Changes in Sediment Transport and Bed Topography in Response to Step-Up Flows in Laboratory Flume
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 4
Abstract
It can be difficult to predict sediment transport in sand-bedded ephemeral streams because of rapidly changing conditions that may not be sustained long enough to reach equilibrium. This situation often leads to the inheritance of bed topography from previous flows, which may result in under- or overpredictions of transport rate due to bed forms and flow resistance that are not in equilibrium with the flow conditions. To address this difficulty, a series of lab experiments was used to examine changes in sediment transport rate and bed topography after rapid increases in flow depth and discharge. It was found that sand transport rates reached equilibrium conditions in as little as 1–15 min after the step-up in flow rate and depth. Transport rate equilibrium was likely reached in advance of centerline bed-form amplitude, although bed forms also responded quickly to step-up flows, and the response was much more rapid than in previous experiments that examined the effects of decreases in flow rate and depth.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The work described here would not have been possible without the diligent efforts of Glenn Gray, an engineering technician at the National Sedimentation Laboratory. His attention to detail and consistent work ethic are greatly appreciated.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 4 • April 2021
Copyright
© 2021 Published by American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 26, 2020
Accepted: Nov 12, 2020
Published online: Feb 5, 2021
Published in print: Apr 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jul 5, 2021
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