Rheological analysis and rheological modelling of mud sediments: What is the best protocol for maintenance of ports and waterways?

Natural mud sediments display complex rheological behaviour like thixotropy, viscoelasticity and yield stress. These characteristics can significantly vary over depth, from one layer to another, as each have a different density composition. Fast reliable measurements of stresses samples are important for maintenance operations in ports waterways. protocols, performed the laboratory, should give fingerprint which is representative in-situ mud. In this article, we show that our recently developed stress ramp-up protocol time-efficient well-grounded determine natural by comparing with other existing protocols. study, also refine such reduce experimental time layers based on their densities. The was tested large number obtained locations/depths Port Hamburg, Germany. An empirical model proposed fit two-step yielding exhibit. captures phenomenon quite well, within range 1050–1200 kg. m?3. This feature found various harbours estuaries worldwide rheometry.