Sediment Stability Assessment, Offshore UK
Mining of the seabed for aggregates can give rise to changes in the stability of the seabed and this in turn has environmental consequences for bottom-living organisms. Changes in stability may cause serious erosion of the seabed under the prevailing tide and wave conditions, leading at worse to complete loss of habitat or at least to a change in the sediment regime. Quantitative knowledge on the particular changes in seabed stability was requested by the client; the combination of such unique data with other bio-geo-physical data would provide the industry with an integrated view of the environmental impacts caused by aggregate dredging.
Partrac designed and manufactured a benthic flume, which induces an increasing series of flow speeds at the sediment-water interface. The flume generates controlled sediment erosion from which the sediment stability is directly determined. The instrument provides the client with the two dynamic variables which are used to quantify sediment de-stabilisation (first point of sediment movement and erosion rate).
The industry is encouraged by the government regulatory body to assess its field site operations and to ensure wherever possible that the impact of dredging activities is minimised.
Partrac’s benthic flume technology provides a cost effective and efficient methodology for further quantifying the effects of dredging operations.
Projects
Contact Address
Partrac Ltd
141 St James Road
Glasgow, G4 0LT
United Kingdom
+ 44 (0) 141 303 8255
+ 44 (0) 141 552 3886
