Continuum Bed Model for Estuarine Sediments Based on Nonlinear Consolidation Theory

The goal of this note is to examine a continuum theory that describes the evolution of sediment beds when subjected to time-dependent shearing forces resulting from surface water movement. The bed was conceptualized as a medium with continuously varying properties such as shear strength and void ratio. The nonlinear equation describing finite strain consolidation, and the complicated nature of the shearing forces acting on top of the bed, preclude the possibility of analytical solutions. Ramifications of linearizing the governing flow equations were explicitly evaluated for applications in bed modeling. Numerical solutions were obtained for the linear and nonlinear models under transient boundary conditions. Model results indicated that the linear model typically predicts lower void ratios, and consequently underestimates the amounts of sediment eroded from the bed as compared to the nonlinear model.