An Enhanced Flume Testing Procedure for the Study of Rill Erosion

This paper presents the development and verification of an improved and cost-effective flume apparatus and corresponding testing methodology. A rigorous analysis of the flow conditions during testing was considered and an interpretation of test results was carried out following the premises of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) rill erosion model. The apparatus and methodology were verified using statically compacted specimens of a latosol from the central region of Brazil. Tests were performed on samples with void ratios of 1.0 and 1.5 and under variable hydraulic conditions to verify the repeatability and ideal analysis time for the soil loss curves. The soil loss curves presented hyperbolic behavior, with a maximum value that appeared to be randomly behaved, which can be attributed to the complex nature of the erosion processes at later stages. The equipment and testing methodology produced erosion curves with repeatability that were superior with respect to their initial linear and transition portions. Recommendations are made regarding the adequate interpretation of the testing data and the selection of the ideal elapsed time for soil loss analysis.