From fundamentals to implementation of yield stress for nautical bottom: Case study of the Port of Hamburg

The nautical bottom (i.e., the level at which contact with a ship’s keel causes either damage or unacceptable effects on controllability and manoeuvrability of a ship) should be associated to a measurable physical characteristic. Bulk density is typically used as a criterion for nautical bottom by many ports worldwide. However, the rheological...

Effect of organic matter degradation in cohesive sediment: A detailed rheological analysis

Purpose<br/>The presence of organic matter in cohesive sediment results in the formation of clay-organic flocs, which eventually impart complex rheological behavior including shear-thinning, viscoelasticity, thixotropy and two-step yielding to mud. In this study, the influence of microbial degradation of sediment organic matter on the...

A rheological and microstructural study of two-step yielding in mud samples from a port area

Natural fine-grained suspensions usually exhibit a complex rheological fingerprint – in particular a two-step yielding phenomenon – due to the presence of mineral clay particles and organic matter (often found in a flocculated state). These rheological properties may vary considerably from one location to another due to the differences in mud...

Yield stress measurements of mud sediments using different rheological methods and geometries: An evidence of two-step yielding

Yield stress materials have a wide range of commercial applications. Yet, the suitable way of determining the yield stress values of a given material has been the subject of many studies and debates. Yield stresses are dependent on the material (shear) history and composition, which implies that robust protocols should be developed to study...