ABSTRACT
The mean suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is one of the fundamental issues for engineering practice and numerical modelling. This chapter focuses on the mean SSC profile and the depth-averaged concentration for silty sediment under non-breaking wave-dominated conditions. It evaluates the time-averaged diffusion equation for suspended sediment transport based on assumed distribution of sediment diffusivity, and examines the expressions for the mean SSC profile. The chapter provides the formula for the depth-averaged sediment concentration under wave conditions by integrating the SSC profile. The expression involves some basic physical processes, including the effects of bed forms, stratification and hindered settling. The SSC profile is often described as an expression of a reference concentration and a shape function. The shape function represents the distribution profile with height above the bed and is normally derived from the sediment diffusivity distribution. The chapter shows the comparison of the calculated and measured SSC profiles in Huanghua port sea area during windy days.
