Filter design criteria for sediment caps in rivers and harbors

Remediation of contaminated sediments in rivers and harbors by in-place cap ping is being increasingly considered at several sites along the United Sta tes and even worldwide. Currently, few design guidelines are available for use in designing such cap systems, especially the requirements for the filt er layer. An in-depth review of the existing literature on filter design cr iteria is provided in this paper. In addition, details of the methodology a nd results of a physical model investigation undertaken for evaluating the various filter design options for in-place sediment caps in the Great Lakes are presented. Finally, design guidelines and nomograms are developed for application at contaminated river and harbor sites for filter design.