BEN SCHOEMAN DOCK BERTH DEEPENING Specialist ... - Transnet

At each sampling site in each of the Blocks five replicate van Veen grab samples were
retrieved. Subsamples of the sediment were taken from each replicate for granulometry
(sediment particle size and texture) and chemical analyses. The balance of the sediment
in the sample replicate was then washed through a 1mm aperture stainless steel sieve
and the retained benthic macrofauna preserved for identification and enumeration.
5.2.3.1 Sediment particle size distributions
The sediment texture in Block #1 was predominantly sand with an admixture of mud and
variations amongst the samples was low (Figure 11). The Block #2 sediments were also
predominantly sand but here mud was all but absent, there was a higher proportion of
gravel sized particles and variability amongst the sample sites was high (Figure 11). This
variability is also evident in Figure 10.
Figure 12 shows the relative distributions of particle sizes in the sand component of the
sediments in the two blocks. Block #1 is again seen to be more or less uniform and is
dominated by the fine sand fraction (>63 -