Total-load transport

Abstract

The total amount of sediment transported through a given section of a river for the given flow and sediment bed conditions is called total-load transport. Based on the mode of sediment transport, the total load is the sum of the bed, suspended, and wash load. The total load is also informally called the bed-material load as it contains only those sediment particles that come from the sediment bed excluding the wash load. There are two general approaches to determine the total load. They are indirect approach and direct approach. In indirect approach, bed and suspended loads are estimated separately and then added together to quantify the total load. In direct approach, the total-load function is directly determined without dividing it into bed and suspended loads. The method of computation of total-load transport is illustrated through worked out examples.