Sand‐Bypassing Simulation Using Synthetic Longshore Transport Data

Abstract

Longshore‐sand transport rates in the vicinity of Indian River Inlet, Delaware are calculated from the Corps of Engineers' Wave Information Study (WIS) wave hindcast data. The longshore transport rate data are divided into two populations, northward and southward transport, and each described statistically with a log‐normal probability distribution. Monthly values for the mean and variance of each of the two log‐normal distributions are then established and a scheme to synthetically generate daily longshore transport rates is developed using the probability distributions and information on how frequently transport was either northward or southward. The synthetic data are used to simulate the operation of a sand bypassing system proposed for Indian River Inlet. Various pumping rates and operating constraints are investigated. For example, the total volume of sand that could be bypassed when system operation was limited to weekdays and the system was shut down during January and February, and again in July and August, has been determined. The effect of varying the system's storage capacity (the potential quantity of sand within reach of the system's intake) is also studied.