Laboratory Measurements of the Erodibility of Gravelly Soils
Abstract
The critical shear stress and erodibility of soil are fundamental parameters for modeling embankment breaching. Unfortunately, very few studies have examined the erosion characteristics of soils consisting predominantly of particles larger than sand. This report presents results of an experimental study in which the erosion characteristics of gravelly soils were measured. A flume apparatus was developed in which 0.45-m-square samples were extruded into confined flow. A mechanical laser system allowed the measurement of scour in real time, resulting in a continuous and automated erosion test. The critical shear stress of a uniform gravel was found to match the expected values based on the Shields diagram, while tests that were composed largely of gravel but contained other soils, such as sand, silt, and clay, varied significantly with the critical shear stress and erodibility, depending highly on the characteristics of the finer soils.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 23, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1153538
Entities
People
- Bryant A. Robbins
- Jamie F. Lopez-soto
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center