Sediment Transport at Low Shields—Parameter Values

Abstract

Movement of granular bed material near the critical shear stress exerted on a stream bed is important to hydraulic engineers. Experiments at low shear stress have been performed at Oak Creek near the Oregon State University campus and results are presented. The data in this paper indicate that sediment transport is possible at very low values of the Shields parameter. The work herein presented makes clear that some probability of sediment transport exists at all levels of bed shear stress and, in the words of Paintal, this probability is never zero except in still water.