2.

SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASES

2.1 SOIL PROPERTIES

Different sorts of soil are subject to dredging. At different locations dredged solids
may differ strongly in density, size, shape and consistency. It is a very different
3
experience to dredge the iron ore of density round 4700 kg/m or the sand of density
3
2650 kg/m . If clay (a typical particle size is in an order of microns) is dredged it is
necessary to know whether it is cohesive or non-cohesive. The non-cohesive clay will
be transported as a pseudo-homogeneous mixture in a pipeline while the cohesive
clay, cuttered in slices from the bottom of a waterway, will form clay balls in a
pipeline. The balls might be of hundreds of millimetres in a diameter. Such balls will
definitely not be suspended in a carrying liquid. They will roll and slide at the bottom
of a dredging pipeline, giving a totally different flow pattern in a pipeline than
cohensionless clay. As a result the flow resistance will be very different. However, a
majority of dredged materials are just different sorts of sand or gravel that are
non-cohesive and of almost identical density.

The properties of a transported soil are of great importance for a determination of

flow conditions in dredging pipelines. A determination of properties of a transported
soil requires:

a. taking samples of soil

- in situ
- in a pipeline
b. analysis of samples using suitable methods.

Particle size distribution, soil density and in situ concentration of soil are the most
important soil properties influencing behaviour of solid particles in a mixture
transported in a dredging installation. If clay is transported the cohesion (described by
liquid limit and plastic limit) is a further important parameter. In the following text,
only the particle size distribution and solids density will be discussed. A
determination of other properties is described e.g. in van den Berg (1998).

2.1.1. Particle size distribution (PSD)

Several systems are defined for identification and a classification of solids according
to their particle size (e.g. American norm ASTM Standard D288). For the dredging
purposes the following system is used (Table 2.1)
 2.2 CHAPTER 2

Table 2.1. Identification and classification of soil for dredging purposes

Main type of soil Particle size

Identification size in [mm]
Boulders Granular - > 200
Non-cohesive
Cobbles - 200 – 60
Coarse 60 – 20
Gravel Medium 20 – 6
Fine 6–2
Coarse 2 – 0.6
Sand Medium 0.6 – 0.2
Fine 0.2 – 0.06
Coarse 0.06 – 0.02
Silt Cohesive Medium 0.02 – 0.006
Fine 0.006 – 0.002
Clay - < 0.002

Dredged soil is seldom uniformly graded. Two techniques are used to determine
particle size distribution (PSD) in samples of dredged sand or gravel – the sieving and
the sedimentation tests, finer solids as silt and clay are tested using the hydrometric
method.

2.1.1.1 Methods for PSD determination

A choice of the PSD method is dependent on the range of particle sizes in the tested
sample of soil. Samples containing particles of sand- or gravel size are usually tested
using the screen method (the sieving) or the sedimentation method (the sedimentation
in the water column). For finer particles (d < 0.074 mm) the distribution is determined
by a sedimentation process in a hydrometer.

A. Sieving
A weighted sample of dry solids is sieved through a series of sieves with standard
sieve meshes. The sample fraction remaining in each sieve is weighted. The fractions
by mass are recalculated to obtain a percentage of the mass of the entire sample, pi.
The fraction pi is considered to contain particles of characteristic diameter di
represented by the size of opening of the sieve at which the fraction pi remained.
 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.3

Table 2.2. PSD for the narrow-graded medium sand (determined by a sieving analysis
of a one-kilogram dry sample).

1 2 3 4 5
sieve weight percentage of cumulative characteristic
opening fraction total weight, % particle size,
[mm] [g] pi [%] mass di [mm]
0.85 0 0 100 0.85
0.6 6.7 0.67 99.33 0.6
0.5 37.7 3.77 95.56 0.5
0.42 447.8 44.78 50.78 0.42
0.355 366.4 36.64 14.14 0.355
0.3 74.2 7.42 6.72 0.3
0.21 55.1 5.51 1.21 0.21
0.15 10.6 1.06 0.15 0.15
0.00 1.5 0.15 0 0.00
Σ 1000 Σ 100

Legend:
column 1: sieve opening of the sieves used to test the sample
column 2: weight of soil fraction remaining at the sieve of the opening in col. 1
column 3: weight in col. 2 as a percentage of the weight of the total sample (1 kg)
column 4: cumulative percentage, Σpi
column 5: particle diameter representing the soil fraction remaining at the sieve

Table 2.3. PSD for the broad-graded medium sand (determined by a sieving analysis
of a one-kilogram dry sample).

1 2 3 4 5
sieve weight percentage of cumulative Characteristic
opening fraction total weight, % Particle size,
[mm] [g] pi [%] mass di [mm]
0.85 5 0.5 99.50 0.85
0.6 162.4 16.24 83.26 0.6
0.5 162.4 16.24 67.02 0.5
0.42 162.4 16.24 50.78 0.42
0.355 125.7 12.57 38.21 0.355
0.3 125.7 12.57 25.64 0.3
0.21 125.7 12.57 13.07 0.21
0.15 125.7 12.57 0.5 0.15
0.00 5 0.5 0 0.00
Σ 1000 Σ 100

The columns 4 and 5 of the Tables 2.2 and 2.3 are plotted to the cumulative Particle
Size Distribution curve.
 2.4 CHAPTER 2

Samples of relatively narrow graded fine sand (Sand a) and medium sand (Sand c) are
processed together with a broad graded sand (Sand b) in Table 2.4 and plotted to the
cumulative PSD curve on Fig. 2.1.

Table 2.4. Processed PSD for three sorts of sand.

(%) za nd a za nd b za nd c
(µm ) (µm ) (µm )
10 250 1300 850
20 180 500 620
30 150 270 500
40 140 170 400
50 120 120 350
60 90 75 290
70 75 55 240
80 60 40 180
90 40 25 130

Tota a l 1105 2555 3560

dmf 123 284 396

KLEI SILT ZAND GRIND

FIJN GROF FIJN GROF FIJN
g ew ic htsp erc enta g e o p d e zeef d roo g

10

20
a b c
30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 0,2 0,5 1 2 5

korreld ia m eter in m m

Figure 2.1. Cumulative curves of particle size distribution for three sorts of sand
according to Table 2.4.

b. Sedimentation column
The method of sedimentation a long sedimentation column is used as alternative to
the sieving method for solid particles of sand (and gravel) size. This method has the
advantage of direct provision of the settling velocity of the particles, which is the
parameter characterising the solids impact on the slurry flow behaviour rather than the
 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.5

particle size. The particle size distribution can be obtained from the settling velocity
distribution using appropriate settling velocity equation.
A weighted sample of solids is collected in a cup at the top of a sedimentation column
filled with water. The water level in the sedimentation column touches the bottom of
the cup. The cup is opened and the time is measured which solid particles of the
sample need to reach a plate at the bottom of the sedimentation column. The distance
between the cup and plate is known. The measuring principle is the sensing of the
progression of the deflection in time of a thin metal membrane connected with both
the cup and the plate. The membrane senses an impulse determining the time at which
the cup is opened and the time-dependent increase in the weight of the plate as the
particles settle on its surface. This signal is converted and plotted as a summation
curve of % solids mass passed versus particle settling velocity.

The effect of the concentration of solids in a settling cloud on the particle settling
velocity in a sedimentation column is negligible because of small solids samples and
thus the low concentration of solids in the settling cloud. The disadvantage of this
method is that the length of the sedimentation column is too short to test very coarse
particles, which need only a few seconds to reach the plate at the bottom of the
sedimentation column.

c. Hydrometer tests
This method determines a particle size distribution for soils too fine to be sieved, i.e.
finer than 0.074 mm. A hydrometer is a small glass bottle with a calibrated volume. In
a hydrometer a small sample of soil is suspended in distilled water. At certain position
density of suspension is measured. Due to slow sedimentation of particles in
quiescent water in a hydrometer the suspension density at the position gradually
decreases. The change of density with time is sensed. This can be interpreted as a
development of settling velocity of particles in a soil sample and thus according to
Stokes law of settling as a particle size distribution. As the sieving analysis the
hydrometer analysis provides the cumulative PSD curve.

2.1.1.2. Characteristic diameters of particle

The mass-median diameter d50 is the diameter for which 50% (by mass) of the
particles in a soil sample are finer. In other words one half of all particles in a sample
is larger and one half of all particles is smaller than is the size d50. The d85 size gives
the diameter for which 85% (by mass) of the particles in a soil sample are finer.

A comparison of PSD for these two sand samples demonstrates clearly that the
mass-median diameter d50 of particles does not represent fully the particle size in a
soil sample. The d50 value is identical for both samples (d50 = 0.42 mm) but the
deviation from the median size is much larger in a broadly graded sample. A
deviation from the median size has to be incorporated in the parameter(s) representing
the solids size in mixture flow models. Usually such a parameter is sufficiently
represented by mean diameter or decisive particle diameter defined below, but for
specific cases as is that simulated in Table 2.3 is this not enough. Therefore the flow
models employing at least two characteristic particle diameters (e.g. d50 and d85) are
more suitable.
 2.6 CHAPTER 2

The mean diameter of particles in a type of solid with a certain degree of grading is
determined as

∑ d i pi
ds = i (2.1)
∑ pi
i

where ∑ p i = 1.00.
i

In a dredging practice the Fuhrboter classification of the characteristic particle size is

often used. This so-called decisive particle diameter (in Dutch "maatgevende
korreldiameter") is defined as

d + d 20 + .............. + d80 + d 90
d mf = 10 (2.2).
9

Table 2.5. Comparison of characteristic particle sizes for medium sand samples in
Table 2.2 and Table 2.3.

Narrow-graded Broadly
sand graded sand
(Table 2.1) (Table 2.2)
d50 0.42 0.42
d85 0.47 0.62
d15 0.36 0.22
ds 0.38 0.38
dmf 0.42 0.42

2.1.1.3. Form factor of a particle

The form (shape) of the particle influences the settling process of a particle in a
carrying liquid, but also the wear of components in contact with flowing mixture and
packing of solids in granular beds. The shape factor is determined experimentally by
measuring the settling velocity of non-spherical particles. The shape-factor for
v
non-spherical particles is ξ = t (as already discussed in Intermezzo I) and its value
v ts
drops from one for spherical particles to the lowest values for the particles that have
one dimension much smaller than the other two.
 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.7

2.1.2. Density of solid grains and granular body

Density of solids is a property independent of temperature and pressure of the

surrounding matter or other parameters that might vary during the solids
transportation in a mixture.

Density is determined by a pycnometric method. A pycnometer is a glass bottle with a

calibrated volume gauge. This is used to determine a volume of dry solids sample of
known weight. The dry sample is dropped to the pycnometer containing a known
volume of water. The change in a volume is read out as the change in the position of
the water level at the pycnometer gauge. This gives a total volume of particles of a
sample. The ratio of the weight of a sample and its volume gives density of solid
grains, ρs, in a sample.

For dredging purposes, however, an another parameter associated with the mass and
the volume of transported soil is important. The amount of cubic meters of
transported material decisive for dredging work payments is not based on the density
of solid particles, ρs, but rather on the in situ density of the soil body, ρsi. If a known
volume of a soil (i.e. a granular body) submerged in water is weighted, the ratio of the
weight and body volume gives the in situ density of a soil, ρsi. This is lower than the
density of solids occupying a granular body since it includes the volume of water
(lighter than solids) present in the pores between particles in the granular body.

A measure of the difference between the density of solid particles and density of soil
occupied by the solid particles is given by the porosity of a soil, n, that is obtained as

ρ − ρsi
n= s (2.3).
ρs − ρ f

n porosity of soil [-]

ρs density of solid grains [kg/m3]
ρsi density of soil in situ [kg/m3]
ρf density of liquid [kg/m3]

The typical value of the in situ density is 2000 kg/m3 for a submerged sand bed. This
indicates that 60 % of the sand-bed volume is occupied by sand particles having
density 2650 kg/m3 and the interstitial water of density 1000 kg/m occupies 40 % of
the total volume3. The porosity n = 0.40.
 2.8 CHAPTER 2

Table 2.6. Typical values of density and porosity of various soils

Density of Density of soil Porosity

solids in situ (wet)
ρs [kg/m3] ρsi [kg/m3] n [%]
silt 2650 1100 - 1400 80 - 90
loose clay 2650 1400 - 1600 60 - 80
packed clay 2650 1800 - 2000 35 - 50
sand with clay 2650 1800 - 2000 40 - 50
sand 2650 1900 - 2000 35 - 45
coarse sand 2650 2050 - 2200 28-36
with gravel
clay boulders 2650 2320 20

The ratio ρs/ρw gives the relative density (also "specific gravity" of solid particle),
Ss. The parameter ρw is the density of water with the typical value 1000 kg/m3. More
precise values are discussed in the following paragraph.

2.2 LIQUID PROPERTIES

Density and viscosity are the most important properties of a carrying liquid from the
point of view of the mixture flow in a dredging pipeline. Both parameters are
sensitive to temperature. Sensitivity to pressure can be neglected over the range of
conditions encountered in the hydraulic transport, the liquids are considered
incompressible.

Viscosity that relates the shear stress and the shear rate according to Newton's law of
viscosity (see Chapter 1) is called dynamic viscosity, µ, and it has a unit Pa.s. The
ratio of the dynamic viscosity of liquid and density of liquid is known as kinematic
viscosity, ν = µ/ρ, having a unit m2/s.

Table 2.7. Properties of water

Temperature Density, Dynamic Kinematic Vapour

viscosity, viscosity, pressure,
T [oC] 3
ρw [kg/m ] µw [Pa.s] νw [m2/s] pv [Pa]
0 999.8 1.781 x 10-3 1.785 x 10-6 0.61 x 103
5 1000.0 1.518 x 10-3 1.519 x 10-6 0.87 x 103
10 999.7 1.307 x 10-3 1.306 x 10-6 1.23 x 103
15 999.1 1.139 x 10-3 1.139 x 10-6 1.70 x 103
20 998.2 1.002 x 10-3 1.003 x 10-6 2.34 x 103
25 997.0 0.890 x 10-3 0.893 x 10-6 3.17 x 103
30 995.7 0.798 x 10-3 0.800 x 10-6 4.24 x 103
 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.9

Density of water, ρw [kg/m3], can be approximated within a temperature range 5 < T

< 100 0C using

ρw = 999.7 – 0.10512(T – 10) – 0.005121(T – 10)2 + 0.00001329(T – 10)3 (2.4).

Dynamic viscosity of water, µw [Pa.s], can be approximated using

0.10
µw = (2.5),
2.1482([T − 8.435] + 8078.4 + [T − 8.435]2 ) − 120

in which T is temperature in 0C.

Density of seawater is slightly higher than that of river water due to the contents of
dissolved salt. The typical value is ρf = 1025 kg/m3, i.e. relative density Sf = ρf/ρw =
1.03.

2.3 MIXTURE PROPERTIES

2.3.1 Mixture density and concentration of solids

Mixture is composed of two phases: solids and liquid. The density of the mixture, ρm,
is influenced by the fraction of solids present in a carrying liquid. The fraction is
determined by the parameter called concentration. The volumetric concentration, Cv,
determines the fraction of the mixture volume that is occupied by solids. The Cv =
0.60 means that 60 % of the total volume of mixture is occupied by solid particles.
The fraction of solids in mixture can be also expressed in weight giving the weight
concentration of solids, Cw. The Cw = 0.60 means that 60 % of the total weight of
mixture is exerted by solid particles present in the mixture.
A relationship between the mixture density and the volumetric concentration of solids
in a mixture proportion is derived from the general formula

MASSmixture = MASSliquid + MASSsolids (2.6)

considering MASS = density (ρ) x volume (U) and Um = Uf + Us

ρmUm = ρfUf + ρsUs = ρf(Um-Us) + ρsUs (2.7)

dividing by Um and considering Cv = Us/Um gives finally

ρm = ρf(1-Cv) + ρsCv (2.8).

Rearranging gives the equation for the volumetric concentration

ρ − ρ f S m − Sf
Cv = m = (2.9).
ρs − ρ f Ss − Sf
The corresponding weight concentration
 2.10 CHAPTER 2

ms ρ U ρ
Cw = = s s = s Cv (2.10).
mm ρm U m ρm

Cv volumetric concentration of solid grains [-]

Cw weight concentration of solid grains [-]
ρs density of solid grains [kg/m3]
ρm density of mixture [kg/m3]
ρf density of liquid [kg/m3]
Ss relative density of solid grains [-]
Sm relative density of mixture [-]
Sf relative density of liquid [-]
ms mass of solid grains [kg]
mm mass of mixture [kg]
Us volume of solid grains [m3]
Um volume of mixture [m3]

Volumetric concentration is a parameter more often used than weight concentration in

a dredging practice. This is because the payment of dredging works is based on the
amount of cubic meters of material either dredged from the bottom of a waterway or
dumped at the deposit site. The prize is determined for 1 m3 of the in situ soil
dredged.

The volumetric concentration of in situ soil is determined as

ρ − ρf
C vsi = m (2.11).
ρsi − ρ f

The volume of in situ soil body, Usi, dredged is composed of the volume of grains,
Us, and the volume of water, Uf, captured in voids (pores) between grains in a
submerged granular body, i.e. Usi = Us + Uf. The volume of water in the in situ
granular body is expressed by the parameter called porosity n = Uf/Usi. Then Usi(1-n)
= Us and the volumetric concentration of in situ solids is

U si Us C
C vsi = = = v (2.12).
U m (1 − n )U m 1 − n

The typical value of porosity for loose-poured bed of sand grains is n = 0.4. For this
bed the concentration Cv = 0.60. Remember that Cv = 0.60 means that 60 % of the
total volume of mixture is occupied by solid particles and 40 % by water. If the
porosity n = 0.4 (i.e. 40 %) the Cvsi = 1.00. This says that for a dredging operation a
creation of the loose-poured bed in a deposit site is a reference level considered as
unity.

The volumetric concentration of solids, Cv, is an important parameter in mixture flow

modeling, the volumetric concentration of in situ soil, Cvsi, is an important parameter
in calculating production and thus economical costs of a dredging operation.
 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.11

For the FLOWING MIXTURES the physical meaning of the solids concentration
must be further specified. A different fraction of solids is determined in a mixture
flowing in a pipeline when it is measured at two different places:
- in a horizontal length section of a pipeline (e.g. by weighting of the pipe section)
and
- at the outlet of a pipeline (e.g. by collecting the discharged mixture to the tank).
The volume fraction of solids resident in an isolated length section of a horizontal
pipe somewhere within the pipeline determines the spatial (resident) volumetric
concentration of solids, Cvi, in a pipe. The volume fraction of solids in the mixture
discharged to the collecting tank, i.e. delivered from a pipeline, determines the
delivered volumetric concentration of solids, Cvd.

The spatial volumetric concentration gives the fraction of solids actually resident in a
slurry pipeline and it is calculated as the ratio between solids and slurry volumes in a
pipeline section

Us
C vi = (2.13).
Um

The delivered volumetric concentration gives a fraction of solids delivered from a

slurry pipeline (Fig. 2.2) and it is calculated as the ratio between solids and slurry
flow rates

Qs ∆U s ∆t
C vd = = (2.14)
Qm ∆t ∆U m

Cvi spatial volumetric concentration of solids [-]

Cvd delivered volumetric concentration of solids [-]
Us volume fraction of solids in mixture [m3]
Um total volume of mixture, Um=Us+Uf [m3]
Qs volumetric flow rate of solids [m3/s]
Qm volumetric flow rate of mixture, Qm=Qs+Qf [m3/s]
∆Us volume of solids delivered by a pipe during
time period ∆t [m3]
∆Um volume of mixture delivered by a pipe during
time period ∆t [m3].

Qm

Qs

Um

Us

Figure 2.2. Definition of volumetric delivered concentration.

 2.12 CHAPTER 2

Table 2.8. Maximum average attainable concentration Cvdsi by various dredges

(typical values of Cvdsi according van den Berg, 1998)

Cvdsi Density of Cvd

in situ mixture solid grains
[-] ρm [kg/m3] [-]
CSD without SP 0.25 1250 0.15
CSD with SP 0.30 1300 0.18
Bucket wheel dredge 0.50 1500 0.30
with SP
Plain suction dredge 0.40-0.60 1400-1600 0.24 - 0.36
Modern THSD during 1300-1600 0.18 - 0.36
hopper loading 0.30-0.40
(suction process)
Modern THSD during
hopper unloading 0.70-0.80 1700-1800 0.42 - 0.48
(pumping to shore)

Legend:
CSD cutter suction dredge
SP submerged pump
THSD trailing hopper suction dredge

The difference between the spatial concentration and the delivered concentration can
be illustrated on a hypothetical case in a dredging pipeline delivering the sand-water
mixture. Imagine that the carrying liquid velocity in a dredging pipeline drops
suddenly to the value that is not sufficient to carry the sand particles. All sand
particles will settle down to the bottom of a pipeline and form a stationary bed. The
carrying water will flow above this stationary bed. Measurements of concentration in
a horizontal pipe section will indicate a fraction of solids in a pipe section but
measurements at the pipeline outlet will not register any solids in discharging carrier
(Fig. 2.3). The spatial concentration will reach a reasonably high value but the
delivered concentration will be just zero.

Qm

Q s= 0

Um

U s= 0

Figure 2.3. Difference between spatial and delivered concentrations.

 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.13

This extreme case is unlikely to occur during a dredging operation but an operation
during which a certain portion of transported sand forms a slowly sliding bed or even
a stationary bed is not quite unusual. During such operation the different values of
Cvi and Cvd also occur in a pipeline.

The difference between the spatial and the delivered concentration indicates slip
(hold-up) within the mixture flow caused by the different velocities of the carrying
liquid and that of the solid phase within a mixture stream. Govier & Aziz (1972)
described this phenomenon as follows:
"When the phases of two-phase flow differ in density and/or viscosity, one of
them - usually the less dense phase - tends to flow at a higher in situ average velocity
than does the other. This gives rise to an all-important characteristic of two-phase
flow, the existence of "slip" of one phase past the other, or "holdup" of one phase
relative to the other."
Govier and Aziz also summarised the factors influencing slip:
- the existence of a velocity profile across the pipeline cross section
- the existence of a concentration profile across the pipeline cross section
- the local relative velocity between phases (vs-vf) caused by gravitational effects.

The slip between two phases in a cross section of slurry pipeline can be quantified by
the mean slip velocity in a pipeline cross section, Vs-Vf, or by the ratio of the mean
velocities of solids and mixture in a pipeline cross section, Vs/Vm. This latter
parameter, called the slip ratio (or “transport factor” in a dredging practice), is
exceptionally suitable for the evaluation of slip in a pipeline. This ratio is also equal
to the ratio of mean concentrations in pipeline cross sections Cvd/Cvi since

Qs VA VC A
C vd = = s s = s vi (2.15),
Q m Vm A Vm A

in which As is the part of the cross sectional area of the pipeline occupied by solids,
thus

Vs C
= vd (2.16).
Vm C vi

Cvd delivered volumetric concentration of solids [-]

Cvi spatial volumetric concentration of solids [-]
Vs mean velocity of solids in pipeline cross section [m/s]
Vm mean velocity of mixture in pipeline cross section [m/s]

The slip phenomenon may influence the accuracy of the determination of the solids
flow rate from the measurements on a dredging pipeline. Solids flow rate through a
slurry pipeline connected with a dredge is often determined from measurements of the
mean solids concentration and the mean slurry velocity in a horizontal pipeline
section. The radiometric measurement of the concentration in a horizontal pipeline
gives the value of the spatial concentration (not the delivered concentration that might
be lower) so that Qs calculated as CviVmA overestimates the real solids flow rate
 2.14 CHAPTER 2

unless the slip in a pipeline is negligible. Generally, it is desirable to take the slip into
account during slurry flow calculations.

Table 2.9. Transport factor Cvd/Cvi for various solids and solids concentrations in a
mixture flow of velocity range Vdl < Vm < 2Vdl (typical Cvd/Cvi values
according to Matousek, 1997).

At low At high
Cvd Cvd
Silt and finer solids 1.00 1.00
Fine to medium sand 0.80-1.00 0.90-1.00
Medium to coarse sand 0.70-0.90 0.85-1.00
Coarse sand 0.65-0.85 0.75-0.95
Fine gravel 0.65-0.85 0.75-0.90
Boulders 0.40-0.65 0.40-0.65

2.4 REFERENCES

van den Berg, C.H. (1998). Pipelines as Transportation Systems. European Mining
Course Proceedings, MTI.
Govier, G.W. & Aziz, K. (1972). The Flow of Complex Mixtures in Pipes. Van
Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Matousek, V. (1997). Flow Mechanism of Sand-Water Mixtures in Pipelines. Delft
University Press.
 SOIL-WATER MIXTURE AND ITS PHASE 2.15

CASE STUDY 2

Consider that sand particles occupy 27 per cent of the total volume of a dredging
pipeline. The rest is occupied by carrying water. The sand-water mixture is
discharged from a dredging pipeline at a deposit site. The porosity of sand in a
deposition n = 0.4.

Determine the density ρm of sand-water mixture in the pipeline and the weight
concentration Cw of solids in the mixture. Further, determine the in situ density ρsi
and the spatial volumetric concentration of in situ sand, Cvsi, in a deposition and in a
pipeline.

Inputs:

The spatial volumetric concentration of solids in mixture flow: Cv = 0.27

The density of sand particles: ρs = 2650 kg/m3
The density of carrying water: ρf = 1000 kg/m3
Porosity of sand body in a deposition: n = 0.4.

Solution:

a. Density of mixture (ρm) & weight concentration of solids in mixture (Cw)

Eq. 2.9 determines the density of mixture

ρm = ρf(1-Cv) + ρsCv = 1000(1-0.27)+2650x0.27 = 1445.5 kg/m3.

Eq. 2.10 determines the weight concentration

ρs 2650
Cw = Cv = 0.27 = 0.495, i.e. 49.5 %.
ρm 1445.5

b. In-situ density (ρsi) & in-situ volumetric concentration of soil (Cvsi) in a

deposition

ρ − ρsi
According to Eq. 2.3 the porosity n = s and thus
ρs − ρ f

ρsi = ρs − (ρs − ρ f )n = 2650 – 1650 x 0.4 = 1990 kg/m3 .

In a deposition the density of the sand-water mixture is equal to ρsi and thus Cvsi =1
(see Eq. 2.11).
 2.16 CHAPTER 2

c. The in-situ volumetric concentration in a pipeline

Eq. 2.12 determines the volumetric concentration of in situ material in a pipeline as

Cv 0.27
C vsi = = = 0.45, i.e. 45 %.
1 − n 1 − 0.4