Equilibrium-Type Response Model for the Sediment Volume of Dredging and Disposal Areas
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 5
Abstract
Measured time series of the sediment volume of dredging and disposal areas in the Scheldt estuary of the Netherlands and Belgium are presented and compared to an equilibrium-type response model. The model is based on the assumption that the sediment volume removed from a dredging area returns through siltation at a rate proportional to the difference between the current sediment volume and a time-dependent autonomous equilibrium volume. For disposal sites, a similar assumption is made regarding the rate at which the dumped sediment disappears through erosion. The model contains three fitting parameters for disposal areas or two parameters for dredging areas and was fitted to observed sediment volume time series of five disposal sites and eight dredging areas in the Scheldt estuary, for which frequent bathymetric surveys were conducted as part of the flexible disposal management plan. Model results indicate that sediment dumped in disposal areas has a half-life residence time of 179–409 days, and dredging areas show shorter response times of 0–187 days. Results also show that, following a disposal event, the observed sediment volume on the bed is typically smaller than what is estimated based on hopper volumes. The model can also be used to forecast future sediment volumes as a result of planned dredging or disposal campaigns and thus can serve as a decision-making tool for estuary managers.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The Maritime Access division of the Department of Mobility and Public Works of the Flemish government is gratefully acknowledged for making the bathymetric sounding data available. Two anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for their useful feedback on the manuscript.
References
Consortium Arcadis-Technum. (2007). “Milieueffectrapport Verruiming vaargeul Beneden-Zeeschelde en Westerschelde. Achtergronddocument Baggeren en storten.” Antwerp, Belgium (in Dutch).
Dam, G., van der Wegen, M., Labeur, R. J., and Roelvink, D. (2016). “Modeling centuries of estuarine morphodynamics in the Western Scheldt estuary.” Geophys. Res. Lett., 43(8), 3839–3847.
Dastgheib, A., Roelvink, J. A., and Wang, Z. B. (2008). “Long-term process-based morphological modeling of the Marsdiep Tidal Basin.” Mar. Geol., 256(1–4), 90–100.
Davidson, M. A., Lewis, R. P., and Turner, I. L. (2010). “Forecasting seasonal to multi-year shoreline change.” Coastal Eng., 57(6), 620–629.
Davidson, M. A., Splinter, K. D., and Turner, I. L. (2013). “A simple equilibrium model for predicting shoreline change.” Coastal Eng., 73, 191–202.
Depreiter, D., Sas, M., Beirinckx, K., and Liek, G.-J. (2012). “Flexible disposal strategy: Monitoring as a key to understanding and steering environmental responses to dredging and disposal in the Scheldt estuary.” Taking care of the sea—Conf. Proc. of Hydro12, Hydrographic Society Benelux, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Depreiter, D., Sas, M., Beirinckx, K., and Liek, G.-J. (2013). “Dredging works in the western Scheldt to deepen the navigation channel and to create ecologically valuable areas: Status after 3 years of monitoring.” CEDA 20th World Dredging Congress and Exhibition 2013 (WODCON XX), The Art of Dredging, CEDA, Delft, Netherlands, 728–738.
Dissanayake, D. M. P. K., Ranasinghe, R., and Roelvink, J. A. (2012). “The morphological response of large tidal inlet/basin systems to relative sea level rise.” Clim. Change, 113(2), 253–276.
Jiang, A. W., Ranasinghe, R., and Cowell, P. (2012). “Contemporary hydrodynamics and morphological change of a microtidal estuary: A numerical modelling study.” Ocean Dyn., 63(1), 21–41.
Keshtpoor, M., Puleo, J. A., Shi, F., and Ma, G. (2015). “3D numerical simulation of turbulence and sediment transport within a tidal inlet.” Coastal Eng., 96, 13–26.
Miller, J. K., and Dean, R. G. (2004). “A simple new shoreline change model.” Coastal Eng., 51(7), 531–556.
Plancke, Y., Vos, G., and Schrijver, M. (2015). “New disposal strategy in the Schelde-estuary: Using dredged sediment to create benefits for nature.” E-proc., 36th IAHR World Congress, Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), Madrid, Spain.
Stive, M. J. F., Capobianco, M., Wang, Z. B., Ruol, P., and Buijsman, M. C. (1998). “Morphodynamics of a tidal lagoon and the adjacent coast.” Proc., 8th Int. Biennial Conf. on Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas, A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 397–407.
Stive, M. J., and Wang, Z. (2003). “Morphodynamic modeling of tidal basins and coastal inlets.” Advances in coastal modeling, V. C. Lakhan, ed., Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 367–392.
van der Wegen, M., Jaffe, B. E., and Roelvink, J. A. (2011). “Process-based, morphodynamic hindcast of decadal deposition patterns in San Pablo Bay, California.” J. Geophys. Res.: Earth Surf., 116(F2), 1856–1887.
van der Wegen, M., and Roelvink, J. A. (2012). “Reproduction of estuarine bathymetry by means of a process-based model: Western Scheldt case study, the Netherlands.” Geomorphology, 179, 152–167.
Wang, Z. B. (1989). “Mathematical modelling of morphological processes in estuaries.” Ph.D. dissertation, TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands.
Wright, L. D., Short, A. D., and Green, M. O. (1985). “Short-term changes in the morphodynamic states of beaches and surf zones: An empirical predictive model.” Mar. Geol., 62(3–4), 339–364.
Yates, M. L., Guza, R. T., and O’Reilly, W. C. (2009). “Equilibrium shoreline response: Observations and modeling.” J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans, 114(C9), C09014.
Yu, Q., Wang, Y., Gao, S., and Flemming, B. (2012). “Modeling the formation of a sand bar within a large funnel-shaped, tide-dominated estuary: Qiantangjiang Estuary, China.” Mar. Geol., 299–302, 63–76.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 26, 2016
Accepted: Feb 21, 2017
Published online: Jun 21, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Nov 21, 2017
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.