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Title: Coherence of erodibility for erosion processes and different scales

Author
item Hanson, Gregory
item Hunt, Sherry
item TEMPLE, DARREL - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Joint Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2010
Publication Date: 6/29/2010
Citation: Hanson, G.J., Hunt, S., Temple, D.M. 2010. Coherence of erodibility for erosion processes and different scales. Proceedings of the Joint Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling Conference, June 27 - July 1, 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary: Erosion is one of the least reliably defined elements of many water management projects. Earthen embankments (i.e. dams and levees) are an example of water management structures that erosion resistance has not been reliably characterized in the past. The jet erosion test (JET) provides a test method for characterizing erosion resistance of soil materials in both the laboratory and field. This paper provides a comparison of erosion resistance measurements based on JET results and erodibility based on large scale flume and embankment tests. The JET measurements and large scale flume and embankment test measurements of erosion resistance show the same trends and magnitudes. The erosion resistance of the materials varied by more than 1000 times indicating the importance of a characterizing erosion resistance. The results from this research confirm the importance of erosion measurements and confirm that the JET test method provides answers that predict appropriate erosion rates at the larger scale.

Technical Abstract: Erosion is one of the least reliably defined elements of many hydraulic projects. Earthen embankments (i.e. dams and levees) are an example of hydraulic projects for which erosion and erodibility have not been reliably defined in the past. Characterizing material erodibility is one of the essential requirements for predicting erosion of earthen embankments. The jet erosion test (JET) is a test method that has been developed for the purpose of characterizing erodibility of soils materials in both the laboratory and field. This paper provides a comparison of erodibility measurements based on JET results and erodibility based on large scale flume and embankment tests. The purpose of this paper is to compare the coherence of erodibility characterization at the JET scale with large scale test results. Coherence of erodibility measurement at the different scales is essential for predicting erodibility of earthen embankments.