Systematic Analysis of Long-Term Fate of Disposed Dredged Material

Abstract

This paper describes a systematic methodology for predicting the fate and stability of dredged material disposal sites over long periods of time, ranging from months to years. The approach is based on the generation and use of databases of wave and current time series that describe environmental conditions specific to the site. These boundary conditions are used to drive a coupled hydrodynamic, sediment transport, and a bathymetry change model that provides a prediction of the long-term behavior of a disposal site of arbitrary dimensions. An example of an application of this approach is made for a moderately dispersive disposal mound located offshore of the entrance to Mobile Bay, Ala.