Development of Empirical Formula for Computing Sediment Loads in Al-Meshkab Regulator Channel

Abstract

In this research, the sediments' transport and how to compute their amount have been studied in Al-Meshkab regulator channel. Twenty four cross-sections were selected along the reach of Euphrates river to study the characteristics and the rate of transport of sediments. The measured data included: cross-sections of the channel, average velocity, discharge, water surface width, water surface slope, sediment concentration, bed material samples as well as the specific gravity of bed sediments. The length of the study region was 6 km upstream of Al-Meshkab regulator. The study was divided into two parts: the practical part (field and laboratory works) and the statistical part. The research covered the suggestion of an empirical formula which was used to fit the dimensionless form and to predict a relationship between the sediment rate and the different variables. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the differences between the observed sediment rate and the predicted sediment rate. Results indicated that no statistically significant differences could be detected between observed and computed sediment rate values using the statistical model.