Study on changes in bed characteristics and friction factor in the presence of wash load in suspension

Results of an experimental study on the effects of different concentrations of wash load on the size of bed features and resistance to flow in a laboratory flume are presented. The experiments were carried out under different hydraulic conditions in a 30 m long, 0.204 m wide and 0.5 m deep tilting flume under clear water condition and in the presence of different concentration of wash load in the flow. The bed material used consisted of uniform sediment of size 0.96 mm. Analysis of the data indicates that the characteristics of the bed features change and friction factor increases in the presence of different concentration of wash load in the flow. The reasons for changes in the characteristics of the bed features and increase in friction factor in the presence of wash load are identified and a relationship for predicting friction factor in the presence of wash load has been established.