Sampling Interval Analysis and CDF Generation for Grain-Scale Gravel Bed Topography
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 10
Abstract
In river hydraulics, there is a continuing need for characterizing bed elevations to arrive at quantitative roughness measures that can be used in flow depth calculations and for improved prediction of fine-sediment transport over and through coarse beds. Recently published prediction methods require a method for estimating the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of bed elevations. Representing the distribution of elevations for rough beds requires a correct choice for the number and spacing of measurement locations. Laboratory experiments over a screeded flat gravel bed with sand having median diameter were used to determine the number and spatial coverage of measurements needed to define the elevation field for a range of uncertainty levels. Approximately 1,000–5,000 randomly collected single elevation measurements were needed to quantify the distribution of elevations for the gravel bed. Relative error in estimating the standard deviation of elevations was insensitive to the number and spacing of elevation measurements when the spacing exceeded (35 mm). The standard deviation of bed elevations was found to be proportional to the median bed material size for several different gravel beds. A method is presented for generating a CDF for bed elevations using the elevation-distribution standard deviation with a randomly sampled distribution function.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by base funding from the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Mick Ursic, a Support Scientist at the National Sedimentation Laboratory, collected the data that were presented.
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Sep 26, 2017
Accepted: Apr 26, 2018
Published online: Jul 24, 2018
Published in print: Oct 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Dec 24, 2018
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