application of the charts requires only a few simple measurements of cantilever geometry and soil properties. In this analysis the effects of cracks and fissures in the soil must be taken into account. These cracks seriously weaken the soil and can invalidate a stability analysis by affecting the shape of the failure surface. Following mechanical failure, blocks of soil must be removed from the basal area by fluvial entrainment if rapid undermining and cantilever generation are to continue. Hence, the rate of bank retreat is fluvially controlled, even though the mechanism of failure of the upper bank is not directly fluvial in nature. This cycle of bank erosion: undermining, cantilever failure and fluvial scour of the toe, operates over several flood events and has important implications for river engineering, channel changes, and the movement of sediment through fluvial systems.     

Laboratory and theoretical evaluation of impact of packing density,particle shape,and uniformity coefficient on erodibility of coarse-grained soil particles

Sedimentation – including erosion, transport, and deposition of coarse-grained particles – is a primary and growing environmental, engineering, and agricultural issue around the world. Soil erosion occurs when the hydrodynamic force induced by flowing water exceeds the geotechnical resistance of soils, as measured by critical shear stress for initiation of soil-particle motion. Even though various quantitative methods have been suggested with respect to different types of soil, the most widely accepted formula to estimate critical shear stress for coarse-grained soil is a direct function of the median grain size of the soil particles; however, the erosion resistance of soils also varies with other geotechnical properties, such as packing density, particle shape, and uniformity coefficient. Thus, in this study, a combined rolling–lift model for particle detachment was derived based on theoretical analysis. A series of experimental flume tests were conducted with specimens prepared with standard soil types, as well as laboratory-prepared mixtures of coarse-grained soil to validate the theoretical model and determine the effect of other geotechnical properties on the erosion characteristics of coarse grains, coupled with the effect of median particle size. The results indicated that the median grain size is the primary variable determining the resistance of coarse grains, but the critical shear stress also varies with the packing density of the soil matrix. In addition, angular particles show more erosion resistance than rounded particles, and the erosion potential of a soil decreased when the grain is well graded (higher value of uniformity coefficient). Additionally, regression analysis was performed to quantify the effect of each parameter on the critical shear stress of coarse grains. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How hydrological factors initiate instability in a model sandy slope

Knowledge of the mechanisms of rain‐induced shallow landslides can improve the prediction of their occurrence and mitigate subsequent sediment disasters. Here, we examine an artificial slope's subsurface hydrology and propose a new slope stability analysis that includes seepage force and the down‐slope transfer of excess shear forces. We measured pore water pressure and volumetric water content immediately prior to a shallow landslide on an artificial sandy slope of 32°: The direction of the subsurface flow shifted from downward to parallel to the slope in the deepest part of the landslide mass, and this shift coincided with the start of soil displacement. A slope stability analysis that was restricted to individual segments of the landslide mass could not explain the initiation of the landslide; however, inclusion of the transfer of excess shear forces from up‐slope to down‐slope segments improved drastically the predictability. The improved stability analysis revealed that an unstable zone expanded down‐slope with an increase in soil water content, showing that the down‐slope soil initially supported the unstable up‐slope soil; destabilization of this down‐slope soil was the eventual trigger of total slope collapse. Initially, the effect of apparent soil cohesion was the most important factor promoting slope stability, but seepage force became the most important factor promoting slope instability closer to the landslide occurrence. These findings indicate that seepage forces, controlled by changes in direction and magnitude of saturated and unsaturated subsurface flows, may be the main cause of shallow landslides in sandy slopes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SHEAR STRESS FOR INITIATION OF MOTION OF NON-UNIFORM SEDIMENT MIXTURES

Experiments on initiation of motion of different fractions of non-uniform sediment mixtures are reported. Four sediment mixes and reference transport method to define the threshold of bed particle movement are used in this analysis. Factors controlling the initiation of motion are analyzed. It is found that relative size of different grains with respect to a median size greatly affects the initiation of movement. The incipient motion of non-uniform sediment is very much dependent on the absolute size for coarser fractions. Considering the factors controlling the initiation of motion the experimental data sets along with the other available data yield a new relationship for the calculation of critical shear stress of non-uniform sediments. A set of equations have found that all the data points fall into a single line for the finer and for coarser fractions.     

Modeling of turbidity dynamics caused by wind-induced waves and current in the Taihu Lake

A simple turbidity model was developed with a sound physical basis based on in situ high-frequency observations of short-term, strong wind-induced sediment suspension in Taihu Lake, China. The validation results show that the model could successfully simulate turbidity caused by strong wind events, despite the relatively poor simulation accuracy for high values of turbidity caused by the entrainment of cyanobacteria by turbulence. The in situ observations and model simulation results indicate that the wind waves were within a narrow spectral band, with spectral energy mainly distributed within the 0.28–0.75 Hz band on opposite sides of the peak frequency. These high-frequency and low-energy wind waves are sensitive to depth filtering. However, the average depth of the lake is only 1.9 m, and wind waves still represent the main force of sediment suspension at the sediment-water interface. Moreover, lake currents were of significance to the maintenance of background turbidity in calm waves or ripples and in the determination of critical shear stress. By considering the spatial distribution of hydrodynamics and sediment, the model can be used to simulate the turbidity of the entire lake as well as boundary conditions for three-dimensional numerical models.