Unified Formula for Critical Shear Stress for Erosion of Sand, Mud, and Sand–Mud Mixtures
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 8
Abstract
Research on erosion behavior of sediments usually treats sand and mud separately. However, natural soil often occurs as a sand–mud mixture. An expression for cohesive forces in sand–mud mixtures, which considers the effect of the sand component on the mud component, is first proposed. Then the balance of forces under the initial motion condition is analyzed, and a unified formula for the critical shear stresses of sand, mud, and sand–mud mixtures is derived. The formula reproduces well the way critical shear stress varies with mud content and is more accurate than other formulas that are widely used for sand–mud mixtures and pure cohesive sediments. The proposed formula also promises to be more convenient, being based on the dry bulk density of the mixture and the stable dry bulk density of the mud component. The effect of consolidation on the erosion thresholds of both sand–mud mixtures and pure muds is considered in the formula, which makes the formula capable of predicting the erosion thresholds of sediments in the process of consolidation.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Science & Technology Pillar Program (Grant No. 2012BAB03B01), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Hohai University (Grant No. 2014B31214), Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYLX_0489), and the State Scholarship Fund of China Scholarship Council (CSC). Also, the valuable suggestions from Mr. Graham Macky are appreciated.
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 8 • August 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Nov 29, 2016
Accepted: Feb 9, 2018
Published online: May 29, 2018
Published in print: Aug 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Oct 29, 2018
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