Sediment Transport

The x-section and slope of true regime channel are controlled by

following three variables independent of channel:
Discharge in the channel;
Nature of sediments entering the channel, i.e. the grain size
distribution, shape of the grains and their specific gravity; and
Quantity of the sediments entering the channel.

Classification of Sediment
1.

Suspended Load:
It is carried in the fluid away from the bed.

2.

Bed Load:
It moves on or near the bed.

Total load = Suspended load + Bed load

Sediment Discharge
It is rate of transportation of sediment by a channel.
Expression in terms of hydraulic parameters and sediment
properties.
To predict amount of degradation, aggradation or bank erosion.

Suspended Load
It is the sediment that is lifted off the bed of a channel and carried
up into the body of flow by the vertical components of the turbulence
velocities due to eddies.
Concentration of sediment decreases with distance up from the bed.
Gravity pulls down and eddies pushes up .

The steady state distribution of concentration of suspended load is

obtained by Rouse Equation

C D y a

Ca y D a
where
w
w
z

k o w ku*

C = sediment concentration at distance y up from bed.

Ca = known concentration at some reference level i.e. height a
above the bed.
D = depth of water in the channel
w = settling or fall velocity of sediment grains in the channel
k = Von-karmans universal constant = 0.4
o bed shear stress w R ' S
32

n'
'
where R R ,
n
k s1 6
d1 6
'
n
and n
24
24

d = average grain size of suspended load

ks = average grain size of bed load

C D y a

Ca y D a
where
w
w
z

k o w ku*

u* shear velocity o w R' S / gR' S

w density of water

Example # 1
A wide channel 4 m deep consists of uniform grain of 0.4 mm. The
fall velocity of grains in still water is 0.04 m/sec. Determine the
concentration of load at 1.0 m above the bed if the concentration of
sediment particles at 0.4 m above the bed is 400 ppm. Take specific
gravity of particles as 2.67, L-slope as 1 in 4444 and representative
roughness of size of bed ks = 2.0 mm.

Data:
D = 4 m,
d = 0.4 mm,
Ca = 400 ppm y = 1.0 m,
ks = 2.0 mm, C = ?

Solution:
C D y a

Ca y D a
where
w
w
z

k o w ku*

w = 0.04 m/sec,
G = 2.67,

a = 0.4 m
S = 1/4444,

Ca = 400 ppm = 400/106 = 400 x 10-6 w kg/m3

= 400 x 10-6 x 103 = 400 x 10-3 kg/m3
For 1 m width Ca = 400 x 10-3 kg/m3/m or 400 x 10-3 kg/m2
Shear velocity u* = (o/w) = (wRS/w) = (gRS), but R = R(n/n)3/2

For wide channel, R D = 4.0 m

16

n d 24 d
0.4

16

0.765
n k s 24 k s
2
'

16

16

R = R(n/n)3/2 = D(n/n)3/2 = 4.0(0.765)3/2 =2.675 m

u* = (gRS) = (9.81 x 2.675 x1 /4444) = 0.0768 m/sec

w
0.04
z

1.3
ku* 0.4 0.0768
z

D y a
3 4 1 0.4
C Ca

400

10

1 4 0.4

y Da

1.3

0.0959 kg/m3 /m 95.9 ppm.

Bed Load
Moves along bottom of the channel either by rolling, sliding or
jumping in small leaps.
Transmits its load to static grains below.
Grains exchange places with similar particles.
Not vertically supported but rest on bed.

River Indus
Drainage area
1170x103 km2
Mean discharge
7.5x103 m3/s
Mean suspended sediment load 100x106 tons/year
Mean dissolved load
79x106 tons/year
Percentage of total load carried in solution 44%
Source: Hickin: River Geomorphology: Chapter 4

Meyer-Peter-Muller Equation
Dimensionless equation for any system of units.

w
Qs n
w SD 0.047 w d 0.25
Qn
g
'

32

13

g
'

23

where
Qs/Q = actual discharge/estimated discharge assuming walls to be
frictionless 1 for wide channels.
n/n = ratio between the value of Mannings coefficient as it would be
obtained on a plain bed to the actual value on ripple bed.
w = specific weight of water
= specific weight of sediment particle
S = Slope of channel
D = depth of water
d = grain diameter
g = acceleration due to gravity
gs = Volume of sediment transport (by weight) per unit width of
channel per hour.

Meyer-Peter-Muller equation can also be written as

n ' 3 2

g s 4700 b c kg/m/hr
n

where, b = bed shear = (Qs/Q) x shear stress

= (Qs/Q) x w R S
For wide channels
R = D and Qs/Q 1
Hence,
b = w D S
16
k
n ' s , where, ks = effective grain diameter in mm
24

c = critical tractive force in kg/m2

= minimum tractive force at which grains start moving.

c 0.047 w d
n

'

3 2

is measure of effective stress

Einsteins Bed Load Function

Based on law of probability
Involves number of experimental coefficients and assumptions.
Universal relationship,

* vs. *

Bed load transport = f(flow intensity, sediment size)

According to Einstein, the probability p for motion of a sediment particle is:
p 1

B* * 1
1
t 2

B*

dt

iB
* , and
ib

where,

A**
Where A* , B* and 1 43.5, 0.143 and 2 respectively
1 A**
12
12

gs 1
3

w gd

iB = fraction of gs having diameter d

ib = proportion of grains of diameter d in the bed
gs = bed load discharge per unit width of channel
w = mass density of water
= density of sediment
d = grain size or diameter

= density of fluid

For uniform soils

(i) iB = ib
(ii) * =
d

'
(iii) *
RS
where, = shear intensity of particle
relationship for uniform bed material

e 0.391 2.15 e 0.391

0.465
Graph, * = *

Example # 2
A wide channel 4 m deep consists of uniform grain of 0.4 mm. Taking
specific gravity of particles as 2.67, L-slope as 1 in 4444 and
representative roughness of size of bed ks as 2.0 mm, determine the
quantity of bed load moved by the channel applying (a) Meyer-PeterMuller equation, and (b) Einsteins method.
Solution:
(a) Meyer-Peter-Muller equation
32

g s 4700 b c kg/m/hr
n

'

32

b = w D S = 103 x 4 x 1/4444 = 0.9 kg/m2

c 0.047 w d 0.047 G w w d 0.047 G 1 w d

c 0.047 1.67 10 3 0.4 10 3 0.0314 kg/m 2
Now, substituting values in the above equation, we get

g s 4700 0.90.765 0.0314 2026 kg/m/hr

'

32

3/ 2

(Note: Value of n/n is taken from example of suspended load, as the data
for both problems is same)

(b) Einsteins equation

For uniform soils
s w d
G w w d
d
0.4 103

' G 1 ' 1.67 2.675 1 / 4444 1.11

'

RS
w RS
w

RS
(Note: Value of R is taken from example of suspended load, as the data for both
problems is same)

From Einsteins curve

For * = = 1.11 we get * = = 6
From
12
12

g s

We get

g s g

12

1
3
gd

G
gd 3 G w

g s 6 2.67 10 1.67 9.81 0.4 10

3

12

3 3

gd 3 G w

G 1gd

3600 1845 kg/m/hr

(b) Einsteins equation

For uniform soils

* 1.11
Putting above value in the relationship,
we get * = = 1.42

e 0.391
0.465

Now, From
g s G w

G 1gd 3

We get

g s 1.42 2.67 103 1.67 9.81 0.4 103 3600 442 kg/m/hr