Temperature Effects on Cohesive Geomaterial Erodibility

Abstract

Current laboratory procedures to predict the erosion potential of cohesive geomaterials test undisturbed or remolded samples at ambient laboratory temperatures, which may not represent field conditions. This paper analyzed the effects of both water and soil temperatures on cohesive soil erosion. Remolded cohesive soil samples were tested in an erosion function apparatus at independently controlled water and soil temperatures. The findings showed that testing at ambient laboratory conditions may underestimate in situ erosion when higher temperatures are experienced in the field. Furthermore, the results indicated that the water temperature influences erosion more than does soil temperature alone due to convective heat transfer between the water and soil. The recommendation from this study is that the water temperature be controlled in laboratory erosion testing at the maximum anticipated temperatures in the field.