TURBULENT DISTRIBUTION OF GRANULAR MATERI AL IN OPEN WATER .1. LABORATORY OBSERVATIONS

Capping of contaminated sediment with clean granular material is a com monly used mitigative measure. The capping material is often dispersed from the end of a pipeline or dumped down a chute. Such methods requi re special equipment that is sometimes costly. The possibility of usin g a hopper barge to place the material was thus explored. Laboratory t ests were conducted to study bottom distribution of granular material placed in this way. Distribution is determined at the moment of impact . To identify the mechanisms at work at the moment of impact, tests we re conducted with different bottom slopes. Experimental results indica te that distribution of the granular material can be described by the turbulence created by an impinging jet. This turbulence is estimated, using a digital model, the results described in a second paper.