Sediment transportin open channels: ploc. Instn Civ.

Engrs Wat.. Man't.

? Energy, 1993,
C

Ackers and White update 101, Dec., 247-249

P. Ackers, MSc(Eng),FCGI, FICE,MIWEM, MASCE Water Board

Technical Note 619

Notation open channelwith a fullwidth of potentially Written discussion

A, threshold of mobility mobile material that is consideredhere. closes 15 February 1994
C coefficient in transport formula
C, sediment transport expressed as volume ratio of
solid flux to fluid flux The updated Ackers and White
D diameter ofbed sediment function
D,,non-dimensional sediment size 3. The general non-dimensional form of the
d depth of flow transport function is
f frictionfactor
F, sediment mobilization parameter G, = C[(F, - A,)/A,.I" (1)
g gravitational acceleration where F, is an expressionof sediment mobi-
C, dimensionless transport rate lization
M Manning's n roughness coefficient
m exponent of transport formula
n a transition parameter varyingfrom 1.0 for fine
material to 0 for coarse material
S ratio of specific massof solid phase to fluid and G, is a non-dimensional expression for the
phase rate of transport
"I shear velocity = JkdS, = V,/(f/B)
V mean flow velocity C, = (Xd/sD)(v,/V)" (3)
X sediment transport expressed as mass flux of
solid phasehass flux of fluid phase A,, is the thresholdcondition, i.e. the valueof
U an empirical coefficientin the rough turbulent F,. a t initial motion (see Notation).
formula for effectiveshear stress on a coarse bed 4. The parameters n, m,A,,and C depend
v kinematic viscosityof fluid phase on the non-dimensional grainsize
D, = D[& - l)/v'] (4)

Introduction and are essentiallyempirical, determined by

In the early1970s, Ackers and White'devel- the analysisof a wide rangeof data forflume
oped a general theory for sediment transport transport. Thecoefficient a was determined to
which was calibrated against the flume- be approximately 10, and according to the
transport data then available. Their functions latest analysis
have been widely accepted as one of the best for D, > 60 (coarse sediment, D > 2. mm)
available procedures for estimating the total
load of bed material, where there is a mobile n=O (5)
bed over the full width of the flow section. The A, = 0.17 (6)
method and its formulation havebeen reviewed
recently against an even greater assemblage of m = 1.78 (7)
open channel transport experiments, and have C = 0.025 (8)
been well confirmed, although with some minor
modifications affecting mainly the finest and for 1 <D, 60 (transitional and fine sedi-
coarsest of the particle sizesof interest.2 ments. 0.06 < D c 2 mm)
2. The original theoretical approach was by n = = 1.00 - 0.56 log D,, (9)
way of dimensional analysis. The transport
mechanism for fine sediments, which travel A = 0.14 + 0.23/JD, (10)
mostly in suspension, differsfrom that for
m = 1.67 + 6.83/0,, (11)
coarse sediments, which travel largely by bed
creep and saltation. The two limiting theories, log C = -3.46 + 2.79 log D,
for suspended andbed load, were linked by
way of a transitional form that incorporated
- 0,98(logD,)' (12)
both processes, witha non-dimensional expres- 5. Although originally derived for single
sion of sediment diameter providing the size or at least narrowly graded sediments,
phasing parameter. The original formulae were these functions may,in practice, be applied to
later generalized) to apply to non-rectangular graded sediments by weighting the transport
sections, where the effective width for sedimentrate for each size fraction by the proportion of P. Ackers.
transport differs from the full cross-section that fraction exposed at the bed surface. Appro- consult an^.
width; but it is the original version fora wide priate hiding/exposure adjustments may be Wallinnford

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 ACKERS

incorporated, but this is not within the scope

of diameter, flow depth and the turbulence
level
this Technical Note. implicit in the friction factor.

Inverted form of transport function Design functions in engineering

6. Equation (1)can be inverted to the form terms
11. Equations (16)-(18) may be developed
F,, = A,, + A,,(G,,/C)"" (13) into equations giving thevelocity competent to
which is a non-dimensional way of stating transport given sizes and concentrationsof
sediment. To accord with normal hydraulic
competent velocity = threshold velocity engineering practice, the Manning resistance
+ coefficient X'/" formula may be used to replace the friction
factor, the Manningcoefficient being referred
7. Thus the Ackers and White functions can to here as M to avoid confusion with the tran-
be expressed in a way that may bemore readily sition variable n
understood and applied in an engineering
context, and which lendsitself to the prep- f/8 = g(M/R"6)2 (19)
aration of design charts or spread sheets. This 12. The transitional sizes of sediment, for
is further facilitated by the following develop- the basic caseof a quartz-based non-cohesive
ment. sediment, with S = 2.65, will be considered
8. The log term in equation (2) stems from first. A,, , n, m and C are given by equations
the useof the rough-turbulent equation to (9)-(12), and the parametersjand K may be
define the fluid shear stress on a bed of coarse calculated as functions of sediment size, and so
sediment. It is well established, however, that a a suite of equations emerges forspecified bed
power law can provide aclose approximation to material sizes
the logarithmic law for awide range of relative
roughnesses, and the same applies when the D=Zmm:
ratio of sediment diameter toflow depth occurs
v = 0.50 d0.104M-0.067
+ 110 d0.649M-0.OJOCO.550
withinthelogterm.For 300 d / D 25 000, v (20)
covering the rangeof interest in most practical D=lmm:
cases as well as most research conditions V = 0.198 d0.116M-0'236
+ 43 d0.605M-0.116CO.509
log(lOd/D) = 2(R/d)O" approx. (14) " (21)
D = 0.5 mm:
Agreement is within 2% over that wide range v = 0.079 d0.127~-0.404
of depth/diameter ratios, and indeed within + 14 d0'540~-0.225~0.443
" (22)
0.5% in the range 600 < d / D 10000. Use of
this very close approximation provides the D = 0.3 mm:
opportunity for re-expressing the transport v = 0.040 d0.135M-0.528
function in engineering terms. + 5.1 d0.479M-0,329C0.377
y (23)
9. F,, may be redefined as
D = 0.2 mm:
V = 0.023 d0.142M-0.627
+ 2.0 d0.427M-0.428CO.318
v (24)
D = 0.15 mm:
Inserting this into equation(13), and also
making the conversion to volumetric concentra-
v
= 0.016 d0.146M-0.697
+ 0.92 d0.390M-0~505C0~275
tion, C, = X / s , it is found that (25) Y

V/J[g(s - 1)DJ = K(1 +/c:'") (16) D = 0.10 mm:

I/' = 0.0094 d0.153M-0,796
where + 0.30 d0.341M-0~623~.217
Y (26)
K = A , , [ 11.3(d/D)0'1]
'-"/(f/8)"/' (17) D = 0.06 mm:
)I= 0.0048 d0.161M-0,920
and + 0.072 d0.290M-0,780C0.152
Y (27)
1 =f(d/D)(f/8)"-'/CI 'Irn (18)
The first term on the right in the above is the
10. Thus the competent transport velocity, threshold velocity. The extra velocity needed
made non-dimensional with J[g(s - 1)D], is for significant transport is thesecond term.
given by an initialmotion condition K , which The roughness coefficient appears because
depends mainly on sediment size throughA,,, there is some suspensionof material, the
although it also involves some dependence on overall channel resistance determining the
R/d and channel friction factorf ; plus a further degree of turbulence.
termlfactored by C, to some power less than1.
- 1
13. The set of equations given above in
This secondtermalsovarieswithsedimentterms of volumetricsedimentfluxratiocan be

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 SEDIMENT TRANSPORT
IN OPEN CHANNELS

X , for
transformed easily into mass flux ratio Depths are in metres; velocities in m/s; and in
example equations (29) and (30), D must be in metres.
D=lmm:
V = 0.198 d0.116M-0.236
+ 26 d0~605M-0.116~.509
(28) Conclusions
17. Recent research has confirmed the
Only the coefficient of the second term on the Ackers and White theory for assessing sedi-
right changes as a resultof converting to mass ment transport, although additional data since
flux ratio: the corresponding values for the its first publication about20 years ago have
other sizes become: 2.0 mm, 64; 0.5 mm, 9.2; permitted its recalibration to provide a better
0.3 mm, 3.5; 0.2 mm, 1.4; 0.15 mm, 0.70; 0.10 fit for both fine and coarse sediment.
mm, 0.24; 0.06 mm, 0.062. 18. By making a minor approximation, it
14. Although formulae have been quoted for has proved possible to convert the non-
discrete sediment sizes, these are for illustra- dimensional function into competent velocity
tive purposes. The general functionfor transi- formulae for given bed sediment sizes.
tional sizes is given by equation (16), with K 19. Formulae are provided for particular
and ]determined from equations(17) and (18). grades of sediment of quartz-like relative
It is preferable to derive the functions for sizes density: these depend alsoon flow depth and
between those listed directly from the more channel roughness coefficient.
basic functions, although interpolation between
any pair of equations (20)-(25) would provide a
reasonable approximation. Acknowledgement
15. Coarse sediment in this context is 20. The work carried out at HR Wallingford
defined by D,,> 60, which for S = 2.65 and on updating the parametersof the Ackers and
= 1.14 X 10-6 implies D > 2.5 mm approx. The White equation was funded,in part, by the
formulae for the parameters in the transport Department of the Environment under research
function are somewhat simpler thanfor transi- Contract PECD 7/6/113. The co-operationof Dr
tional material, and the fact thatn = 0 elimi- R. Bettess in making this work available is
natesf-and hence M-from equations (17) gratefully acknowledged.
and (18)provides further simplification.
Thus for D > 2.5 mm
V = 7.73 g0.40dO.l + 61.0 D-0.16dO.66CO.56 References
v
ACKERS P. and WHITEW. Sediment transport: new
(29) approach and analysis.J. Hydraul. Dir.Am. Soc.
Civ. Engrs, 1973, 99, HY11,2041-2060.
or BET- R. et al. Sediment transoort: the Ackers
V = 7.73 D0.40d0.1 + 35.3 D-0.16d0.66p.56 and White theory reoised. HR, Wallingford, Apr.
1990, Report SR 237.
(30) ACKERS P.Urban drainage: the effectsof sedi-
ment on performance and design criteria.Proc.
16. It should be noted that the above formu- 1st Int. Conf. on Urban Storm Drainage,
lae are dimensional and must useSI units. Southampton, Apr. 1978,535-545.

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