Filter Design Criteria for Sediment Caps in Rivers and Harbors

Abstract

Remediation of contaminated sediments in rivers and harbors by in-place capping is being increasingly considered ~t several sites along the United States and even worldwide. Currently, few design guidelines are available for use in designing such cap systems, especially the requirements for the filter layer. An In-depth review of the existing literature on filter design criteria is provided in this paper. In addition, details of the methodology and results of a physical model investigation undertaken for evaluating the various filter design options for in-place sediment caps in the Great Lakes are presented. Finally, design guidelines and nomograms are developed for application at contaminated river and harbor sites for filter design.