Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Modelling of the transport of fine cohesive sediments, as found in most South African reservoirs, has not been well developed. This is because the transport processes that are involved are complex and the theories not as implicit as the traditional equilibrium transport theories for coarse non-cohesive sediment. Advection and dispersion are found to be the processes that best describe the transport of fine sediments in turbulent flow conditions. A two-dimensional modelling tool, MIKE 21C, which simulates reservoir hydrodynamics and cohesive sediment transport processes with an advection-dispersion model, was evaluated in this thesis. The creation of such a numerical model involves the setting up of a suitable curvilinear grid and requires data on the bathymetry, recorded inflows as well as water levels. It also requires sediment characteristic parameters and transport parameters. These parameters have to be specified by the user based on previous studies and field measurement data. MIKE 21C was applied to laboratory flume tests and reservoir case studies in the field in order to determine the effects that these parameters have on the sediment transport in a series of sensitivity studies. Ranges were determined within which these parameter values should fall. A procedure was also developed through which reservoir sedimentation models can be calibrated.

Thesis (MscEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The environmental impacts of manmade changes to rivers are, in modern days, extremely important. The impact needs to be quantified in order to predict future happenings and to assist in determining preventative measures. Dam construction forms an essential part of modern life to provide the necessary water demand for the ever increasing population. One manmade change that has a major impact on rivers is large dam developments in the upper reaches of rivers. These developments normally have the following effects on the lower reaches of the river due to the change in flow regime: • Narrower main channel, • Deeper main channel, • Reduced sediment transport, • Changes in sediment erosion and deposition patterns, • Less frequent flood plain inundation, • Overgrown flood plains, • Changes in ecological and biological parameters. All the above mentioned factors play an important part in the stability of the ecological and biological parameters. Prior to construction of a dam, however, the baseline ecological, physical Ichemical, hydrological, hydraulic and social conditions of the river system, including its associated groundwater, estuarine and floodplain components, would need to be established, to allow clear identification of future changes as a result of implementation of the instream flow requirements (lFR), as well as to guide the post-construction monitoring programme itself. The discharge and sediment transport changes that might occur as a result of the Berg River Dam development was thoroughly investigated in this reseach. The physical processes and mathematical modelling that formed part of this investigation are discussed in this thesis. The mathematical modelling was carried out using MIKE 11, software developed by the Danish Hydraulic Institute for Water and Environment. This program was developed especially for one dimensional modelling of hydrodynamics and sediment transport within a river system. The results obtained from the simulations were used to calculate a hydrodynamic and sediment mass balance for both the pre and post dam scenarios in the Berg River, Western Cape. The influence of artificial flood releases from the Berg River Dam which is currently under construction was also investigated. Most of the data needed for the calibration and verification of the mathematical model was obtained from field work. Suspended and bed load sediment samples were taken in order to aid in the calibration of the sediment transport model. The bed roughness coefficients of the various sections of the river were calibrated against actual recorded water levels measured during flood events that occurred in 2003 and 2004. An intensive study of the incipient motion of cobbles and boulders in the upper reaches of the Berg River was carried out. Unfortunately it has to be stated that the transport of cobbles and boulders cannot be simulated by most computer programs as almost all the transport models available are only defined up to a maximum diameter of 20mm. The lack of consistent sediment load data as well as the low rainfall during 2003 and 2004 presented problems during the calibration of the sediment transport model; it is therefore recommended that sediment load sampling is continued for at least two years in order to verify the calculated sediment yield for the various catchments. From this study it can be concluded that the Berg River Dam will have a significant effect on the downstream river morphology of the first 70 kilometres of the river. Thereafter the effect will decrease to a minimum. The proposed artifical flood releases are effective in reinstating the river to its present state. This study also showed that a fully hydrodynamic model of a large river system such as the Berg River can be calibrated and validated. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die omgewingsimpak van mensgemaakte veranderinge in natuurlike riviere raak meer en meer belangrik. Hierdie impak moet gekwantifiseer word om sodoende toekomstige gebeurtenisse te verstaan en om die nodige voorkomingsmaatreëls in werking te stel. Om aan die waterbehoefte te voldoen vorm damkonstruksie 'n belangrike deel van die hedendaagse samelewing. Damme is moontlik een van die veranderinge aan die ewewig van riviere wat die grootste impak op die stroomaf dele van die rivier het. Die volgende veranderinge ten opsigte van die hoofkanaal word meestalopgemerk na die konstrukie van 'n dam in die hoërliggende dele van riviere: • Nouer hoofkanaal, • Dieper hoofkanaal, • Afname in die volume sediment wat vervoer word, • Veranderinge ten opsigte van die erosiepatrone, • Vloedvlaktes word minder oorstroom, • Toegegroeide vloedvlaktes, • Veranderings aan die ekologiese en biologiese parameters. Die bogenoemde faktore speel 'n belangrike rol ten opsigte van die stabiliteit van die ekologiese en biologiese veranderlikes. Alvorens die konstruksie begin moet die natuurlike ewewigstoestand van die rivier ten opsigte van die ekologiese, fisiese, chemiese, hidrologiese, hidrouliese, en sosiale faktore gemeet word. Dit moet gedoen word om sodoende toekomstige veranderinge wat moontlik mag plaasvind as gevolg van die damkonstruksie en die omgewingsloslatings te kwantifiseer. Hierdie metings word ook gebruik om die na - konstruksie monitering te evalueer. Die veranderinge ten opsigte van vloei en sedimentvervoer wat moontlik mag plaasvind as gevolg van die Berg Rivier Dam konstruksie is noukeuring ondersoek. Die fisiese prosesse as ook die wiskundige modelle wat gedurende hierdie studie aangewend is word in hierdie tesis bespreek. Al die wiskundige modellering is met MIKE 11 wat deur die Deense Instituut vir Water en Omgewing ontwikkel is, uitgevoer. Hierdie sagteware is spesifiek vir die een dimensionele simulasie van hidrodinamika en sediment vervoer van riviere ontwikkel. Die resultate wat verkry is, is gebruik om 'n hidrodinamiese en sedimentvervoer massabalans vir beide die voor - en na - dam toestande op te stel. Die effek van beheerde, kunsmatige vloede is ook ondersoek. Die meeste van die data wat benodig word om die wiskundige model the kalibreer is verkry deur fisiese veldwerk te doen. Sediment monsters is geneem gedurende die winter seisoen van 2003 en 2004. Hierdie data is gebruik om die sediment vervoer model te kalibreer. Die bodemruheid van die verskillende dele van die rivier is gekalibreer teen gemete vloedhoogtes tydens 2003 en 2004. 'n Deeglik studie van die begin van beweging van die groter partikels wat in die bolope van die Berg rivier aangetref word is uitgevoer. Ongelukkig moet dit genoem word dat hierdie een van die groot tekortkominge is van die model aangesien dit nie in die sedimentvervoer model ingekorporeer kan word nie omdat die meeste van die sedimentteorieë wat tans beskikbaar is net gedefinieer is tot 'n partikel groote van 20 mm. Die tekort aan deurlopende sediment lading data as ook die lae reënval gedurende 2003 en 2004 het probleme veroorsaak tydens die kalibrasie van die sedimentvervoer model. As gevolg hiervan word daar aanbeveel dat die insameling van sedimentdata vir ten minste nog twee jaar volgehou word ten einde die beskikbaarheid van sediment in die verskeie opvanggebiede deeglik na te gaan. Uit hierdie studie kan afgelei word dat die Berg rivier dam 'n beduidende effek op die morfologie van die eeste 70 kilometer van die Berg Rivier sal hê. Verder stoomaf sal die effek minder sigbaar wees. The beheerde kunsmatige vloedloslatings speel 'n beduidende rol in die normalisering van die sedimentvervoer van die Berg rivier. Hierdie studie toon dat 'n volledige hidrodinamiese model van 'n groot rivierstelsel gekalibreer kan word.

published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Sediment transport at the watershed scale in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky is dominated by surface fine grained laminae, streambed, and streambank erosion; high instream sediment storage; and surface erosion processes. All these processes can be impacted by agricultural, urban, and suburban land-uses as well as hydrologic forcing. Understanding sediment transport processes at the watershed scale is a need for budgeting and controlling sediment pollution, and watershed modeling enables investigation of the cumulative effect of sediment processes and the parameters controlling these processes upon the entire sediment budget for a watershed. Sediment transport is being modeled by coupling the hydrologic model Hydrologic Simulations Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) with an in-house conceptually based hydraulic and sediment transport model. The total yield at the watershed outlet as well as the source fractions from surface fine grained lamina, streambed, and streambank sources; deposition; and biological generation within the streambed are predicted with the sediment transport model. Urbanization scenarios are then run on the calibrated model so as to predict the sediment budget for the South Elkhorn watershed for present and future conditions.

This thesis examines the processes of longshore sediment transport in the swash zone of a mixed sand and gravel shoreline, Lake Coleridge, New Zealand. It focuses on the interactions between waves and currents in the swash zone and the resulting sediment transport. No previous study has attempted to concurrently measure wave and current data and longshore sediment transport rates on a mixed sand and gravel lakeshore beach in New Zealand. Many of these beaches, in both the oceanic and lacustrine environments, are in net long-term erosion. It is recognised that longshore sediment transport is a part of this process, but very little knowledge has existed regarding rates of sediment movement and the relationships between waves, currents and swash activity in the foreshore of these beach types. A field programme was designed to measure a comprehensive range of wind, wave, current and morphological variables concurrently with longshore transport. Four electronic instruments were used to measure both waves and currents simultaneously in the offshore, nearshore and swash zone. In the offshore area, an InterOcean S4ADW wave and current meter was installed to record wave height, period, direction and velocity. A WG-30 capacitance wave gauge measured the total water surface variation. A pair of Marsh-McBirney electromagnetic current meters, measuring current directions and velocities were installed in the nearshore and swash zone. Data were sampled for 18 minutes every hour with a Campbell Scientific CR23x data-logger. The wave gauge data was sampled at a rate of 10 Hz (0.1 s) and the two current meters at a rate of 2 Hz (0.5 s). Longshore sediment transport rates were investigated with the use of two traps placed in the nearshore and swash zone to collect sediment transported under wave and swash action. This occurred concurrently with the wave measurements and together yielded over 500 individual hours of high quality time series data. Important new insights were made into lake wave processes in New Zealand's alpine lakes. Measured wave heights averaged 0.20-0.35 m and ranged up to 0.85 m. Wave height was found to be strongly linked to the wind and grew rapidly to increasing wind strength in an exponential fashion. Wave period responded more slowly and required time and distance for the wave length to develop. Overall, there was a narrow band of wave periods with means ranging from 1.43 to 2.33 s. The wave spectrum was found to be more mixed and complicated than had previously been assumed for lake environments. Spectral band width parameters were large, with 95% of the values between 0.75 and 0.90. The wave regime attained the characteristics of a storm wave spectrum. The waves were characteristically steep and capable of obtaining far greater steepness than oceanic wind-waves. Values ranged from 0.010 to 0.074, with an average of 0.051. Waves were able to progress very close to shore without modification and broke in water less than 0.5 m deep. Wave refraction from deep to shallow water only caused wave angles to be altered in the order of 10%. The two main breaker types were spilling and plunging. However, rapid increases in beach slope near the shoreline often caused the waves to plunge immediately landward of the swash zone, leading to a greater proportion of plunging waves. Wave energy attenuation was found to be severe. Measured velocities were some 10 times less at two thirds the water depth beneath the wave. Mean orbital velocities were 0.30 m s⁻¹ in deep water and 0.15 m s⁻¹ in shallow water. The ratio difference between the measured deep water orbital velocities and the nearshore orbital velocities was just under one half (us/uo = 0.58), almost identical to the predicted phase velocity difference by Linear wave theory. In general Linear wave theory was found to provide good approximations of the wave conditions in a small lake environment. The swash zone is an important area of wave dissipation and it defines the limits of sediment transport. The width of the swash zone was found to be controlled by the wave height, which in turn determined the quantity of sediment transported through the swash zone. It ranged in width from 0.05 m to 6.0 m and widened landward in response to increased wave height and lakeward in response the wave length. Slope was found to be an important secondary control on swash zone width. In low energy conditions, swash zone slopes were typically steep. At the onset of wave activity the swash zone becomes scoured by swash activity and the beach slope grades down. An equation was developed, using the wave height and beach slope that provides close estimates of the swash zone width under a wide range of conditions. Run-up heights were calculated using the swash zone width and slope angle. Run-up elevations ranged from 0.01 m to 0.73 m and were strongly related to the wave height and the beach slope. On average, run-up exceeds the deep water wave height by a factor of 1.16H. The highest run-up elevations were found to occur at intermediate slope angles of between 6-8°. Above 8°, the run-up declined in response to beach porosity and lower wave energy conditions. A generalised run-up equation for lake environments has been developed, that takes into account the negative relationship between beach slope and run-up. Swash velocities averaged 0.30 m s⁻¹ but maximum velocities averaged 0.98 m s⁻¹. After wave breaking, swash velocities quickly reduced through dissipation by approximately one half. Swash velocity was strongly linked to wave height and beach slope. Maximum velocities occurred at beach slopes of 5°, where incident swash dominated. At slopes between 6° and 10°, swash velocities were hindered by turbulence, but the relative differences between the swash and backswash flows were negligible. At slope angles above 10° there was a slight asymmetry to the swash/backswash flow velocities due to beach porosity absorbing water at the limits of the swash zone. Three equations were developed for estimating the mean and maximum swash velocity flows. From an analysis of these interactions, a process-response model was developed that formalises the morphodynamic response of the swash zone to wave activity. Longshore sediment transport occurred exclusively in the swash zone, landward of the breaking wave in bedload. The sediments collected in transit were a heterogeneous mix of coarse sands and fine-large gravels. Hourly trapped rates ranged from 0.02 to 214.88 kg hr⁻¹. Numerical methods were developed to convert trapped mass rates in to volumetric rates that use the density and porosity of the sediment. A sediment transport flux curve was developed from measuring the distribution of longshore sediment transport across the swash zone. Using numerical integration, the area under this curve was calculated and an equation written to accurately estimate the total integrated transport rates in the swash zone. The total transport rates ranged from a minimum of 1.10 x 10-5 m³ hr⁻¹ to a maximum of 1.15 m³ hr⁻¹. The mean rate was 7.36 x 10⁻² m³ hr⁻¹. Sediment transport was found to be most strongly controlled by the wave height, period, wave steepness and mean swash velocity. Transport is initiated when waves break at an oblique angle to the shoreline. No relationships could be found between the grain size and transport rates. Instead, the critical threshold velocities of the sediment sizes were almost always exceed in the turbulent conditions under the breaking wave. The highest transport rates were associated with the lowest beach slopes. It was found that this was linked to swash high velocities and wave heights associated with foreshore scouring. An expression was developed to estimate the longshore sediment transport, termed the LEXSED formula, that divides the cube of the wave height and the wave length and multiplies this by the mean swash velocity and the wave approach angle. The expression performs well across a wide range of conditions and the estimates show very good correlations to the empirical data. LEXSED was used to calculate an accurate annual sediment transport budget for the fieldsite beaches. LEXSED was compared to 16 other longshore sediment transport formulas and performed best overall. The underlying principles of the model make its application to other mixed sand and gravel beaches promising.

The intensive research on sediment transport indicates a need of an appropriate equation for predicting the total sediment load in rivers to manage reservoirs, operate dam and design in-stream hydraulic structures. None of the available equations in sediment transport has gained universal acceptance for predicting the total sediment transport rate. These facts indicate the need of a general formula to represent all these formula for predicting the sediment transport rate. The first goal of this dissertation is to find a unified total sediment transport equation for all rivers. On the other hand, scour around hydraulic structures such as spur dikes and bridge piers can be a serious problem that weakens structural stability. An investigation on the turbulent flow field and turbulence distribution around such hydraulic structures is essential to understand the mechanism of local scour and to determine which turbulence properties affect the local sediment transport. In addition, a universal turbulent model that is valid for all cases of turbulent flow in open channels does not exist. This dissertation thoroughly examined the turbulent flow field and turbulence distribution around a series of three dikes. The goal is to determine the significant turbulent properties for predicting the local sediment transport rate and to identify the appropriate turbulence model for simulating turbulent flow field around the dikes.To develop a general unified total load equation, this study evaluates 31 commonly used formulae for predicting the total sediment load. This study attributes the deviations of calculated results from different formulae to the stochastic properties of bed shear stresses and assumes that the bed shear stress satisfies the log- normal distribution. At any given bed shear stress, Monte Carlo simulation is applied to each equation, and a set of bed shear stresses are randomly generated. Total sediment load generated from each Monte Carlo realization of all the equations are assembled to represent the samples of total sediment load predicted from all the equations. The statistical properties of the resultant total sediment loads (e.g. standard deviation, mean) at each given bed shear stress are calculated. Then, a unified total sediment load equation is obtained based on the mean value from all the equations. The results showed the mean of all the equations is a power function of dimensionless bed shear stress. Reasonable agreements with measurements demonstrate that the unified equation is more accurate than any individual equation for predicting the total sediment load.An experimental study and numerical simulation of the flow field and local scour around a series of spur dikes is performed in a fixed flat bed and scoured bed condition. A micro-Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) is used to measure the instantaneous velocity field in all the three spatial directions and the measured velocity profiles are used to calculate the turbulence properties. Results show that the local scour develops around the first dike. Turbulence intensity together with the mean velocity in the vertical direction measured at the flat bed closely correlates to the scour depth. In addition, the maximum bed shear stress, occurring at the tip of the second dike in the three-dike series, does not correspond to the maximum scour. Large bed load transport due to bed shear stress may not initiate bed scouring, but turbulence bursts (e.g. sweeps and ejections) will entrain sediment from bed surface and develop the local scour.A three-dimensional numerical model FLOW-3D is used to simulate the turbulent flow field around a series of spur dikes in flat and scoured bed. This study examines Prandtl's mixing length model, one equation model, standard two-equation model, Renormalization-Group (RNG) model, and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) turbulence model. The Prandtl's mixing length model and one equation model are not applicable to flow field around dikes. Results of mean flow field by using the standard two-equation model, and RNG turbulence model are close to the experimental data, however the simulated turbulence properties from different turbulent model deviate considerably. The calculated results from different turbulence models show that the RNG model best predicts the mean flow field for this series of spur dikes. None of the turbulence closure models can predict accurate results of turbulence properties, such as turbulence kinetic energy. Based on those results, this study recommends the use of RNG model for simulating mean flow field around dikes. Further improvements of FLOW-3D model is needed for predicting turbulence properties near this series of spur dikes under various flow conditions.

This study proposes the use of a pipe line system to transport the inflow sediment to a reservoir through the dam, and discharge it downstream. The system is powered by the available head at the dam. It aims at restoring the original sediment transport regime of the river (i.e. before the dam was built). The idea is fundamentally sound because of the much more efficient sediment transport characteristics of pipes compared to that of open channels. The necessary theory for the hydraulic design of such a system was simply not available and is developed in this study. The work of numerous previous investigators is summarized in the final results and in the developed equation which allows for the calculation of the capacity transport concentration of sediments in pipes. This equation, coupled with the most accepted head loss equation, and the continuity principle, allows for the hydraulic design of systems transporting grannular material. The calculation procedures were fitted into computer programs. In addition to computer programs, design charts where developed which allow for quick application as well as visualization of the developed concepts. It was concluded that the proposed system is fundamentally feasible. Although no economic analysis was conducted, indicators show that it is also economically favorable.

Numerical model for simulating sediment transport in unsteady flow is incomplete in several aspects: first of all, the numerical schemes have been proved suitable for the simulation of flow over rigid bed needs to be reevaluated for unsteady flow over mobile bed; secondly, existing non-equilibrium sediment transport models are empirically developed and therefore lack of consistency regarding the evaluation of the non-equilibrium parameters; thirdly, the sediment transport in various applications have unique features which needs to be considered in the models. Sediment transport in unsteady flows was studied using analytical and numerical methods. A one dimensional (1D) finite volume method (FVM) model was developed. Five popular numerical schemes were implemented into the model and their performances were evaluated under highly unsteady flow condition. A novel physically-based non-equilibrium sediment transport model was established to describe the non-equilibrium sediment transport process. Infiltration effects on flow and sediment transport was included to make the model applicable to simulate irrigation induced soil erosion in furrows. The Laursen (1958) formula was adopted and modified to calculate the erodibility of fine-grain sized soil, and then verified by laboratory and field datasets. The numerical model was applied to a series of simulations of sediment transport in highly unsteady flow including the dam break erosional flow, flash flood in natural rivers and irrigation flows and proved to be applicable in various applications. The first order schemes were able to produce smooth and reasonably accurate results, and spurious oscillations were observed in the simulated results produced by second order schemes. The proposed non-equilibrium sediment transport model yielded better results than several other models in the literatures. The modified Laursen (1958) formula adopted was applicable in calculating the erodibility of the soil in irrigation. Additionally, it was indicated that the effect of the jet erosion and the structural failure of the discontinuous bed topography cannot be properly accounted for due to the limitation of 1D model. The comparison between the simulated and measured sediment discharge hydrographs indicated a potential process associated to the transport of the fine-grain sized soil in the irrigation furrows.

Sedimentary deposits have been broadly used to constrain past climate change and tectonic histories within mountain belts. This dissertation summarizes three studies that evaluate the effects of climate change and tectonics on sedimentary basin development. (1) The paleoslope estimation method, a method for calculating the threshold slope of a fluvial deposit, does not account for the stochastic variations in water depth in alluvial channels caused by climatic and autogenic processes. Therefore, we test the robustness of applying the paleoslope estimation method in a tectonic context. Based on our numerical modeling results, we conclude that if given sufficient time gravel can prograde long distances at regional slopes less than the minimum transport slope calculated with the paleoslope estimation method if water depth varies stochastically in time, and thus, caution should be exercised when evaluating regional slopes measured from the rock record in a tectonic context. (2) The role of crustal thickening, lithospheric removal, and climate change in driving surface uplift in the central Andes in southern Bolivia and changes in the creation of accommodation space and depositional facies in the adjacent foreland basin has been a topic of debate over the last decade. Our numerical modeling results show that gradual rise of the Eastern Cordillera above 2-3 km prior to 22 Ma leads to sufficient sediment accommodation for the Oligocene-Miocene foreland basin stratigraphy, and thus, the Eastern Cordillera gained the majority of its modern elevation prior to 10 Ma. Also, we conclude that major changes in grain size and depositional rates are primarily controlled by mountain-belt migration (i.e., climate change and lithospheric removal are secondary mechanisms). (3) Existing equations for predicting the long-term bedload sediment flux in alluvial channels include mean discharge as a controlling variable but do not explicitly include variations in discharge through time. We develop an analytic equation for the long-term bedload sediment flux that incorporates both the mean and coefficient of variation of discharge. Our results show that although increasing aridity leads to an increase in large discharges with respect to small discharges, long-term bedload sediment transport rates decrease for both gravel and sand-bed rivers with increasing aridity.