Using in situ density and strength measurements for sediment maintenance in ports and waterways

Purpose: Fluid mud layers can be substantial in waterways and they can jeopardise navigation when the ship’s keel comes in its vicinity. The nautical bottom has therefore to be properly characterised. Mud density and yield stress are used as criteria to characterise the nautical bottom. For a decade, measuring these parameters in situ has...

Rheological analysis of mud from Port of Hamburg, Germany

Purpose: An innovative way to define navigable fluid mud layers is to make use of their rheological properties, in particular their yield stress. In order to help the development of in situ measurement techniques, it is essential that the key rheological parameters are estimated beforehand. Is there only one yield stress? In which shear rate...

Is density enough to predict the rheology of natural sediments?

Mud is a cohesive material which contains predominantly clay minerals, water, organic matter and some amounts of silt and sand. Mud samples can have complex rheological behaviour, displaying viscoelasticity, shear-thinning, thixotropy and yield stress. In this study, influence of organic matter on the rheological behaviour of different mud...