Estimation of resistance to erosion of levee and natural riverbank using large and undisturbed test pieces

Abstract

The estimation of resistance to erosion of levee and natural riverbank is very important to enhance the safety of levee and natural riverbank against erosion. A new technique by open channel flume experiment with large and undisturbed test pieces is developed to measure critical velocity and rate of erosion. Further a tension test apparatus is newly developed to measure a tensile breaking stress of cohesive soil. The measured results indicate the tensile breaking stress is proportional to the square of critical velocity and well characterizes the erosion process.