EROSION PROCESS OF COHESIVE SEDIMENT AND THE EFFECT OF DRY-WET HISTORY

Abstract

Erosion process of soft cohesive material was investigated experimentally in the present paper. Detailed discussion on the mechanism of this process was conducted here on the basis of enormous number of experimental data. It was found that the sediment waves form on the surface of clay sample, and they migrate downstream. And the erosion process of this sample is closely correlated with this wave propagation. An other investigation was started here to reveal the effect of dry-wet history on the erosion rate. Interesting feature of the dried clay samples were obvious that the erosion rate does not affect considerably by the period of such a dry history. This mans that the erosion rate formula derived in the previous work by the authors can be effective approximately to the dried clay samples.