Sediment Transport in Oscillatory Flow Over Flat Beds

Abstract

The motion of sediment in oscillatory flow over a flat bed is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The theory makes use of results for the relationship between stress and strain in steady flow. The experiments were performed in two different oscillatory flow water tunnels with two different sediments. They were designed to measure the variation of velocity with height in the moving layer of sediment under conditions of intense sediment transport. Although certainly not perfect, the agreement between theory and experiment is reasonable, provided the stress ratio is chosen correctly. Calculated values of the mean sediment transport rate during a half‐cycle are compared with the predictions of currently available formulas.