Velocity and concentration profiles of particle movement in sheet flows

Sheet flows occur widely in natural free-surface flows including rivers in flood, tidal estuaries and coastal waters in storm conditions when bed shear stress becomes sufficiently high. Particle volumetric concentration in sheet flows normally follows a linear distribution with the Rouse [Rouse H. Modern conceptions of the mechanics of fluid turbulence. Trans ASCE, 1937;102:463–543] distribution applicable in the dilute water column above the sheet-flow layer. However, a well-verified formula for determining particle velocity distribution in sheet flows is still lacking. This paper presents formulas to describe the particle velocity profile in steady or oscillatory sheet flows. They compare well with measured data. In particular, the novel formula for determining the particle velocity at the top of bedload–sediment-dominated sublayer in sheet flows is also well verified with measured data.