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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S73396/01
Title: Shallow-water morphodynamics: a fundamental experimental and numerical study of sandbanks
Principal Investigator: Stansby, Professor PK
Other Investigators:
Apsley, Dr D Chen, Professor D
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Eng
Organisation: University of Manchester, The
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 18 January 2004 Ends: 17 May 2007 Value (£): 185,833
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Coastal & Waterway Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
GR/S73402/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Morphodynamics is one of the most uncertain components in the prediction of coastal processes, and is of increasing strategic and economic importance. In this project, a fundamental study will be undertaken into sandbank dynamics in oscillatory tidal flows, which embody most of the complex sediment processes associated with dynamic turbulent boundary-layer and wake interaction. Detailed experimental tests will be carried out in the controlled laboratory environment of the UK Coastal Research Facility where effective scaling is possible. The project will provide unique data sets of high quality on the evolution of sandbanks in oscillatory flows that should be of major importance as benchmark data for morphodynamic modellers. The UKCRF tests will be carefully planned, based on information from pilot tests in a reversing flume and 4-weeks of preliminary tests in the UKCRF. Measurements will be taken of the sandbank evolution, local surface velocity field, velocity and sediment profiles through depth, free surface elevations, individual particle motions and the movement of stripes of different coloured sand. Two- and three- dimensional numerical models will also be developed to simulate non-equilibrium sand transport, validated and applied to the UKCRF sandbank tests. In addition to large-scale phenomena, small-scale phenomena at the wet/dry/sediment interface will be studied. Further micro-investigations at individual grain level will be attempted since there is concern about contaminated sand particle movement. As well as advanced, but conventional modelling, global and chaotic concepts will be investigated. While there has been considerable fundamental study of sediment transport in channels, effectively 1-D, this project will provide definitive data sets in large-scale 2-D flows for the first time, with simultaneous investigation of significant small-scale phenomena.
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Organisation Website: http://www.man.ac.uk