Compaction and Water Velocity Effects on Soil Erosion in Shallow Flow

• Published in: Journal of irrigation and drainage engineering Vol. 121; no. 2; pp. 170 - 178
• Main Authors: Parker, David B, Michel, Thomas G, Smith, James L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reston, VA American Society of Civil Engineers 01.03.1995
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; AGUA; AIR DU SOL; AIRE DEL SUELO; Biological and medical sciences; BULK DENSITY; COMPACTACION DEL SUELO; COMPACTAGE DU SOL; CONTENIDO DE AGUA EN EL SUELO; DEBIT; DENSIDAD; DENSITE; DENSITY; EAU; EROSION; FLOW RATE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GASTO; MEASUREMENT; MEDICION; MESURE; RESISTANCE MECANIQUE; RESISTENCIA MECANICA; SHEAR STRENGTH; silty sand soils; SOIL AIR; SOIL COMPACTION; Soil erosion, conservation, land management and development; Soil science; SOIL WATER CONTENT; STRENGTH; TECHNICAL PAPERS; TENEUR EN EAU DU SOL; TEXTURAL SOIL TYPES; TIPOS TEXTURALES DE SUELOS; TYPE DE SOL TEXTURAL; VELOCIDAD; VELOCITY; VITESSE; WATER; WYOMING; Bulk density; Laboratory study; Soil erosion; Shear strength; Compaction; Soil mechanics; Soil air; Entisols; Penetrometer; Water erosion(soil); Runoff; Flow velocity; Loamy sand soil; Strength
• ISSN: 0733-9437; 1943-4774
• DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9437(1995)121:2(170)

A laboratory investigation was conducted to study the effects of soil compaction and soil strength on the erodibility of a silty sand soil. A 6.1-m-long flume was designed and constructed to measure erosion. Erosion rates were determined at four soil bulk densities ranging from 1.28 to 1.52 Mg m 3 , eight shallow-flow depths ranging from 5.5 to 17.5 mm, three slopes ranging from 0.005 to 0.03 m m, and eight flow rates ranging from 0.11 to 0.48 m 3 (ms˙min). Soil shear strengths were measured using a Swedish fall-cone penetrometer. Erosion rates increased when soil air was entrapped and not allowed to escape into the atmosphere. Water velocity profiles over eroding soils were measured using a computerized pitot tube and pressure transducer apparatus. Velocity near the soil bed increased with greater bulk density. As a result, erosion rates increased as bulk density became larger.