Hydraulic Model of Siltation of Northern Channel in Hangzhou Bay

In southeast China, along the northern coast of the Hangzhou Bay from Ganpu to Jinshan, there is a stable deep channel, the Northern Channel, which is suitable for harbor construction and navigation. The possible siltation effect of several reclamation projects in Qiantang Estuary on the channel has been investigated in a hydraulic model of suspended load and local movable bed in order to ensure reliable operation of some large ports and intakes for cooling water of power plants along the channel. In conformity with the similarity principles for suspended particle motion and threshold of particle motion, an anti-rot sawdust is chosen as the model sand. Each tidal cycle in the test was controlled based on a time scale related to flow rate. The sediment concentration scale and the number of tidal cycles were determined by means of calibration tests. The model is a useful engineering method for developing and regulating of Qiantang Estuary. Experience gained with the model may be of use for similar investigations of other tidal estuaries.