Comparing the efficiency of WARSEM and WEPP Road models in investigating the effect of road construction on the amount of erosion and sedimentation
Subject Areas : rosub
Seyed Majid Reza Hosseini Mofrad
1
,
Hassan Ahmadi
2
,
Ali Akbar Mehrabi
3
,
Baharak Motamedvaziri
4
1 - Ph.D Student, Department of Nature Engineering, Faculty of Natural and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran
2 - Full professor, Department of Nature Engineering, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3 - Full professor, Department of Nature Engineering, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
4 - Department of Nature Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Erosion, Hashtgerd-Taleqan Road, Sediment, WEPP Road, WARSEM,
Abstract :
Proper management of watersheds requires knowledge of existing roads and their effects on natural resources. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of road construction on the amount of erosion and sediment production on the new Hashtgerd-Taleghan road in Alborz province. For this purpose, 17 samples were taken from a 26-kilometer asphalt road and 11 samples were taken from a 9-kilometer dirt road and road sedimentation was calculated using the WARSEM and WEPP Road models and compared with the actual value. The results showed by direct measurement of erosion, the total sediments remaining along the route were equal to 17259.32 tons per year, of which 6241.45 tons per year are related to the excavation wall and 11017.87 tons per year are related to the embankment wall. Using the WARSEM model, the total amount of sedimentation from asphalt and dirt roads was estimated as 15172.67 tons per year, equivalent to 52.14 tons per hectare per year, of which 9464.53 tons per year, equivalent to 48.03 tons. Per hectare per year, the contribution of the excavation wall and the embankment wall of the asphalt road is 5708.14 tons per year, which is equivalent to 63.22 tons per hectare per year, the contribution of the excavation wall and the embankment wall of the dirt road. The road sedimentation rate using the WEPP Road model was obtained as 28.23 tons per hectare for the asphalt road and 43.48 tons per hectare for the dirt road.