Estimates of bank erosion typically require field measurements to determine the soil erodibility since soil characteristics are highly variable between sites, especially for cohesive soils. The submerged jet test device is an in situ method of determining the critical shear stress and soil erodibility of cohesive soils. A constant velocity jet, applied perpendicular to the soil surface, creates a scour hole which is measured at discrete time intervals. While the results of these tests are able to provide values of critical shear stress and soil erodibility, the results are often highly variable and do not consider certain aspects of scour phenomena found in cohesive soils. Jet test measurements taken on the lower Roanoke River showed that the results varied for samples from similar sites and bulk failures of large areas of soil were common on the clay banks. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be used to determine the effect of scour hole shape changes on the applied shear stress. Previous calculation methods assumed that the depth of the scour hole was the only parameter that affected the applied shear stress. The analysis of the CFD models showed that depth did heavily influence the maximum shear stress applied to the soil boundary. However, the scour hole shape had an impact on the flow conditions near the jet centerline and within the scour hole. Wide, shallow holes yielded results that were similar to the flat plate, therefore it is recommended that field studies only use jet test results from wide, shallow holes to determine the coefficient of erodibility and the critical shear stress of cohesive soils. / Master of Science

No description available.

During high flow rates, the acceleration of flow and turbulence around bridge foundations lead to scouring, defined as the removal of bed sediments. Due to the interparticle physico-chemical forces of clay particles, erodibility and transport mechanisms for fine sediments are different from those for coarse sediments, and the capability to predict the erosion resistance of fine sediments is still in question. In this study, silt-clay soil mixtures with different kaolin contents were prepared by mixing ground silica and Georgia kaolin with tap water. Geotechnical tests were carried out to obtain the physical properties of the specimens. The critical shear stress and yield stress of the soil mixtures were determined through hydraulic flume experiments and rheometer tests, respectively. Particle associations of the soil specimens were observed using the technique of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From the laboratory work and data analysis, relationships among the critical shear stress, yield stress, and the soil physical properties were developed from multiple regression analysis. Specifically, values of the critical shear stress, yield stress, and their dimensionless form can be predicted by the soil properties including bulk density, clay content, and water content. Finally, a single relationship is obtained to predict the Shields parameter as a function of the corresponding dimensionless yield stress in this study. The results can be used to provide a methodology for engineering applications requiring the value of critical shear stress such as estimating fine sediment bed stability and assessing the erosion risk of river beds in proximity to bridge foundations and other flow obstructions.

Altered flow regimes following river regulation can result in significant changes in river bed geomorphology and subsequent negative ecological impacts caused by re-suspended sediments deposited on the riverbed. This study aimed to evaluate the consequences of implementing an ecological flow regime on sediments accumulated within the regulated river Juktån. Sediments were sampled and analysed for particle size distribution to estimate sediment stability. Flow alteration following the ecological flow regime was analysed with HEC-RAS unsteady flow simulation serving as a basis for calculations of forces acting to erode or retain deposited sediments. Additional analyses regarding critical flow were made with HEC-RAS steady flow simulation. Results show that 4 out of 15 cross-sections analysed would have the potential to erode and re-suspend sediments. The estimated average critical flow for when sediments become unstable with potential to re-suspend is 17 m3/s. The total sediment inventory of the studied reach is ~25000 ton, with ~3000-ton sediments potentially eroding into re-suspension. This is approximately 3% of river Umeälvens annual 100 000 ton suspended sediments before being regulated. Results indicate that river bed heterogeneity in river Juktån could benefit from implementing the ecological flow regime while not mobilizing such amounts of fine sediments that would cause clogging effects downstream the site of interest. The study also introduces the erosion rate equation which compares the annual erosion between two different flow regimes.

The rheological properties of cement-based grouts play a key role in determining the final spread in grouted rock formations. Rheologically, cement grouts are known to be complex thixotropic fluids, but their steady flow behavior is often described by fitting the simple Bingham constitutive law to flow curve data. The resultant Bingham parameters are then used in grouting design of e.g. tunnels, to estimate the penetration length. Since cement grouts are thixotropic suspensions, the interpretation of their flow curves as obtained from flow sweeps in concentric cylinder rotational rheometers is often complicated by: the presence of wall slip, sedimentation and unstable flow at low shear rates. A systematic approach to study these effects within the constraints of the concentric cylinder geometry (Couette) and for different cement grout concentrations was carried out as part of the Licentiate research work. Of particular interest was the influence of geometry and flow sweep measurement interval on flow curves, including the characteristic unstable flow branch that appears at applied shear rates that are below the critical shear rate. The unstable flow branch observed below the critical shear rate has been described as a characteristic feature in the flow curves of thixotropic suspensions, e.g. cement grouts, laponite. From a practical standpoint, this information can then be readily used to improve rheological measurements of cement grouts. The existence of the critical shear rate below which no stable flow occurs, plus the complex wall slip phenomenon are then discussed by considering how they affect actual spread in rough and smooth rock fractures. Another major part of the research presented in this thesis relates to the measurement of model yield stress fluid (YSF), i.e. Carbopol, velocity profiles within the radial flow geometry. Radial flow between parallel plates, is an idealized fundamental flow configuration that is often used as a basis for grout spread estimation in planar rock fractures. Compared to other flow configurations with YSFs, e.g. channels, only a limited amount of work has presented analytical solutions, numerical models and especially experimental work for radial flow. Thus, as a first step towards more systematic studies of the plug flow region of YSFs in radial flow the current work presents the design, manufacture and for the first time velocity profile measurements that were conducted by using the pulsed Ultrasound Velocity Profiling (UVP) technique. The current observations for tests carried out with different disk spacings and flow rates show a distinct plug region, coupled with wall slip effects for the Carbopol model YSF fluid that was used. The theoretically predicted velocity profiles and the measured ones agree reasonably well, and the main discrepancies are discussed. Future studies, would then be targeted at improving the current experimental setup, for detailed measurements of the plug flow region along the radial length, which remains a challenging issue for studies on YSFs and engineering applications such as rock grouting design. / Cementbaserade injekteringsmedels reologiska egenskaper har en stor påverkan på strömning och inträngningslängd i sprickigt berg. Medlens reologi är komplex, inklusive tixotropi, men strömningen beskrivs ändå oftast med den enkla linjära Bingham modellen i injekteringssammanhang. De två parametrarna från denna modell, flytgräns och viskositet, används sedan inom injekteringsdesign, för t.ex. tunnlar och dammar, för att bedöma inträngningen. Eftersom cementbaserade medel är tixoptropa suspensioner försvåras utvärderingen vid mätning med konventionella rotationsviskometrar på grund av glidning vid fasta begränsningsytor, sedimentation/separation av partiklarna och instabila flöden vid låga deformationshastigheter. En systematisk mätprocedur för att studera ovanstående problem med rotationsviskometer och koncentriska cylindrar samt olika vanliga vattencementtal, har utförts inom ramen för detta licentiatarbete. Av särskilt intresse har varit att studera effekten av olika geometrier och tidsintervallet mellan mätningarna, inklusive den instabila delen av flödeskurvan då deformationshastigheten är lägre än ett kritiskt värde. Denna del av kurvan har i litteraturen beskrivits som karakteristisk för tixotropa suspensioner, som t.ex. cementbaserade injekteringsmedel. Praktiskt kan ovanstående kunskap användas för att förbättra mätningen av de reologiska egenskaperna. Existensen av en kritisk deformationshastighet under vilken det inte finns något stabilt flöde, i kombination med glidning vid fasta begränsningsytor, diskuteras särskilt med hänsyn till dess påverkan på faktisk inträngning i släta och råa bergsprickor. Ett annat fokus i licentiatarbetet har varit att studera icke-Newtonska modellvätskors (Carbopol) radiella strömning mellan parallella plattor. Denna typ av strömningsgeometri används ofta som en idealiserad konfiguration för strömning i bergsprickor. I jämförelse med andra enklare geometrier, finns endast en begränsad forskning utförd för denna geometri både då det gäller analytiska och numeriska beräkningar men framförallt då det gäller experiment. Som ett första steg inför en mer systematisk undersökning av icke-Newtonsk radiella strömning presenteras i detta arbete framtagandet av en fysisk laboratoriemodell där hastighetsprofilerna mellan plattorna för första gången visualiserats med hjälp av ultraljud. De utförda mätningarna med tre olika öppningar mellan plattorna sam tre olika värden på det konstanta flödet, visar på en distinkt plugg som är ett resultat av vätskans flytgräns samt glidning i gränsskiktet mellan vätskan och plattornas fasta begränsningsytor. En jämförelse mellan uppmätta hastighetsprofiler och analytiskt beräknade diskuteras där resultaten överensstämmer relativt väl, med beaktande av de långtgående förenklade antaganden som krävs för beräkningarna. Fortsatta studier kommer att fokuseras på att förbättra laboratoriemodellen för en mer detaljerad studie av icke-Newtonska vätskors strömning och hur pluggen utvecklas under den radiella inträngningen, vilket fortsättningsvis är av betydelse för design av injektering i bergsprickor. / <p>QC 20190521</p>

Riparian buffers are promoted for water quality improvement, habitat restoration, and stream bank stabilization. While considerable research has been conducted on the effects of riparian buffers on water quality and aquatic habitat, little is known about the influence of riparian vegetation on stream bank erosion. The overall goal of this research was to evaluate the effects of woody and herbaceous riparian buffers on stream bank erosion. This goal was addressed by measuring the erodibility and critical shear stress of rooted bank soils in situ using a submerged jet test device. Additionally, several soil, vegetation, and stream chemistry factors that could potentially impact the fluvial entrainment of soils were measured. A total of 25 field sites in the Blacksburg, Virginia area were tested. Each field site consisted of a 2nd-4th order stream with a relatively homogeneous vegetated riparian buffer over a 30 m reach. Riparian vegetation ranged from short turfgrass to mature riparian forest. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine those factors that most influence stream bank erodibility and the relative impact of riparian vegetation. Results of this research indicated woody riparian vegetation reduced the susceptibility of stream bank soils to erosion by fluvial entrainment. Riparian forests had a greater density of larger diameter roots, particularly at the bank toe where the hydraulic stresses are the greatest. These larger roots (diameters > 0.5 mm) provided more resistance to erosion than the very fine roots of herbaceous plants. Due to limitations in the root sampling methodology, these results are primarily applicable to steep banks with little herbaceous vegetation on the bank face, such as those found on the outside of meander bends. In addition to reinforcing the stream banks, riparian vegetation also affected soil moisture and altered the local microclimate. While summer soil desiccation was reduced under deciduous riparian forests, as compared to herbaceous vegetation, winter freeze-thaw cycling was greater. As a result, in silty soils that were susceptible to freeze-thaw cycling, the beneficial effects of root reinforcement by woody vegetation were offset by increased freeze-thaw cycling. Using the study results in an example application, it was shown that converting a predominately herbaceous riparian buffer to a forested buffer could reduce soil erodibility by as much as 39% in soils with low silt contents. Conversely, for a stream composed primarily of silt soils that are prone to freeze-thaw cycling, afforestation could lead to localized increases in soil erodibility of as much as 38%. It should be emphasized that the riparian forests in this study were deciduous; similar results would not be expected under coniferous forests that maintain a dense canopy throughout the year. Additionally, because dense herbaceous vegetation would likely not develop in the outside of meander bends where hydraulic shear stresses are greatest, the reductions in soil erodibility afforded by the herbaceous vegetation would be limited to areas of low shear stress, such as on gently sloping banks along the inside of meander bends. As the first testing of this type, this study provided quantitative information on the effects of vegetation on subaerial processes and stream bank erosion. It also represents the first measurements of the soil erosion parameters, soil erodibility and critical shear stress, for vegetated stream banks. These parameters are crucial for modeling the effects of riparian vegetation for stream restoration design and for water quality simulation modeling. / Ph. D.

Shelby tube sediment samples collected from the foundations of ten (10) bridges located in the state of Georgia were tested in the laboratory to find their erosional behavior and the correlation of erosion parameters with sediment properties in order to improve the prediction of scour around bridge foundations. These sites were spatially distributed in order to fall into different major river basins and in different physiographic regions. A description of the Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain physiographic regions of Georgia is included, and the erosion parameters found from flume measurements are associated with their respective regions. Flume measurements were performed using a rectangular, tilting, recirculating flume located in the hydraulics lab in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. Velocities up to 1.7 m/s and bed shear stresses up to 21 Pa can be achieved in the flume. Regression analysis was performed on erosion rates as a function of applied shear stress to determine the parameters of the erosion function. The resulting parameters, the critical shear stress and the erosion rate constant, were correlated with soil properties and physiographic regions. Experimental methodology was chosen to approach this problem because the involvement of interparticle forces for fine-grained materials makes it difficult to deal with the erosion phenomenon through other means. Nevertheless, analytical description of the erosion phenomenon was included in order to provide a better understanding of it. Linear, exponential and power regression mathematical models for erosion rate were compared, and the two best-fit regression models of erosion rate as a function of shear stress are proposed to formulate a methodology intended to characterize the behavior of a soil exposed to erosive flow conditions. One of them is a linear model to calculate critical shear stresses and low erosion rates. The second model, which is exponential, has the advantage of describing the erosion rate response for a wider range of shear stress values. It is shown that one of the most relevant predictors for the critical shear stress and erosion rate constant in the regression models is the fine material content present in the sample, which is an indirect indicator of the contribution of interparticle forces to the erosion process. Applying the described methodology, a more case-specific calculation of the erosion at bridge foundations can be performed taking into account the actual material in situ.

Les mécanismes d'érosion sont la principale cause de rupture des ouvrages hydrauliques en remblai, c'est pourquoi il est capital de pouvoir quantifier la résistance des sols à l'érosion. Divers appareillages permettent d'en obtenir une estimation, notamment le Jet Erosion Test (JET) dont le modèle d'interprétation est empirique. L'objectif de ce travail est de statuer sur la pertinence ce modèle d'interprétation. Pour cela, nous avons développé un modèle numérique 2D de type Navier-Stokes turbulent avec déplacement d'interface et remaillage, permettant de modéliser l'érosion d'un sol cohésif par un écoulement turbulent. En injectant dans notre modèle les paramètres d'érosion trouvés à la suite d'essais de JET, on retrouve numériquement l'évolution de la profondeur d'affouillement obtenue expérimentalement. Nous avons appliqué cette méthode à trois différents essais de JET, les résultats obtenus sont en bon accord avec les résultats expérimentaux. En plus d'une importante étude paramétrique, ces résultats ont permis d'apporter d'importants éléments de validation au modèle d'interprétation du JET. Pour étendre le champ d'applicabilité du modèle, nous avons également appliqué cette méthode de modélisation à la configuration de l'érosion de conduit. Trois essais de Hole Erosion Test (HET) ont été modélisés et nous avons également obtenus des résultats en bon accord avec les résultats expérimentaux. Une analyse de la loi d'érosion et des paramètres d'érosion obtenus à la suite d'essais de JET et de HET a ensuite été initiée. Les bases d'une étude portant sur l'influence de l'angle d'incidence de l'écoulement, sur l'efficacité de l'érosion, ont été posées. / Erosion mechanisms are the main cause of hydraulic failure in embankments. Therefore, the resistance of soils to erosion must be quantified. To this hand, several devices are used such as the Jet Erosion Test (JET), whose model of interpretation is strongly empirical. The aim of this study is to determine the relevance of the interpretation model of the JET. For this purpose, a 2D Navier-Stokes numerical model of erosion of cohesive soils by a turbulent flow has been proposed. We first developed and implemented an interface movement model, whose input parameters are the erosion parameters found experimentally by JET test. Then, the scour depth evolutions obtained numerically for three JET test cases are compared to experimental data. Good agreement is obtained. A parametric study has also been conducted to validate the accuracy of the numerical results. These results contribute to the validation of the JET interpretation model. To extend its domain of application, we applied the numerical model to concentrated leak erosion during Hole Erosion Tests (HET). Three HET were modeled and, here again, our numerical results are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results from the tests. An analysis of the erosion law and erosion parameters obtained with JET and HET was finally initiated. The potential influence of the flow incidence angle on the erosion efficiency was underlined.

På grund av bostadsbristen de senaste åren har byggbranschen varit tvungen att möta den höga efterfrågan på bostäder. Ett sätt att underlätta det tryck som skapats på grund av den höga efterfrågan är att rekonstruera byggnader avsedda för annan användning än bostäder till bostadshus. Ett problem som har uppstått vid ombyggnation av till exempel ett kontorshus som består av spännarmerade pelardäck, är känsligheten för nya hål som krävs för nya installationer som går igenom de efterspända bjälklagen (bestående av betongplattor). Problematiken består av att håltagningar som vanligtvis är lokaliserade nära pelarna måste göras på ett större avstånd från pelaren på grund av de spännkablar som går över och nära plattans pelaranslutning. Efterspända kablar är normalt sett belägna över plattans pelaranslutning enligt dagens dimensioneringsnormer för att bidra till plattornas genomstansningskapacitet.I detta examensarbete undersöktes det om det finns vetenskapligt stöd för att flytta kablarna till en längre distans från pelaren (än vad normerna rekommenderar) med hänsyn till genomstansningskapaciteten, och därmed förenkla vid en potentiell ombyggnation.Huvudsyftet med arbetet var att med hjälp av en litteraturstudie samt beräkningar jämföra ett experiment som utförts av Ghassem Hassanzadeh och Håkan Sundquist vid KTH 1997- 1998 (som visade att kablar på ett längre avstånd från pelaren ger ett visst bidrag till betongplattans genomstansningskapacitet) med dagens normer samt nyare studier. Dagens dimensioneringsnormer inkluderar inte bidraget till kapaciteten när spännkablarna placeras utanför det så kallade grundkontrollsnittet (området som undersöks vid dimensionering enligt normerna).Ett annat syfte med detta examensarbete var att studera och uppdatera de beräknade resultaten (enligt dåtidens normer) från studien. Denna rapport uppdaterar studien genom att undersöka rådande normernas beräknade resultat samt jämföra med liknande tester från andra forskare. Dimensioneringsnormerna som undersöktes var Eurokod 2, ACI 318 och MC2010Som del av litteraturstudien redovisas även en liknande försökserie från Portugal av A. Pinho Ramos, Valter J.G. Lúcio &amp; Duarte M.V Faria samt en sammanställning av olika försök som genomfördes i Schweiz av Clément T, Ramos A.P, Fernández Ruiz M, Muttoni A. Sammanställning i Schweiz beräknade genomstansningskapaciteten för 74 olika plattor där plattorna från försöket vid KTH finns med. Den här studien tyder på att dagens dimensioneringsnormer har en säkerhetsmarginal vid approximationer (vid både normalfall och vid flytt av kablar), men att det fortfarande saknas tillräckliga belägg för att rättfärdiga en flytt av spännkablar.Rapporten är skriven för CBI Betonginstitutet där G. Hassanzadeh har varit handledare.