Sediment Transport in Shallow Flows

Abstract

The sediment transport problem in shallow flows, such as furrow flows, in the upper flow regime is formulated based upon continuum mechanics principles. Considering the dynamics of the water flow as well as the dynamics of sediment flow, a mathematical expression which is a modification of the classical stability criterion of flow over a fixed bed is obtained for the case when a movable sediment layer is present near the bed of the channel. Coincident with this stability criterion, the amount of sediment being moved is defined as the transport capacity of the flow. The results suggest the dependence of the capacity on the sediment properties, active layer thickness, channel gradient and the hydraulic properties of the flow. Comparison of the theoretical results with experimental data revealed a general agreement. In particular, the theory predicted satisfactorily the transport capacity in models of steep croprow furrows.