EROSION STRENGTH PARAMETERS: AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

In the present study, a series of laboratory experiments are performed in order to test the hypothesis that the erosion strength of a cohesive marine sediment sample from the Adriatic Sea can be predicted based on the behavior of similar components, viz. clay, sand, and microbes. Also considered is the effect of sand proportion, water content, and sediment age. In general, erosion resistance increases in direct proportion to sand content, sediment age, and organic content; it decreases in direct proportion to water content. However, a specific case of a microbe monoculture is also shown to prevent soil formation, and it is demonstrated that organic components significantly affect the erosional strength of a sediment sample. Further, prediction of the erosion rate without a priori knowledge of sediment microstructure is apparently not feasible with the present state-of-the-art in cohesive sediment transport.