INITIAL MOTION IN COMBINED WAVE AND CURRENT FLOWS

Abstract

Measurements are presented of the conditions for the initial motion of sediment under combined steady and oscillatory flow. The measurements were made in a steady flow flume with an oscillating tray set into its bed. The direction of oscillation of the tray was at right angles to the axis of the steady flow flume. Four different grades of sand were tested. It is found that the critical condition for the initiation of motion is reasonably represented by a critical value of the vector sum of the component shear stresses assuming no nonlinear interaction between the steady and oscillatory flows. The resultant bed shear stress was also calculated with the aid of several combined wave-current models. The results of these various approaches are compared with Shields curve.