IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST

BENEFICENT, THE MOST MERCIFUL.

 Sediment Transport
(CE-5122)

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf

Department of Civil Engineering,

U.E.T Peshawar
Sediment Transport

Lecture # 2

Sediment Properties

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 3

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Sedimentology
It is the branch of science which deals with properties
of sediments or solid particles considered singly or as
a mixture.

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Terminology
• Density
which is mass per unit volume
• Density = mass/volume
• i.e. mass of sediment/volume of sediment

• Specific Weight

which is weight per unit volume

• Weight of sediment/Volume of sediment
• The relationship between density and specific weight is
Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf 𝛾 = ρg (1.1)
Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 5
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Specific gravity: It is the ratio of specific weight of

˚
given material to the specific weight of water at 4 C or

32.2oF. The average specific gravity of sediment is 2.65.

• Nominal Diameter(dn): It is the diameter of sphere

having the same volume as that of the particle.

The nominal diameter gives an idea of the

physical size of the particle.
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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Mean Diameter (dm)

A sediment particle has three mutually
labelled axis a, b and c. The ‘a’ axis is in the
direction of longest dimension of sediment
particle.

The other two axis being chosen as ‘c’ is the

shortest and ‘b’ is the intermediate.

Mean diameter is the arithmetic average of

the three axis a, b and c.

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Sieve Diameter (ds)

The diameter of the sphere equal to length of side of
square sieve opening through which given particle will
just pass.
ds = 0.9 dn
• Sedimentation Diameter

Diameter of sphere with same fall velocity and same

specific gravity as that of the given particle in same
given fluid under the similar conditions
Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 8
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Fall Velocity

This is the average terminal settling velocity of

a particle falling alone in tranquil distilled water
of infinite extent.

When the fall velocity is measured at 240C then

it is known as Standard fall velocity.

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 9

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Fall Diameter (df) or Standard Fall Diameter

It is the diameter of a sphere that has a specific
gravity of 2.65 and has the same terminal fall
velocity as the particle when each is allowed to
settle alone in a tranquil, distilled water of infinite
extent. (Interagency Committee, 1957).

The Standard fall diameter is determined at a

water temperature of 24oC.

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 10

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Angle of Repose
It is the angle of slope formed
by given material under the
condition of incipient sliding
relative to the horizontal plane.

• Angle of Repose for Submerged Material

It is the angle of slope in
submerged condition formed by
particulate material under the
critical equilibrium condition of
incipient sliding

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 11

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Porosity:
This the measure of volume of voids per unit volume of
sediment
V V −V (1.2)
p = Vv =V t s
t t

Where:
p= Porosity,
Vv = Volume of Voids,
Vt = Total Volume of Sediment
Vs = Volume of Sediment excluding that due to Voids

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Viscosity: It is the degree to which a fluid resist flow under an

applied force. Dynamic viscosity is the constant of proportionality
relating the shear stress and velocity gradient.
Sediment mixture flow is a soil mass
(1.3) having a massive water content and
behaving like a viscous liquid.

Where:τ = Shear Stress, μ = Dynamic Viscosity, du = Velocity Gradient

dy

• Kinematic Viscosity: is the ratio between dynamic viscosity

and fluid density In a river, the viscosity of sand
μ (1.4) soil depends upon the speed of
ν=ρ vertical displacement of sediment
Where:υ = Kinematic Viscosity, bars, as these bars are resistance
ρ = Fluid Density to flow.
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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Here the sediment mixture flow or soil mass is being discussed

that having a massive water content and behaving like a viscous
liquid.

The transformation of soil from a plastic state to a viscous liquid

state is primarily caused by a change in the water content of the
soil mass. As the water content increases, the soil mass gradually
starts to behave like a viscous liquid.

In spite of viscosity being a key parameter to the initiation of

mudflows, there have only been a few datasets on soil viscosity
changes successfully measured continuously as the soil moves
from a plastic state to a viscous liquid state.

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 14

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Properties of Water & Sediments

• Properties of Water
• Basic properties are:

Specific weight, Mass density, Dynamic Viscosity

and Kinematic viscosity etc at a given
temperature.

• Any Fluid Mechanics book can be consulted

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Properties of Water

• The Basic
properties of
water that are
important to
the study of
sediment
transport are
summarized in
the given
table:

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Sediment Properties
Sediment properties that play a role in the transport process
include:
Physical Properties Bulk Properties
Size Size of sediments
Shape Size frequency distribution
Density Shape distribution
Specific weight Specific weight of deposited sediments
Fall velocity Angle of repose for submerged
sediments

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Physical Properties of the individual

Sediment Particle
• Size of Particles
Size is greatest significance to a hydraulic engineer and is most
readily measured sediment property.

Size can be described by volume, by diameter or by weight of

the particle.
The sediment sizes can be measured by sieve or visual
accumulation tube analyses.(eg. VAT, a reliable instrument )

Certain optical methods or by using calipers or even

photographic methods may also help to determine the size of
the particles. (e.g PDA, LDA)

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf * 18
Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Size
Thereofare
Particles
six classes have been defined and the
range is given as Boulders

❖ Boulders (250mm – 4000mm)

Cobbles
❖ Cobbles (64mm – 250mm)
❖ Gravels (2mm – 64mm) Gravels

❖Sand (0.062mm – 2mm)

❖ Silt (0.004mm – 0.062mm)
❖ Clay (0.00024mm – 0.004mm)

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 19

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Shape
The overall geometry of the particle makes the shape of
sediment particle.
The shape can be expressed Two particles have the
same shape if the ratios
• Sphericity of their intercepts and
the angles between the
• Roundness
intercepts are the same
• Shape factor for both particles.

▪ Soil properties are affected by the particle shape, e.g. porosity,

internal friction angle, and permeability.

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 20

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Intercepts of Spheres

Let us assume that the plane makes intercepts of a, b and c on the

three co-ordinate axes respectively. Thus, the coordinates of the
point of intersection of the plane with x, y and z axes are given by (a,
0, 0), (0, b, 0) and (0, 0, c) respectively.
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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Sphericity
Defined by Wadell (1932) is the ratio of surface area of a
sphere (of the same volume as the particle) to the actual
surface area of the particle.(figure 1)

The primary role of sphericity is to help describe the relative

motion between falling particle and the fluid.

Krumbein (1941) equation for sphericity is given as

Figure: 2 Figure: 1
Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 22
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Roundness
Ratio of the average of corners and the edges of a
particle to the diameter of the circle inscribed in the
maximum projected area of particle.

E = (E1 + E2 + C1 + C2)/4

Where E = Edge, Roundness = E/D > 1

C = Corner,
D = Diameter

❖ Roundness, is contrast to the sphericity of a particle and is

geometrically independent of sphericity.

❖ Sphericity and Roundness are dimensionless

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Shape Factor
Corey (1954), investigated several shape factors and
concluded that from the view point of simplicity and
effective correlation, the following relation was the most
significant expression of the shape

where : a, b & c are lengths of longest, intermediate and

short mutually perpendicular axes through the particle
respectively
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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

The shape factor is 1 for

sphere. It was found that this
shape factor is most
significance in expressing the
shape of a particle.

Naturally damaged quartz

particles have an average
shape factor of 0.7 (Corey
shape factor)

The average specific gravity of

quartz is 2.65. Sphericity and Roundness of
the sediment particle

Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 25

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Density
The density of sediment particle refers to its mineral
composition, usually, specific gravity, that may vary
from 2.3 to 7.6.

Waterborne sediment particles are primarily

composed of quartz (Sg = 2.65).

• Specific Weight
It is weight per unit volume.
ϒs = Wd/Vd

There are different types of specific weights.

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

1. The specific weight, 𝛾s , where

𝛾s = Wd/Vd
Wd = weight of the material without pores and
Vd = volume of the material without pores.

2. The dray specific weight, 𝛾 k of a single particle where

𝛾 k = Wk/Vk
Wk = weight of the dry particle and
Vk = volume of the dry particle

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Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

3. The Apparent specific weight, 𝛾 g , where

𝛾 g = Wk/Vg
Wk = weight of the dry particle and
Vg = apparent volume of the particle.
Wk in the previous equation may be different from Wk in this
equation when the pores are full of water

4. The Mean specific weight, 𝛾 m where

𝛾 m=Wk + Ws /Vg
Wk = weight of the dry particle, Ws = weight of sediments
Vg = apparent volume of the particle
Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 28
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Specific weight of water with sediment in

If ρm is the specific masssuspension
of
Vm = Vw + Vs and Wm = Ww + Ws
the mixture of the volume
Vm 𝛾m = Vw 𝛾 + Vs 𝛾s
Vm , it is possible to write
Wm = weight of mixture
Vm 𝛾m = 𝛾 Vw + Vs 𝛾s then
Ww = weight of water
𝛾m Vm = 𝛾(Vm - Vs)+ 𝛾s Vs Ws = weight of sediments
Introducing the Cs , we get Vm = volume of mixture

𝛾m = 𝛾 𝛾s / [𝛾 s – (𝛾s – 𝛾) Cs] Vw = volume of water

Vs = volume of solid material
given by Simons in 1963,
Cs = Sedimentation concentration
Where,
Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf
Cs = 𝛾sVs / 𝛾mVm
Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 29
Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

Problem # 1

Determine the specific weight, 𝛾m of the sediment-water

mixture obtained during a sampling program on a river.

Data 𝛾s = 2.6 T/cu-m , Vw = 0.9 liter and Vs = 0.1 liter

Solve now

Ans: 𝛾m = 1.16 T/cu-m

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 30

Sediment Properties Lecture # 2

• Fall Velocity (w)

Its importance in sediment transport

Relation between Fluid Drag(FD) & Fall Velocity(w)

Determination of fall velocity by various approaches

Effect of shape of particle on fall velocity

Effect of sediment concentration on fall velocity

In shall
Effect Allahroughness
of surface will be on
discussed
fall velocity in
detail in next lecture
Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rauf Department of Civil Engineering U.E.T * 31
THE END