Energy-Based Method for Providing Soil Surface Erodibility Rankings

Abstract

The jet erosion test (JET) and the hole erosion test (HET) are two tests used to determine soil erodibility classification, and results are commonly interpreted by two distinct methods. A new method based on fluid energy dissipation and on measurement of the eroded mass for interpreting the two tests is proposed. Different fine-grained soils, covering a large range of erodibility, are tested. It is shown that, by using common methods, the erosion coefficient and average critical shear stress are different with the JET and with the HET. Moreover, the relative soils classifications yielded by the two erodimeters are not exactly the same. On the basis of the energy method, an erosion resistance index is determined for both apparatuses, and a classification of surface-erosion resistance is proposed. For both apparatuses, values of the erosion resistance index are roughly the same for each soil, and a single classification of soil erodibility is obtained.