the dredging history. This information is intended to facilitate discussion of the 

 application of the DMS in ensuing chapters. The chapter concludes with the 

 problem statement and the objectives and procedures of the investigation. 



DMS - overview 



The DMS will provide a quick and concise capability to identify, categorize, 

 and evaluate navigation channel sediment-deposition hot spots for correction. 

 The DMS will incorporate established public-domain coastal hydrodynamic 

 models to be applied, as necessary, in combination with a suite of analytical tools 

 and procedures. The strategy behind this concept is to develop an experience- 

 based methodology for treatment of shoaling problems. The tools included in the 

 DMS will help engineers identify problem areas of shoaling, characterize the 

 causes of these problems, and develop practical, cost-effective solutions. 



The DMS methodology relies upon the use of established public-domain 

 coastal hydrodynamic models, typically developed by the USACE, in 

 combination with a suite of engineering analyses and procedures founded upon 

 principles of fluid dynamics and sediment transport. For this reason, the 

 methodology is referred to as the Diagnostic Modeling System, or DMS. The 

 DMS is intended to be a common-sense diagnostic tool that is easily applied by 

 engineers directly engaged in the planning, design, and maintenance of 

 navigation projects and waterways to do the following: 



a. Identify potential problem areas of shoaling. 



b. Identify characteristic causes of these problems. 



c. Assist with the development of practical engineering solutions that will 

 decrease the cost of project maintenance by enhancing project 

 performance. 



As such, the DMS is not intended to provide the level of detailed information 

 required for final design or in-depth study. Rather, it is intended to quickly 

 diagnose the problem, categorize it according to its key characteristics, and 

 identify corrective actions that can be taken within project authorization. The 

 diagnostic procedure should be capable of completion within a time span shorter 

 than the project dredging cycle. 



This investigation makes no effort to develop or advance numerical modeling 

 techniques for the evaluation of sediment deposition. The literature contains 

 numerous examples of the considerable effort expended in this arena. Rather, the 

 DMS will combine established hydrodynamic modeling techniques with 

 specialized output formats and back-end sediment-transport analytical procedures 

 to arrive at an effective diagnostic methodology to quickly characterize and 

 evaluate sediment-deposition behavior. Several coastal hydrodynamic models 

 can provide reliable information of sufficient accuracy to perform the work 

 envisioned. The heart of the research lies in the application of such model to 

 obtain the type and format of the information required, the engineering 

 experience gained through observation, and the development and application of 

 concise, easy-to-use analytical procedures to systematically diagnose 

 characteristic sediment-deposition problems. 



As envisioned, the DMS comprises three components: the DMS-Data 

 Manager, the DMS-Manual, and the DMS-Analytical Toolbox. The DMS-Data 



Chapter 1 Background and Problem Statement 



