Influences of the waterway project in the Yangtze River Estuary on sediment transport

A waterway training project is being conducted in the Yangtze River Estuary to deepen and stabilize the navigation channel. In present paper, a 2D mathematical model is developed to study the dynamic processes of sediment transport around the project. Flow pattern, salinity distribution, sediment movement, bed deformation, and their interactions have been simulated simultaneously. In particular, the interaction of turbulence and sediment suspension is taken into consideration by introducing an entrainment function. And flocculation settling process in salty water is accounted for as well. The model is calibrated by using large amount of field data sets and then used to predict sediment transport and salinity distribution in the concerned area when the first phase project is completed.