Behavior of Currents and Suspended Sediments around a Silt Screen

Abstract

The behavior of Suspended Sediment Concentrations (SSC) around a silt screen in a microtidal coastal area was hydrodynamically measured. The current speed at the mid-layer about 30 m downstream of the screen reduces to about half that at the same distance upstream. It was caused by the contraction of the vertical section due to the screen. Even during a relatively weak storm period, the SSC increases to that of the value caused by dredging. Section-averaged SSC at the downstream of the screen is higher by about 60% than that at the upstream, suggesting that the silt screen plays an adverse effect rather than a constructive role in the reduction of SSC generated by dredging.