“SEDIMENT TRANSPORT LAB”

Experiment-3

PREPARAD BY:

Engr. Vaiza Shiraz

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, LAHORE
 Table of Content

➢ Objectives
➢ Method
➢ Equipment required
➢ Theory
➢ Equipment setup
➢ Procedure
➢ Observations & Calculations
➢ Results
➢ Conclusion
➢ References

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 2

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Objectives
The objective of this experiment is to demonstrate the
sequence bed forms which appear in an open channel
with a mobile, sand bed as the intensity of sediment
transport increases.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 3

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Method
In this experiment the flow channel is operated with
sediment. The features developing in the bed are
observed as the flume slope and flow discharge rate are
gradually increased.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 4

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with all available
bed form prediction approaches.”

Equipment required
➢ Armfield S8 MKII
➢ Clean and uniform size between 0.1 and 0.3mm
➢ Hook and point gauge, will be required for taking flow depth
measurements.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 5

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Equipment setup
➢ Place sand of uniform size between 0.1 and 0.3mm in the flume
to a uniform depth, level with the top of the overspill weir.
➢ Tap down the sand surface so that it is uniformly packed, lightly
compacted and as flat as possible.
➢ Fill the collecting/settling tank with clean water up the “full”
mark.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 6

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Theory
➢ BED FORMS
There is strong interrelationship between resistance to flow,
bed configuration, and rate of sediment transport. In order to
understand the variation of resistance to flow under different
flow and sediment conditions, it is necessary to know the
definitions and the conditions under which different bed
forms exits.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 7

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Theory
➢ Terminology:
1. Plane Bed: This is a plane bed surface without elevations
or depressions larger than the largest grains of bed
material

2. Ripples: These are small bed forms with wave lengths

less than 30cm and height less than 5cm. Ripple profiles
are approx. triangular with long gentle upstream slopes
and short, steep downstream slopes.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 8

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Theory
3. Bars: These are bed forms having lengths of the same
order as the channel width or greater, and heights
comparable to the mean depth of the generating flow.
There are point bars, alternate bars, middle bars and
tributary bars as shown in figure below.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 9

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Theory
4. Dunes: These are bed forms smaller than bars but larger than
ripples. Their profile is out of phase with water surface profile.
5. Transitions: The transitional bed configuration is generated by
flow conditions intermediate between those producing dunes
and plane bed. In many cases, part of the bed is covered with
dunes while a plane bed covers the remaining.
6. Antidunes: these are also called standing waves. The bed and
water surface profiles are in phase. While the flow is moving
in the downstream direction, the sand waves and water surface
waves are actually moving in the upstream direction.
7. Chutes and Pools: These occur at relatively large slopes with
high velocities and sediment concentrations.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 10

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Theory

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 11

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Computational Work
The data collected in the experiment can be used to derive
several important parameters including;
1. Flow dimensions
2. Flow regimes
3. Flow forces
4. Flow resistance

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 12

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Flow Dimensions:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 13

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Flow Regime:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 14

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Flow Regime:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 15

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with all available
bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Flow Forces:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 16

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Flow Forces:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 17

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

➢ Flow Resistance:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 18

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Procedure
➢ Set the flume to a zero slope, close the flow control valve fully and set the
pump to its lowest setting I. Turn on the pump and allow water to enter the
flume. Under these conditions the bed should be immobile.
➢ Increase the slope a fraction, but not enough to exceed the threshold of
motion. This is the condition of plane bed form. Measure the readings of
depth, slope and flow rate.
➢ The slope of the flume is again increased by slowly and small steps until
further bed motion is identified. Almost immediately small, triangular bed
forms will appear. These are ripples. Take the readings.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 19

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Procedure
➢ Increase the setting to speed III. Increase slope incrementally. Particles will
show saltation motion. Under this flow intensity, larger triangular bed forms
called dunes becomes prominent. Observe the orientation of the dunes in dune
bed, the pattern of dune crests, and note the presence and position of any scour
holes. Take readings.
➢ Open the flow control fully and flow will be in form of suspended load. Note
any change in dune dimensions.
➢ Increase slope, resulting long, low bedforms are called washed out dunes. Take
readings.
➢ Further increase slope, observe disappearance of washed-out dunes and
formation of plane bed with motion. Take readings.
➢ Increase slope, observe the surface undulation to deform into almost stationary
form called standing waves. Take readings.
Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 20
“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Procedure
➢ Make a substantial increase in slope to move the flow well into the upper
regime. Antidunes will be formed. Take readings.
➢ Increase the flume slope by moderate amount. Bed forms which are now
developed are breaking anti dunes.

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 21

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Observations & calculations

1. Grain size D50 (mm) :
2. Specific gravity of bed material:

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 22

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with all available
bed form prediction approaches.”

Observations & calculations

Sand bed depth = 35mm

Slope Mean water depth Head above crest

(%) (mm) (mm)
0 30 7
1 24 7.5
2 13 8
2.3 10 8.2
2.5 8 8.5

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 23

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Results & Conclusions

➢ Bed form predictors

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 24

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Results & Conclusions

➢ Bed form predictors

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 25

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

Results & Conclusions

➢ Flow resistance

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 26

“To study the bedform in a channel and compare it with
all available bed form prediction approaches.”

References
1. Loose Boundary Hydraulics Author: A.J. Raudkivi Published: Pergamon
Press 1967
2. An Introduction to Fluvial Hydraulics Author: S. Leliavsky Published:
Constable 1955
3. Water Resources Engineering (Chapter 7) Author: R.K. Linsley and J.B.
Franzini Published: McGraw-Hill Int. Student Editions
4. Open Channel Flow (Chapter 10) Author: F.M. Henderson Published:
MacMillan Company, New York, 1966
5. Sedimentation Engineering Edited: Vito Vanoni Published: ASCE Technical
Manual 54, first pub. 1975

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Lahore 27