The Effect of Hydrodynamic Action on Sediment Consolidation Process in the Yellow River Estuary

By in situ tests, the impaction of the marine hydrodynamics, such as wave and tide, on the rapidly deposited sediments consolidation process was studied. In the tide flat of Diaokou delta-lobe, one 2m×1m×1m test pit was excavated. The fluid sediments imitating the rapidly deposited seabed silts were made in-situ, and an iron plate covered part of the test pit to cut off the effect of the marine hydrodynamics. By field-testing methods, like static cone penetration test, the variation of strength is measured at real time, and the marine hydrodynamics’ impaction on the consolidation process of the sediments in the Yellow River Estuary was studied. It is shown that the self-consolidated sediments’ strength linear increased with the depth. In the consolidation process, in the initial, marine hydrodynamics play a decisive role, about three times as much as self-consolidated in raising the strength of the sea-bed soils, and with the extension of the depth the role of the hydrodynamics reduced. With the continuation of the consolidation process, the trend of the surface sediments’ increased-strength gradually slowed under the water dynamics, while the sediments below 30cm was in opposite ways. As a result, the rapidly deposited silts present a nonuniform consolidation state, and the crust gradually formed. The results have reference in studying the role of the hydrodynamics in the soil consolidation process.