CR-07-1
ABSTRACT: The Coastal Inlets Research Program (CIRP) is developing predictive numerical models for simulating the waves, currents, sediment transport, and morphology change at and around coastal inlets. Water motion at a coastal inlet is a combination of quasi-steady currents such as river flow, tidal current, wind-generated current, and seiching, and of oscillatory flows generated by surface waves. Waves can also create quasi-steady currents, and the waves can be breaking or non-breaking, greatly changing potential for sediment transport. These flows act in arbitrary combinations with different magnitudes and directions to mobilize and transport sediment. Reliable prediction of morphology change requires accurate predictive formulas for sediment transport rates that smoothly match in the various regimes of water motion. This report describes results of a research effort conducted to develop unified sediment transport rate predictive formulas for application in the coastal inlet environment. The formulas were calibrated with a wide range of available measurements compiled from the laboratory and field and then implemented in the CIRP's Coastal Modeling System.
Emphasis of the study was on reliable predictions over a wide range of input conditions. All relevant physical processes were incorporated to obtain greatest generality, including: (1) bed load and suspended load, (2) waves and currents, (3) breaking and non-breaking waves, (4) bottom slope, (5) initiation of motion, (6) asymmetric wave velocity, and (7) arbitrary angle between waves and current. A large database on sediment transport measurements made in the laboratory and the field was compiled to test different aspects of the formulation over the widest possible range of conditions. Other phenomena or mechanisms may also be of importance, such as the phase lag between water and sediment motion or the influence of bed forms. Modifications to the general formulation are derived to take these phenomena into account. The performance of the new transport formulation was compared to several popular existing predictive formulas, and the new formulation yielded the overall best predictions among the formulas investigated. Results of this report are thus considered to represent a significant and operational step toward a unified formulation for sediment transport at coastal inlets and the nearshore where transport of non-cohesive sediment is common.
Contents
Figures and Tables | vi |
Preface | xii |
1 | Introduction | 1 |
Background | 1 | |
Objectives | 5 | |
Procedure | 6 |
2 | General Sediment Transport Properties | 8 | |
Physical properties of particles | 8 | ||
Granulometry | 8 | ||
Porosity and friction angle | 9 | ||
Settling velocity | 10 | ||
Shear stresses and friction coefficients | 13 | ||
Bottom boundary layer flow | 13 | ||
Current-related shear stress | 14 | ||
Wave related shear stress | 15 | ||
Combined wave and current shear stress | 17 | ||
Bed forms effects and roughness computation | 18 | ||
Current ripples, dunes, and wave ripples | 19 | ||
Computation of various roughnesses | 22 | ||
Calculation of total roughness | 24 | ||
Shields parameter and sediment transport | 24 | ||
Threshold of motion and critical Shields parameter | 24 | ||
Mode of sediment transport | 25 | ||
Inception of sheet flow | 28 |
3 | Bed Load | 34 | |
Introduction | 34 | ||
Previous studies on bed-load transport under wave and current interaction | 35 | ||
Bijker formula | 36 | ||
Bailard formula | 37 | ||
Van Rijn formula | 38 | ||
Dibajnia and Watanabe formula | 38 | ||
Ribberink formula | 41 | ||
Bed-load transport by currents | 42 | ||
Existing formulas | 42 | ||
Comparison with data | 43 | ||
New formula for bed-load transport | 47 | ||
Bed-load transport by waves | 50 | ||
Existing formulas | 50 | ||
Development of new formula | 52 | ||
Comparison with experimental data | 54 | ||
Bed-load transport by waves and currents | 62 | ||
Development of new formula | 62 | ||
Comparison with experimental data | 65 | ||
Comparison with existing formulas for waves and current | 66 | ||
Phase-lag effects on sediment transport in sheet flow | 68 | ||
Introduction | 68 | ||
Simple conceptual model | 69 | ||
Dibajnia and Watanabe formula | 72 | ||
Modification of Camenen and Larson formula for phase lag | 73 | ||
Experimental data | 75 | ||
Calibration of conceptual model | 76 | ||
Influence of median grain size | 77 | ||
Influence of wave orbital velocity | 78 | ||
Influence of wave period | 81 | ||
Comparison with all data | 83 | ||
Concluding remarks on phase-lag effects | 85 |
4 | Suspended Load | 86 | |
Introduction | 86 | ||
Equilibrium profile for suspended sediment | 89 | ||
Mass conservation equation | 89 | ||
Schmidt number | 90 | ||
Sediment diffusivity and concentration profiles | 91 | ||
Sediment diffusivity due to steady current | 94 | ||
Experimental data | 94 | ||
Shape of concentration profile | 97 | ||
Estimation of Schmidt number | 102 | ||
Sediment diffusivity due to nonbreaking waves | 107 | ||
Theoretical profiles | 107 | ||
Estimation of sediment diffusivity profiles for oscillatory flows | 107 | ||
Starting point for suspension load | 113 | ||
Shape of concentration profile | 117 | ||
Relationships for mean sediment diffusivity due to waves | 123 | ||
New formula for mean sediment diffusivity due to waves | 126 | ||
Interaction between waves and current | 130 | ||
Effect of breaking waves on sediment diffusivity | 132 | ||
Extension of sediment diffusion expression | 133 | ||
Experimental data with breaking waves | 136 | ||
Energy dissipation due to breaking waves | 136 | ||
Influence of Irribaren parameter and u*w/Ws on sediment diffusivity | 137 | ||
Reference concentration | 141 | ||
Effect of current | 143 | ||
Effect of waves | 147 | ||
Wave-current interaction | 155 | ||
Cases with breaking waves | 159 | ||
Suspended load transport | 163 | ||
Existing formulas for suspended load under wave-current interaction | 163 | ||
A simple formula | 165 | ||
Experimental data | 167 | ||
Validation of hypothesis | 167 | ||
Comparison with experimental data in case of current only | 174 | ||
Comparison with experimental data for waves-current interaction | 175 | ||
Suspended sediment transport for rippled beds | 178 | ||
Effects of ripples on suspended load | 178 | ||
Simple conceptual model for phase-lag effects on suspended load | 180 | ||
Modification of formula for asymmetric waves | 183 | ||
Observations of phase-lag effects on suspended load over ripples | 184 | ||
Empirical formulas for and αpl,s | 186 | ||
Sensitivity analysis for different formulas | 189 | ||
Concluding remarks on phase-lag effects | 194 |
5 | Unified Sediment Transport Formula for Coastal Inlet Application | 195 | |
Summary of total load formula | 195 | ||
Bed-load transport | 195 | ||
Suspended load transport | 197 | ||
Velocity profiles for varying slope | 200 | ||
Application to coastal inlet studies | 202 | ||
Validation for longshore sediment transport | 202 | ||
Validation of cross-shore sediment transport | 210 | ||
Comments on morphological evolution using total load formulas | 215 |
6 Conclusions | 216 |
References | 219 |
Appendix A: Notation | 231 |
Appendix B: Computation of Mean Values for Onshore and Offshore Shields Parameter | 239 | |
Sinusoidal wave without current | 239 | |
2nd-order stokes wave without current | 239 | |
Sinusoidal wave with current | 240 | |
2nd-order stokes wave with current | 240 |
Figures and Tables
Figures
Figure 1. | Hydrodynamic processes controlling sediment transport in an inlet environment | 2 |
Figure 2. | Natural processes around an inlet for which predictions of sediment transport and morphological evolution are of importance | 3 |
Figure 3. | Hydrodynamic forcing determining conditions for longshore sediment transport |
4 |
Figure 4. | Sediment transport formulation | 5 |
Figure 5. | Example of grain-size distribution | 9 |
Figure 6. | Settling velocity for sediment with comparison of several formulas against experimental data | 12 |
Figure 7. | Turbulent boundary layer structure with mean velocity profile | 13 |
Figure 8. | Wave friction coefficients for plane bed using different formulas | 17 |
Figure 9. | Schematic diagram for nonlinear interaction between wave and current bed shear stress | 18 |
Figure 10. | Schematic of ripples due to current or waves | 19 |
Figure 11. | Influence of grain size diameter, water depth, and wave orbital velocity; on bed-form predictions for current ripples, dunes, and wave ripples; and on roughness prediction according to different formulas | 20 |
Figure 12. | Equivalent roughness ratio '''ks'/'''d50 'versus total Shields parameter θ for compiled data set together with predictions by studied formulas | 23 |
Figure 13. | Critical Shields parameter plotted against dimensionless grain size | 26 |
Figure 14. | Modes of sediment transport | 26 |
Figure 15. | Schematic representation of different bed forms and sediment transport regimes for increasing current or wave orbital velocity | 27 |
Figure 16. | Classification of different types of sediment transport with respect to Shields parameter '''θ 'and ratio '''Uc/'''Ws | '28 |
Figure 17. | Comparison between observed critical wave orbital velocity '''Uw,crsf,meas 'for inception of sheet flow and predicted value '''Uw,crsf,pred 'using Equation 57 | 33 |
Figure 18. | Definition of wave and current directions, and horizontal time-dependent velocity variation at bottom in direction of wave propagation | 39 |
Figure 19. | Time variation of bottom velocity in wave direction, and induced shear stress for waves and current combined | 41 |
Figure 20. | Distribution of median grain size and mean current speed for database compiled on sediment transport under steady current | 44 |
Figure 21. | Comparison between Meyer-Peter and Müller formula and compiled database on sediment transport rates | 45 |
Figure 22. | Effect of critical Shields parameter on bed-load transport rate: comparison between data and studied formulas | 47 |
Figure 23. | Influence of critical Shields parameter on bed-load transport rate illustrated through data and Equation 81 | 49 |
Figure 24. | Comparison between bed-load transport for current only predicted by new formula and measurements | 50 |
Figure 25. | Typical wave velocity variation, and instantaneous Shields parameter variation over wave period in direction of waves | 52 |
Figure 26. | Calibration of coefficient '''aw 'using all experimental data with waves only | 57 |
Figure 27. | Comparison between bed-load transport predicted by new formula and experimental data with waves | 58 |
Figure 28. | Comparison between bed-load transport predicted by Equation 90 and experimental data over full wave cycle | 61 |
Figure 29. | Definition sketches for wave and current interaction, and typical velocity variation over wave period in direction of waves including effect of steady current | 63 |
Figure 30. | Comparison between bed-load transport predicted by Equation 99 and experimental data with current | 67 |
Figure 31. | Phase-lag effect on sediment transport for sinusoidal wave with superimposed current when phase lag φ is introduced for concentration at bottom | 71 |
Figure 32. | Phase-lag effects on sediment transport for second-order Stokes wave with positive or negative, and adding current introducing phase lag for concentration at bottom and with '''rw '= 0.20 | 71 |
Figure 33. | Notations for colinear wave and current interaction | 72 |
Figure 34. | Calibration of conceptual model against data | 77 |
Figure 35. | Influence of grain size on bedload sediment transport | 78 |
Figure 36. | Influence of wave orbital velocity on sediment transport | 80 |
Figure 37. | Influence of wave period on sediment transport | 82 |
Figure 38. | Comparison between predicted and measured sediment transport rate | 84 |
Figure 39. | Computation of suspended load over depth | 87 |
Figure 40. | Concentration profile for steady conditions | 90 |
Figure 41. | Three analytical relationships for vertical sediment diffusivity versus '''z'''/'''h 'with σE '= 1 = 1/2σP '= 1/6σB | '94 |
Figure 42. | Comparison between "energy slope" method and "velocity profile" method to estimate Nikuradse roughness '''ks 'and shear velocity '''u*c | '96 |
Figure 43. | Vertical profile of sediment diffusivity obtained from Equation 129 using measured concentration profiles | 98 |
Figure 44. | Examples of comparisons between predicted concentration profiles, using fitted exponential or power-law profiles, and measured concentration | 100 |
Figure 45. | Comparison between predicted concentration using fitted exponential profile, "linear" power-law profile, or "parabolic" power-law profile and measured concentration using all data | 101 |
Figure 46. | Estimation of Schmidt number as function of ratio '''Ws/'''u*c | '104 |
Figure 47. | Estimated coefficient '''σE 'compared to coefficients σP 'and σB | '105 |
Figure 48. | Estimated values of Schmidt number as function of ratio '''Ws/'''u*c, together with predictive equations | 106 |
Figure 49. | Vertical profiles of eddy diffusivity obtained from Equation 130 using measured concentration profiles with interaction between nonbreaking waves and current | 111 |
Figure 50. | Vertical profile of eddy diffusivity obtained from Equation 130 using measured concentration profiles with interaction between nonbreaking waves and current | 112 |
Figure 51. | High sediment concentration close to bottom using data from Dohmen Janssen | 114 |
Figure 52. | Characteristic sediment diffusion profile (Equation 142) and induced sediment concentration profile; division of induced concentration profile to different layers and application of an exponential and parabolic logarithmic profile to estimate suspended load | 116 |
Figure 53. | Schematic representation of sediment concentration within moving mixing layer for rippled bed | 117 |
Figure 54. | Examples of comparison between predicted concentration using fitted exponential profile and power-law profiles and measured concentration for interaction between nonbreaking waves and current | 118 |
Figure 55. | Examples of comparison between predicted concentration using fitted exponential profile and power-law profile and measured concentration for interaction between nonbreaking waves and current | 119 |
Figure 56. | Examples of concentration profiles and corresponding sediment diffusivity profiles using data from Steetzel and Van der Velden | 120 |
Figure 57. | Dimensionless sediment diffusivity w,E/(κ'''hu*w) versus wave period and ratio '''Uw/'''Ws |
'126 |
Figure 58. | Vertical sediment diffusivity w,E 'estimated from data compiled versus w,E 'calculated with Equation 152 | 127 |
Figure 59. | Estimated value of coefficient '''σw 'using Equation 154 as function of ratio '''Ws/'''u*w 'with roughness ratio '''ks/'''d50 'indicated | 129 |
Figure 60. | Estimation of sediment diffusivity '''cw 'by adding current- and wave-related sediment diffusivity as function of parameter '''Ws'/'''u*w 'with ratio '''Uc/Uw 'emphasized | 131 |
Figure 61. | Vertical sediment diffusivity cw''','''E 'estimated from compiled data versus cw,E 'calculated with Equation 156 for wave and current interaction | 133 |
Figure 62. | Comparison between estimated energy dissipation from measured wave height variation and calculated energy dissipation from bore analogy using data from Peters | 138 |
Figure 63. | Ratio b,meas/b''','''pred 'versus Irribaren parameter ξ∞ or ratio '''u*w/'''Ws 'using data from Table 24 | 139 |
Figure 64. | Vertical sediment diffusivity v,E 'estimated from compiled data versus v''','''E 'calculated with Equations 157 and 175 for breaking waves | 141 |
Figure 65. | Comparison between observed reference concentrations assuming an exponential profile or power-law profile at reference level '''za '= '''ks '= 2 '''d50 | '142 |
Figure 66. | Predicted reference concentration '''ca 'and '''cR 'versus Shields parameter from various formulas | 144 |
Figure 67. | Predicted reference concentration '''cR 'using Equations 185 and 186 versus experimental reference concentration assuming an exponential profile for concentration | 147 |
Figure 68. | Bottom concentration '''c0 'versus modified skin Shields parameter θr 'using data collected by Nielsen; new equation is based on Equation 190 with calibrated coefficient value from Equation 191 | 149 |
Figure 69. | Histograms of grain-size distribution for current data set and wave data set |
152 |
Figure 70. | Reference concentration '''cR 'estimated from compiled data versus '''cR 'calculated with Equation 190 and 186 with roughness ratio emphasized | 153 |
Figure 71. | Estimated roughness ratio '''ks'/'''d50 'versus total Shields parameter with ripple height emphasized | 154 |
Figure 72. | Reference concentration '''cR 'estimated from data compiled for waves only versus '''cR 'calculated with Equations 190 and 186 | 156 |
Figure 73. | Reference concentration '''cR 'estimated from compiled data set with wave-current interaction versus '''cR 'calculated with Equations 192, 193, and 186 with absolute mean current '''Uc or roughness ratio '''ks/'''d50 'emphasized | 158 |
Figure 74. | Reference concentration '''cR 'estimated from data compiled with wave-current interaction versus '''cR 'calculated with Equations 192, 193, and 186 | 159 |
Figure 75. | Reference concentration '''cR 'estimated from data compiled with breaking waves excluding data from Peters and using data set from Peters only versus '''cR 'calculated with Equations 192, 193, and 186 | 161 |
Figure 76. | Ratio between estimated reference concentration and predicted reference concentration from Equations 192 and 186 as function of Irribaren parameter ξ'∞ 'using data sets from Table 24 | 162 |
Figure 77. | Reference concentration '''cR 'estimated from data compiled with breaking waves versus '''cR 'calculated with Equations 192, 186, and 196 | 162 |
Figure 78. | Comparison between observed and calculated suspended sediment load for steady current using Equation 210 with experimental values on '''cR 'and | 169 |
Figure 79. | Comparison between observed and calculated suspended sediment load for wave-current interaction using Equation 210 with experimental values on '''cR 'and | 171 |
Figure 80. | Vertical velocity profile and sediment concentration profile inside surf zone, and close to breaker line | 173 |
Figure 81. | Comparison between observed suspended sediment load and calculated load using Equation 210 and predicted values for '''cR 'and 'for current only | 176 |
Figure 82. | Comparison between measured and calculated values of wave and current interaction for reference concentration '''cR 'and sediment diffusivity , and for resulting suspended sediment load using Equation 210 | 177 |
Figure 83. | Schematic of transport processes in asymmetric wave motion over rippled bed |
179 |
Figure 84. | Phase-lag effects on sediment transport for second-order Stokes wave with positive or negative current introducing phase lag 'pl '''''''for concentration at bottom and with asymmetry of '''rw '= 0.20 | 182 |
Figure 85. | Coefficient αpl,s 'as function of sediment phase lag pl 'with varying values on '''Uc/'''Uw 'and an asymmetry of '''rw '= 0.20 | 182 |
Figure 86. | Notation for colinear wave and current interaction | 183 |
Figure 87. | Comparison between measured and calculated net sediment transport rate using Equations 210 and 218 with α'pl''','''s '= 0 | 185 |
Figure 88. | Dimensionless suspended sediment transport rate as function of phase lag parameter '''pWR | '186 |
Figure 89. | Comparison between measured and estimated net sediment transport rate using Van der Werf and Ribberink formula; Equations 210 and 218 with '''rpl''','''s 'from Equation 213; Equations 210 and 218 with αpl''','''s 'from Equation 217; or Equation 221 | 189 |
Figure 90. | Influence of wave orbital velocity on sediment transport | 191 |
Figure 91. | Influence of wave period on sediment transport | 192 |
Figure 92. | Influence of wave asymmetry on sediment transport | 193 |
Figure 93. | Definition of current and wave direction and velocity variation at bed in direction of wave propagation | 197 |
Figure 94. | Velocity profiles according to Equations 244, 245, and 246 | 201 |
Figure 95. | Cross-shore variations in hydrodynamic parameters and beach profile for an LSTF experimental case together with measured longshore suspended sediment transport and calculated transport using six studied formulas | 206 |
Figure 96. | Cross-shore variations in hydrodynamic parameters and beach profile for an LSTF experimental case together with measured longshore suspended sediment transport and calculated transport using six studied formulas | 207 |
Figure 97. | Cross-shore variations in hydrodynamic parameters and beach profile for Sandy Duck experiment together with measured longshore suspended sediment transport, and calculated transport using six studied formulas | 208 |
Figure 98. | Cross-shore variations in hydrodynamic parameters and beach profile for Sandy Duck experiment together with measured longshore suspended sediment transport and calculated transport using six studied formulas | 209 |
Figure 99. | Predictive results for longshore sediment transport rate across beach profile using present formula for LSTF data, and Sandy Duck data | 211 |
Figure 100. | Cross-shore variations in hydrodynamic parameters and beach profile for Sandy Duck experimental case together with measured cross-shore suspended sediment transport, and calculated transport using six studied formulas | 212 |
Figure 101. | Prediction of cross-shore suspended load across profile line using new formula with Sandy Duck data | 214 |
Tables
Table 1. | Classification of different types of sands | 8 |
Table 2. | Internal friction coefficient | 9 |
Table 3. | Summary of data sets on inception of sheet flow under oscillatory flow | 29 |
Table 4. | Prediction of critical wave orbital velocity for inception of sheet flow within factor of 1.25 together with mean value and standard deviation of Δ'''Uw | '32 |
Table 5. | Data base compiled to study bed-load sediment transport in steady current | 44 |
Table 6. | Prediction of bed-load transport rate within factor of 2 and 5 of measured values and root-mean-square errors using current 'only' data | 46 |
Table 7. | Data summary for bed-load sediment transport experiments carried out in oscillatory flow with and without current | 55 |
Table 8. | Predictive capability of bed-load transport rate within factor of 2 and 5 of measured values and root-mean-square errors, data from waves only | 59 |
Table 9. | Prediction of bed-load transport rate within factor of 2 and 5 of measured values and root-mean-square errors using data on waves and current combined | 68 |
Table 10. | Summary of data on bed-load sediment transport in full-cycle oscillatory flow | 75 |
Table 11. | Experimental conditions for studied cases on median grain-size effect | 78 |
Table 12. | Experimental conditions for studied cases on wave orbital velocity effects | 80 |
Table 13. | Experimental conditions for studied cases on wave period effects | 82 |
Table 14. | Prediction of bed-load transport rate within factor of 2 or 5 of measured values, together with mean value and standard deviation of Δ'''qs | '84 |
Table 15. | Data summary for suspended sediment experiments under steady currents | 95 |
Table 16. | Percentage of sediment concentration within +/- 20 percent of measured values obtained using an exponential law or power law for 'c 'in fitting against data | 99 |
Table 17. | Data summary for analysis on Schmidt number | 103 |
Table 18. | Prediction of Schmidt number using parabolic profile and exponential profile for steady current | 103 |
Table 19. | Data summary for suspended sediment experiments under oscillatory flows | 109 |
Table 20. | Percentage of predicted sediment concentrations within +/- 20 percent of measured values using exponential-law or power-law profiles for studied data sets | 121 |
Table 21. | Input parameters for four study cases in Figure 56 | 122 |
Table 22. | Predictive skill of different formulas for sediment diffusivity for waves only |
126 |
Table 23. | Prediction of sediment diffusivity for wave and current interaction | 131 |
Table 24. | Data summary for suspended sediment experiments along beach profiles employed for investigating breaking wave effects | 136 |
Table 25. | Prediction of sediment diffusivity for transport under breaking waves | 140 |
Table 26. | Selected relationships for reference concentration as they chronologically appeared in literature | 143 |
Table 27. | Prediction of reference concentration assuming parabolic power-law or an exponential sediment concentration profile | 146 |
Table 28. | Experimental data used by Nielsen | 148 |
Table 29. | Prediction of bottom concentration using data from Nielsen | 150 |
Table 30. | Prediction of reference concentration using studied data set encompassing waves only | 151 |
Table 31. | Prediction of reference concentration using compiled data set with waves and current interaction | 157 |
Table 32. | Prediction of reference concentration using compiled data set with breaking waves |
160 |
Table 33. | Data summary for suspended sediment experiments under oscillatory flows | 168 |
Table 34. | Prediction of suspended load transport for steady current | 170 |
Table 35. | Prediction of suspended load transport for interaction between current and waves | 172 |
Table 36. | Summary of data on suspended load sediment transport over ripples in full-cycle oscillatory flow |
184 |
Table 37. | Prediction of suspended sediment transport rate within factor of 2 or 5 of measured values, together with mean value and standard deviation on '''f'''('''qss) | 187 |
Table 38. | Experiment conditions for studied cases on wave orbital velocity effects | 190 |
Table 39. | Experiment conditions for studied cases on wave period effects | 192 |
Table 40. | Experiment conditions for studied cases on wave asymmetry effects | 193 |
Table 41. | Experiment conditions for studied cases on longshore sediment transport | 203 |
Table 42. | Predictive capability of different transport formulas for longshore suspended load transport for LSTF and Sandy Duck experiments | 210 |
Table 43. | Predictive capability of different transport formulas regarding suspended load transport in cross-shore direction for Sandy Duck experiments | 213 |
Table 44. | Predictive capability of total load sediment transport in cross-shore direction for sheet flow experiments by Dohmen-Janssen and Hanes (2002) | 214 |
====Preface The Coastal Inlets Research Program (CIRP) is developing predictive numerical models for simulating the waves, currents, sediment transport, and morphology change at coastal inlets. Water motion at a coastal inlet can synoptically range through quasi-steady currents as in river flow, tide, wind, and seiching; oscillatory flow as under surface waves, which can create quasi-steady wave-induced currents; breaking and nonbreaking waves; and arbitrary combinations of these flows acting with different magnitudes and at different directions. Reliable prediction of morphology change requires accurate predictive formulas for sediment transport rates that will smoothly match in the aforementioned regimes of water motion and change according to the driving forces and water depth. This report describes a research effort conducted with the aim of developing unified sediment transport rate formulas for application in the coastal inlet environment. These formulas, calibrated with a wide range of available measurements compiled from the laboratory and field, have been implemented in CIRP's Coastal Modeling System.
CIRP is administered at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) under the Navigation Systems Program for Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (HQUSACE). James E. Walker is HQUSACE Navigation Business Line Manager overseeing CIRP. James E. Clausner, CHL, is the Technical Director for the Navigation Systems Program. Dr. Nicholas C. Kraus, Senior Scientists Group (SSG), CHL, is the CIRP Program Manager.
The mission of CIRP is to conduct applied research to improve USACE capability to manage federally maintained inlets, which are present on all coasts of the United States, including the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Great Lakes, and U.S. territories. CIRP objectives are to advance knowledge and provide quantitative predictive tools to (a) make management of Federal coastal inlet navigation projects, principally the design, maintenance, and operation of channels and jetties, more effective and reduce the cost of dredging, and (b) preserve the adjacent beaches and estuary in a systems approach that treats the inlet, beaches, and estuary as sediment-sharing components. To achieve these objectives, CIRP is organized in work units conducting research and development in hydrodynamic, sediment transport and morphology change modeling; navigation channels and adjacent beaches; navigation channels and estuaries; inlet structures and scour; laboratory and field investigations; and technology transfer.
This report was prepared under contract with CIRP by Dr. Magnus Larson, Department of Water Resources Engineering, Lund University, Sweden, and by Dr. Benoît Camenen, presently at Cemagref Lyon, France, and formerly a post-doctoral researcher at Lund University, Sweden, and at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan. J. Holley Messing, Coastal Engineering Branch, Navigation Division, CHL, typed the equations and format-edited this report. Dr. Kraus oversaw technical elements of this project during the 3 years of required research and development. Thomas W. Richardson was Director, CHL, and Dr. William D. Martin, Deputy Director, CHL, during the study and preparation of this report.
COL Richard B. Jenkins was Commander and Executive Director. Dr. James R. Houston was Director of ERDC.