Experimental Study on Silt Incipient Motion Under Wave Action

Experiments on silt incipient motion under wave action were carried out. Under wave action, for different wave periods, water depths and bulk densities of silt, the shear stress or height of waves for incipient motion was determined, and a relation between the shear stress and bulk density of silt was established. Results indicate that the critical shear stress depends on the structure of the silt itself, related to the tightness between the grains （or bulk density）. Exterior condition is only an external cause of silt incipient motion, and the critical shear stress for the incipient motion is the token of exterior condition.