Scaling,analysis and new instrumentation for dynamic bed tests: The SANDS-Hydralab III papers

This special issue presents the main research results from the SANDS project in Hydralab-III, a research project of the European Union. The papers review the scaling and design of mobile bed tests, the role and limits of conventional and new instrumentation and the extrapolation to full scale. The project has focused on innovative systems of opto-acoustic instrumentation, able to recover water and sediments fluxes at an unprecedented level of accuracy and resolution. The research also included large scale experiments at different scales and a critical comparison of experimental and numerical results to improve the state of the art in Coastal Engineering.     

模型沙干重度的变化规律及其在泥沙模型试验中的作用

模型沙干重度在动床模型试验中是影响起动流速比尺和冲淤时间比尺的重要参数，其随淤积历时、粒径变化、埋置深浅和加工方法的不同有着不同的变化规律。通过试验，结合已有的成果，对模型沙干重度受以上几种因素的影响进行了研究，并进一步分析了其变化规律在动床模型试验中的作用。     

沙质海岸波浪动床模型设计—毛里塔尼亚友谊港下游冲刷试验模型

本文结合毛里塔尼亚友谊港下游冲刷模型的试验研究探讨了海岸波浪动床模型的相似律和试验波浪要素的确定。作者推导获得了同时满足波浪作用下岸滩剖面冲淤相似、沿程冲淤部位相似、泥沙起动相似和沉降相似的综合相似比尺公式：λρｓ－ρ＝λ＾１／３ｌ．λ＾１／６Ｄ；λｄ＝（λＤ／λｔ）＾２／３解决了波浪冲刷动床模型的基本相似问题和砂的选砂问题。对于常浪向与强浪向不一致的海岸，作者提出了采用综合考虑波高、波周期（或波     

模型变率对斜坡上泥沙起动相似影响研究

本文在前人的理论分析及水槽试验工作的基础上，分析了上举力系数对边坡泥沙起动影响，研究了常用模型沙（木屑、煤屑、电木粉），以平床泥沙起动相似设计，变态模型变率对边坡及水流纵向坡面上泥沙起动相似偏离影响     

Variation of roughness length of a mobile sand bed in a tidal flow

Velocity profiles, suspended sand concentration, and ripple shapes were measured over the tidal cycle on a mobile bed. Variations in ripple shape or dimensions, and the effects of mobile sediment could not account for the variations in bed roughness length, which increased systematically during the tide from 0.5 to 1.3 cm. The effects of acceleration could be the cause as they would lead to the same pattern of variation, but existing theory does not give the correct magnitude.     

Variation of roughness length of a mobile sand bed in a tidal flow

Velocity profiles, suspended sand concentration, and ripple shapes were measured over the tidal cycle on a mobile bed. Variations in ripple shape or dimensions, and the effects of mobile sediment could not account for the variations in bed roughness length, which increased systematically during the tide from 0.5 to 1.3 cm. The effects of acceleration could be the cause as they would lead to the same pattern of variation, but existing theory does not give the correct magnitude.     

SCOURING PATTERNS IN FRONT OF VERTICAL BREAKWATERS

There are two basic types of scouring pattern of a sand bed in front of a vertical breakwater under the action of standing waves due to the differences of the sand grain sizes and of the wave conditions. The expressions of the scouring profile, the ultimate maximum scouring depth and the development of the scouring for two scouring patterns based on the experimental data are given in the present paper.The scale laws for the sand grain size and for the scouring depth are derived, thus making it possible to apply the results from the model tests to the prototype conditions. The influence of the scouring patterns on the stability of the foundations of vertical breakwaters is discussed through some typical examples in the paper.     

Effective Nikuradse Roughness on the Mobile Plan Bed

Nikuradse roughness (ks) is very important in the sediment transport prediction because it is related to the evaluations of the velocity distribution, shear stress and erosion depth. Dimensionless Nikuradse roughness (ks/D, where D is the sediment diameter) is usually given 1–2.5 on the immobile plan bed or at low shear stress. But it behaves differently on the mobile plan bed at high shear stress with much sediment picked up to movement when the Shields parameter (Θ) is larger than 0.8–1.0. The effective Nikuradse roughness on the mobile plan bed was derived indirectly from the erosion depth correlated to the mobile plan bed thickness considering the mass conservation in the present study. The proposed erosion depth confirmed the relation to the Shields parameters with an extra factor consisting of suspended sediment and its damping to turbulence. The decrement of the erosion depth caused by the increment of the sediment diameter at large shear stress was obtained, which was usually absent in classical empirical formulas based on the bedload theory. Good agreement with experiments was achieved by the present prediction of the Nikuradse roughness, erosion depth and sediment transport rate. Discussion was mainly focused on the prediction improvement caused by considering the impact of suspended sediment and its damping to turbulence.     

Osculatory Surfaces Extraction applied to Monitoring of Sub-marine Sand Materials

Abstract

This work aims at providing geoscientists with a new robust shape transform that performs the estimation of a smooth submarine intra-sediment shape from Multi-Beam Echo Sounders data. This shape matches a virtual geodesic interface between mobile and immobile sand, called an osculatory surface. The transform operates through only two non-optional parameters: its scale length and the corresponding degree of the local representations. Application tests addressing different tidal sandbanks are described. Applications to the osculatory tracking of two monitoring zones over fifteen years are also included.     

A new facility for studying ocean-structure–seabed interactions: The O-tube

This paper describes a unique new physical testing facility for studying ocean-structure–seabed interactions, and in particular pipeline on-bottom stability on erodible seabed under hydrodynamic loading. The facility, named the O-tube due to its shape, is a fully enclosed flume in which ambient and storm-induced near-seabed flows are generated by a computer-controlled flow pump. Combined steady and oscillatory flow can be generated by alternating pump flow directions in a controlled manner, and computer control also allows irregular flow to be generated. The design of the O-tube combines the capabilities of a conventional open channel flume (which provides steady current) with a U-tube (which provides oscillatory flow). The facility is designed to physically model severe storm conditions, as well as ambient or tidal flows. When studying pipeline stability on erodible seabed under severe hydrodynamic loading conditions, tests can be performed at a relatively large scale (typically 1/5) for large diameter pipelines (e.g. 40 in. gas trunklines) and at full scale for small diameter pipelines (< 8 in.) to minimize potential scaling effects associated with movable bed model tests. The specifications of the O-tube, a model pipe and an actuator system that supports the model pipe are given in detail. Preliminary model testing results show that the facility has met its design expectations.     

Variations in the boundary-drag coefficient in the tidal entrance to Chesapeake Bay,Virginia

Use of the quadratic shear-stress law for estimating boundary drag requires specific knowledge of the magnitude of a drag coefficient, C_D, and sectional mean velocity, $\text{u}\text{?}$. In previous attempts to adapt the relationship for use in studies of marine-sediment transport, the flow measurement has been standardized at a level 100 cm above the bed. The particularized value of the drag coefficient has been designated as C₁₀₀.In the entrance area to Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, C₁₀₀ has been found to range through unacceptably wide limits. Two-thirds of the values obtained are between 3.5 · 10^?3 and 5.4 · 10^?2. Mean C₁₀₀ for the area is 1.3 · 10^?2 as compared to 3 · 10^?3 for tidal channels within Puget Sound, Washington.Present data suggest that, given a moveable bed, a size hierarchy of mobile bed forms, time-varying flow, and a lack of equilibrium between flow and bed, C₁₀₀ changes continuously with boundary shear stress.Accurate evaluation of boundary shear stress in tidal entrances with high flow rates and mobile beds presently requires measurement of velocity profiles.     

Development of All-Weather and Real-Time Bottom-Mounted Monitor of Bed Load Quantity

Quantity of bed load is an important physical parameter in sediment transport research. Aiming at the difficulties in the bed load measurement, this paper develops a bottom-mounted monitor to measure the bed load transport rate by adopting the sedimentation pit method and resolving such key problems as weighing and desilting, which can achieve long-time, all-weather and real-time telemeasurement of the bed load transport rate of plain rivers, estuaries and coasts. Both laboratory and field tests show that this monitor is reasonable in design, stable in properties and convenient in measurement, and it can be used to monitor the bed load transport rate in practical projects.     

Architectural characteristics of two bed types of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica over different spatial scales

Seagrass beds occur in various morphological forms, ranging from small patches to continuous meadows. The endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica forms dense and extensive stands that occur in several different morphotypes, including reticulate (seagrass interspersed with a different habitat type, such as bare sand) and continuous beds. This study, undertaken in the Maltese Islands, examined whether reticulate and continuous P. oceanica beds, located adjacent to each other and at similar depths, had different within-bed architectural characteristics. Five commonly used architectural measures (shoot density, number of leaves per shoot, mean leaf length, mean leaf width and shoot biomass) were measured from P. oceanica shoots collected from the two bed types at three different spatial scales: (1) tens of metres (‘small’ scale); (2) hundreds of metres (‘medium’ scale); and (3) kilometres (‘large’ scale). Results of 2-factor ANOVA (factor 1=bed type; factor 2=sampling locality) carried out at the three spatial scales indicated significant differences between the two bed types in shoot density (P<0.01) and leaf length (P<0.05) at the small scale, and in leaf number (P<0.05) at the large scale. Significant interactions were also apparent for shoot density (at the large scale) and for shoot biomass (at the medium scale). However, the results obtained did not indicate consistent architectural differences between the two P. oceanica bed types over the spatial scales considered. Spatial variations in within-bed architectural characteristics observed were therefore thought to be attributable mainly to the influence of local environmental factors. The findings are discussed with reference to the conservation and management of P. oceanica habitat.     

Seasonal and Between-Substrate Variation in Mobile Epifaunal Community in a Multispecific Seagrass Bed of Otsuchi Bay, Japan

Abstract. A seagrass bed in Otsuchi Bay, northeastern Japan, consists of three seagrass species ( Zostera marina, Z. caulescens and Z. caespitosa ) that differ in morphology and phenology. We studied the mobile epifaunal community in the seagrass bed to examine (1) whether seasonal and between-substrate variation in the epifaunal community agrees with variation in seagrass abundance and morphological complexity, and (2) whether patterns of seasonal and between-substrate variation vary among epifaunal species. We collected mobile epifauna from each of Z. marina and Z. caulescens on 11 occasions between October 1995 and November 1996 (at 1 – 1.5 month intervals) using a hand-closing net. A total of 9 842 individuals of mobile epiphytic animals were collected and they were classified into 80 taxa. Abundance and species richness of the epifaunal community were high in summer to autumn and low in winter to spring, and diversity index and evenness were higher in Z. marina than Z. caulescens . However, patterns of seasonal and between-substrate variation in these parameters did not parallel those in seagrass abundance and complexity. Most of the dominant epifaunal species showed significant seasonal and between-substrate variation in abundance, although their patterns varied greatly among individual species. A cluster analysis recognized several distinct groups of animals showing similar seasonal and between-substrate variation. Our findings suggest that the observed variation in the epifaunal community is not determined by a single or some strong external factors but by complex interactions of multiple factors operating differently for each component species.     

水流作用下斜桩局部冲刷及流场变化试验研究

为研究水流作用下斜桩周围局部冲刷特性及流场变化并掌握斜桩同垂直桩的差异,本研究在不同流速条件下开展了包含反斜桩、垂直桩、正斜桩等多种工况的水槽试验,测量分析了斜桩的冲刷历时曲线、床面形态、沿程流速分布、最大冲刷深度等数据.结果表明:清水条件下斜桩周围局部冲刷坑及桩后沙丘尺度明显减小;斜桩桩前最大冲刷深度随倾角的增加而逐...     

海洋动床物理模型试验布置模型沙的相似条件

动床模型试验布置模型沙是模拟泥沙运动试验中的关键。模型布置模型沙之前,依据相似理论,按照一定的几何比尺选择适当的模型沙,这对于确保试验的可靠性、稳定性和提高试验精度尤为重要。本文以一港口物理模型试验为实例说明模型沙选择和布置模型沙对模拟泥沙运动的重要性。     

Controlling spatial oscillations in bed level update schemes

A frequent problem with process-based coastal morphological models is the appearance of high wave number spatial oscillations in the simulated bed levels with time. After a sufficiently long time, these oscillations become dominant and mask the large-scale features of the bed level evolution.The equation for conservation of sediment mass is used to show that the spatial oscillations are generated by the dependence of the bed celerity (celerity of the bed level oscillations) with bed levels, which is due to the non-linear relationship between sediment transport and bed levels. This breeds higher spatial harmonics of the bed level oscillations with time. In this situation, using a Finite Difference (FD) scheme that does not damp oscillations with high wave numbers leads to the generated harmonics being kept in the solution. These generate further harmonics until the entire solution is dominated by high wave number oscillations.In this paper, a finite difference scheme, in combination with a filtering procedure, is used to dissipate high wave number oscillations. Analysis of the amplification portraits show that the filtering procedure in combination with a Lax–Wendroff scheme does not affect oscillations with lower wave numbers (larger scale features resolved with seven or more grid points). Some examples are also presented to illustrate these features.     

Types of mixing and heterogeneities in siliciclastic-carbonate sediments

Mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deposits consist of a suite of different types of mixing between the two components, from bed (core-plug) to stratigraphic (seismic) scales, producing a high vertical and lateral lithological variability. Mixed deposits results from the interaction of siliciclastic input and coeval carbonate production controlled by temporal and/or spatial factors. Although mixed deposits are very diffuse in the geological record, studies about these deposits are scrappy and not well encoded. Accordingly, mixed deposits represent a labyrinth for researchers who want to investigate them for the first time.In this paper, different types of mixing (compositional versus strata) controlled by different allocyclic (e.g. sea-level, climate) and/or autocyclic (e.g. depositional processes) factors that operate at different scale are documented. Mixing is recognized and described at three main scales of observation: bed/core-plug scale; lithofacies/well-log scale; and stratigraphic/seismic scale. (i) Compositional mixing reflects the contemporaneous accumulation of the two heterolithic fraction in space and time. This type of mixing is observable at lamina to bed scale, locally producing depositional structures diagnostic for particular depositional environments. (ii) Strata mixing results from the alternation of the two heterolithic fraction in time. This type of mixing is observable at lithofacies to stratigraphic scale and can be related to depositional processes, climatic variations and/or relative sea-level changes.A correct identification of these different types of mixing and the scale of their occurrence is crucial in revealing (i) physical processes that control the sedimentation, (ii) environmental factors that influence the carbonate factory related to the siliciclastic dispersal mechanisms, and (iii) internal heterogeneity of the resulting sedimentary deposit. Furthermore, the petroleum industry is interested to unravel new insights about internal properties of mixed siliciclastic-carbonate systems (e.g., porosity, permeability) and to reconstruct predictive 3D models for the related reservoirs. The correct prediction of internal heterogeneity and the recognition of lateral and vertical compartmentalization have an important impact on hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation.     

考虑应变率影响的圆管结构冲击试验缩尺修正方法研究

评估结构耐撞性能最可靠的方法是实尺度碰撞试验,然而对于大尺度结构物的碰撞试验,因其耗资巨大而不易开展,适当开展比例模型试验可以为简化解析算法及数值仿真计算提供验证依据,也可在一定程度上评估结构的耐撞性能。但是在进行碰撞模型试验时,材料应变率的敏感性会使得缩尺模型的动态响应与实尺度结构结果出现偏差,模型试验得到的数据与实际结构的动响应不完全遵循相似关系,这就限制了相似理论在大型结构物冲击问题上的应用。本文给出了一种通过改变冲击质量来修正应变率效应的方法,不同于传统量纲分析法中选取时间、质量和长度为基本量纲,而是以冲击质量、初始冲击速度和动态应力代替,得到计及应变率效应的质量相似关系。以此为基础,将该修正方法应用于船舶-自升式海洋平台的碰撞分析中。研究结果表明,该修正方法可以有效降低由于应变率效应而造成的缩尺误差,修正后的缩尺模型在碰撞冲击载荷下的位移、碰撞力和撞击时间等动态响应参数与实尺度模型结果的一致性更好。本文研究成果可以为大型结构物冲击模型试验设计提供技术支撑。     

Wave induced forces around buried pipelines

This work refers to an experimental investigation carried out to analyze wave induced pressures on a pipeline buried in a permeable seabed. In this investigation, the model tests were performed on a pipeline buried in the soil test bed. The wave flume used was 30 m long, 2 m wide and 1.7 m deep, 96 number of tests were conducted with waves generated for different wave heights. A pipeline 200 mm in diameter was buried in the sandy bed at different burial depth ratios. The pipeline was laid perpendicular to the wave direction, pressure was measured with 12 transducers along the outer circumference of the pipeline. The results show that wave induced pressures are significantly controlled by the wave period analyzed in terms of the scattering parameter (ka). Higher pressures were recorded at the top and the lower pressures were recorded at the bottom.