Experimental Study of Sediment Concentration Effect on Sand-bed Channels’ Equilibrium Rate

Abstract

Natural disturbances as well as man-made activities may cause an increase in sediment supply to rivers. Rivers naturally react to these changes to reach a new balance between imposed conditions. This accordance always lasted until the new dynamic equilibrium regains. The objective of this experimental study is to show the most remarkable features of the morphological responses of alluvial sand-bed channels reacting to changes in sediment supply. The observed results of this research indicate that for a constant rate of sediment concentration, the increase in flow discharge may be followed by channel section increasing. Also, channel widening trend with flow and sediment supply is steeper than no supply condition while increasing in sediment concentration increases the rate of change of widening. It was concluded that the stable channel width is greater with sediment supply than that of no supply conditions.

Keywords

• keywords:experimental study
• sediment concentration
• dynamical equilibrium
• sand-bed river