Dredged Material Behavior During Open-Water Disposal

Abstract

This paper summarizes information on sediment transport as suspended solids into the water column during dredged material disposal by barge and hopper at open-water sites. The review provides an overview of field data referenced in the more widely quoted studies on open-water disposal and compares collection methods and results. The data confirm the behavior model of a near-bottom radial surge with high solids concentration and little dispersion in the upper water column. The importance of using mass units of measurement rather than only volumetric units in accounting for the fate of dredged material is also discussed.