Author(s): Lijun Zhu; Jianzhong Wang; Hongwu Tang; Yang Xiao; Zhiliang Wang
Linked Author(s): Yang Xiao, Hongwu Tang
Keywords: Physical model; Artificial sediment; Bed load; Suspended load; Settling; Incipient motion
Abstract: To simulate flow phenomena and sediment transport encountered in river and coastal engineering by physical modeling, selection of a proper model sand as required by similarity considerations is critical and often found difficult. Materials commercially available, such as wooden dust, coal dust, bakelite powder and plastic grains, are not applicable for some physical models particularly with both bed load and suspended load. This is largely due to their densities that are often fixed. In recent physical model studies of sediment transport related to navigation projects, novel artificial sediment called PS was successfully used, of which the density, size and color can be selected as required. In this paper, the characteristics of this sediment are described including its shape, density, angle of repose, settling velocity, critical velocity of incipient motion. This paper also summaries its applications to physical model studies, indicating that this artificial sediment have good hydraulics characteristics in simulating incipient motion, settling and transport of natural sediment either as bed load or suspended load under different flow conditions.
Year: 2004