LONGSHORE SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AS A FUNCTION
OF ENERGY DISSIPATION
Abstract: Experiments to measure waves, currents, and sediment transport rate
for two breaker types, plunging and spilling, were conducted in a large-scale
three-dimensional physical model. It was found that there was a large difference
in cross-shore distribution and total sediment transport rate between the two
breaker types. Total transport rates compared to existing predictive equations.
The equations generally did not predict the data well. With the exception of the
Kamphuis (1991) equation, which included a dependence on wave period, the
predictive equations did not differentiate between breaker types.
INTRODUCTION
Total longshore sediment transport rate and its cross-shore distribution in the surf zone
are essential to many coastal engineering studies. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and
Development Center recently completed a large-scale Longshore Sediment Transport
Facility (LSTF) to study longshore sediment transport. The facility has the capability of
simulating wave heights that are comparable to annual averages along many low-wave
energy coasts, such as many of the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes
in the U.S. This paper describes the capabilities of the LSTF and presents comparisons to
some of the existing predictive equations for longshore sediment transport.
LONGSHORE SEDIMENT TRANSPORT FACILITY
The LSTF was designed to generate waves and currents and conduct sediment transport
experiments at a large scale. The facility consists of a 30-m wide, 50-m long, 1.4-m deep
basin, and includes four wave generators, a sand beach, a recirculation system, and an
instrumentation bridge (Figure 1). The following paragraphs describe the equipment used
in the facility.
1 Research Hydraulic Engineer, Engineering Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics
Lab, 3909 Halls Ferry Road Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199, smithe@wes.army.mil
2 Department of Geology SCA 528, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620,
pwang@chmua1.cas.usf.edul
Smith and Wang
1218
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