LECTURE 2

INITIATION OF MOTION
INITIATION OF MOTION

u
Flow y

Water flowing over a bed of sediment exerts forces on

the sediments that tend to move them. This forces
mainly due to weight of water, exerts a tangential force
per unit bed area known as bed shear stress
τ = ρgRS
INITIATION OF MOTION

For a very wide channel R = y,

τ = ρgyS
or in term of shear velocity,

τ
U* = = gRS
ρ

Boundary shear stress and shear velocity provide a direct

measure of the intensity of flow and its ability to transport
sediment particles.
INITIATION OF MOTION

Initiation of Motion (Incipient motion) describes the start

of sediment movement or sediment transport.

The forces acting on a particle of a bed material, may

initiate or resist the movement of the particle. By
balancing these forces, condition for initiation of motion
can be described.

FL= Lift Force

FD = Drag Force


Fg = Submerged Weight (Gravity Force)

INITIATION OF MOTION

The force that resists the entraining (transport) action

• Weight of the particles (Coarse sediment, non-cohesive
material, eg: sand and gravel)
• Cohesive force (Finer sediment, cohesive sediment, eg:
silt and clay)

The sediment particle is at a state of incipient motion if

(considering slope of the channel  is very small)
FL = Fg
FD = FR
MO = MR
MO and MR are overturning and resisting moment,
respectively.
INITIATION OF MOTION

Shear Stress Approach

When the bed shear stress equal to shear stress critical,  =

c, , sediments are about to move. This describes the
threshold of motion.
When  > c, sediments are certainly transported.
Under critical condition, the stream is said to be competent
to move its sediment. The velocity and the depth of flow is
said to reach its critical or threshold values.
How to determine c ?
INITIATION OF MOTION

In general -

τc Ds D ρ s u * Ds
=f , , ,
(γs - γ)Ds b y ρ ν

In simplified version,

τc u *c Ds
=f
(γs - γ)Ds ν

Dimensionless critical Shear velocity

shear stress Reynolds Number
INITIATION OF MOTION

Shield’s Diagram

τc
is referred as Shield Parameter
(γs - γ)Ds
Shield (1936) has developed graphical relationship
between the Shield parameter and the Reynolds No.
He found that at Re > 500

τc
= 0.056
(γs - γ)Ds
 Particle can move

Particle can’t move

Modified Shield’s Diagram
INITIATION OF MOTION
Other approaches in determining the critical shear stress:

Ds  s 
 Utilising another parameter 
0.1
   1
 gD s
 

in addition to Shield’s parameter and diagram. (ASCE

Committee for Sedimentation Manual, 1966)

 Using Senturk (1969) diagram if the fall velocity of the

sediment particle is known.
Using Lane(1955) diagram which is in function of
particle’s diameter
INITIATION OF MOTION
 Using relationship suggested by Shulits and Hill (1968)
τ c = 0.0215D 0.25 for 0.0003 < D < 0.0009ft
0.633
τ c = 0.0315D for 0.0009 < D < 0.0018ft
τ c = 6.18D for D > 0.0022ft

 Using a relationship by Lane (1955) (for coarse

material )
τc = 0.0164D75 D75 in mm and in c in lb/ft2

 Using a relationship by U.S Bureau of Reclamation

Criterion
d= mean flow depth in ft/m
 c   .d .S S= bed slope
Critical tractive force versus sediment size (US Bureau of Reclamation,1987)
INITIATION OF MOTION
Velocity Approach
Fortier and Scobey
• Based on field
survey
• Maximum
permissible velocity
that can prevent
erosion (sediment
movement) for
different types of
soil.
INITIATION OF MOTION
Critical Velocity Approach
Yang’s Criteria
By considering all the forces involved (drag, lift, weight)
and universal velocity distribution, Yang (1973)
suggested incipient motion criteria in term of critical
velocity

Vc 2.5
= + 0.66 U*D
ω U * Ds 1.2 < < 70
log - 0.06 υ
ν

Vc U*D
Vc= Critical velocity
= 2.05 70 ≤
ω υ
Hyperbola curve

constant
INITIATION OF MOTION

Application of Incipient Motion Criteria

1. Design of a stable unlined channel section

2. Design of armoring layer for channel bed protection
against erosion.
3. Control of hydraulic conditions of a stream for sediment
transport control

Go to example…….