Erik A. Toorman

Mechanical & Electrotechnical Engineer, option Thermo-mechanics (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1987)
PhD in Civil Engineering (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 1992)

Present Function: Lecturer & Research Associate (K.U.Leuven Special Research Fund)

Coordinates:
Hydraulics Laboratory
Civil Engineering Department
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, B-3001 Heverlee (Leuven), Belgium
Tel. +32.16.321659 - Fax. +32.16.321989
E-mail: Erik.Toorman@bwk.kuleuven.be

Research Interests

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD): author of the finite element code FENST-2D (Finite Elements for Navier-Stokes, Sediment Transport & Turbulence).

• Fine-grained (cohesive) sediment transport mechanics:
  • Modelling of sediment-laden turbulent flow
  • Mud rheology
  • Modelling of the dynamic behaviour (consolidation, fluidisation and liquefaction) of cohesive sediment beds
  • Erosion and deposition

Work Experience

• 01.10.1987-30.09.1988: Research & Teaching Assistant, Hydraulics Lab., K.U.Leuven
• 01.10.1988-30.09.1992: Research Assistant of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (NFWO)
• 01.10.1992-30.09.2001: Post-doctoral Researcher of the National/Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen)
• 01.10.1998-30.09.2001: Part-time Lecturer
• 01.10.2001-present: Lecturer & Research Associate (K.U.Leuven Special Research Fund)

Courses Lectured

• Hydraulics (IUPWARE Programme: in English)
• Project Waterdistribution & Groundwater Capture (Projectonderwijs Waterdistributie & Waterwinning: in Dutch)

Major Projects

• E.U. MAST I G6M & MAST II G8M Coastal Morphodynamics (1991-1995)
• E.U. MAST III COSINUS Research Project (1997-2000): scientific coordinator (1997-2000)
• AMINAL (Flemish Government) project "Monitoring of the IJzer mouth Nature Reserve" (2001-2004)
• FWO project G.0359.04 "Development of simulation models for two-phase flow on geophysical scale, with application to sediment transport in estuaries and coastal zones" with the Fluid Mechanics Division of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (January 2004 - December 2008).
• FWO project G.0480.05 "Bio-physical modelling of stability inidicators for mudflats using remote sensing technology" with the Laboratory for Forest, Nature and Landscape (FLTW) of the KULeuven and the Marine Biology Section of the Universiteit Gent (January 2005 - December 2009).
• FWO project G.0263.08 "Coupling of a new in-situ measurement technique with a new modelling approach for the determination of the effective settling velocity of flocculating sediments in estuaries" with the The Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and 4 logistic contributing institutes (January 2008 - December 2011).
• VLIR-UOS Own Initiative project with research component on the Morphodynamics of the Coast of Suriname (South America) (August 2005-July 2009)
• PhD Research project by Stijn Claeys "Influence of anthropogenic microbiology/biochemistry modifications on the rheological properties of cohesive sediments with the aim to reduce dredging activities" (started July 2008) in the framework of the Nautical Bottom Research Project funded by the Flemish Hydraulics Laboratory (WLH Borgerghout, Min. Vl. Gemeenschap)

• Laboratory determination of various characteristics of cohesive sediments (consolidation, erosion, rheology, composition) for various parties

Memberships

• Professional:
  • member of the International Steering Committee of the "INTERCOH" Conferences (International Conference on Cohesive Sediment Transport)
  • Editor (and listowner) of the mailinglist on Cohesive Sediment Research "CSRList" (see Intercoh website)
  • member of the Estuary Study Group
  • member of the Royal Flemish Society of Engineers (KViV)
• Science & Religion:
  • member of Christians in Science
  • member of KULeuven Discussion Platform on the Study of the Relationship between Faith and Science
• Amateur field ornithologist and wildlife photographer:
  • birding pages & bird photo gallery
  • member and webmaster of the Birding Workgroup / Vogelwerkgroep Noordwest Brabant (formerly part of the Brussels Birding Workgroup, of which president from 1990-1996).
  • member of the nature conservation organisation Natuurpunt (fusion of Natuurreservaten & de Wielewaal)
  • member of Birdlife International

Major Publications

• De Ruyck, J, Hirsch, Ch. & Toorman, E. (1987). Radial mixing in turbomachines. Interim Scientific Report VUB-TN-89, Dept. Fluid Mechanics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
• Toorman, E.A. & Berlamont, J.E. (1991). A hindered settling model for the prediction of settling and consolidation of cohesive sediment. Geo-Marine Letters, Vol.11(3-4):179-183.
• Toorman, E.A. (1992). Modelling of fluid mud flow and consolidation. PhD Thesis, Hydraulics Laboratory, Civil Eng. Dept., K.U.Leuven, 219 pp.
• Toorman, E.A. & Berlamont, J.E. (1993). Mathematical modeling of cohesive sediment settling and consolidation. Nearshore and Estuarine Cohesive Sediment Transport (A.J.Mehta, ed.), Coastal and Estuarine Studies, Vol.42:167-184, AGU, Washington.
• Toorman, E.A. & J.E. Berlamont (1993): Settling and consolidation of mixtures of cohesive and non-cohesive sediments. Advances in Hydro-Science and Engineering. Proc. ICHE'93 (Wang, ed.), pp. 606-613, University of Mississippi.
• Berlamont, J., Ockenden, M., Toorman, E. & Winterwerp, J. (1993). The characterisation of cohesive sediment properties. Coastal Engineering, 21:105-128.
• Toorman, E.A. (1993): Simulation of free surface flow of mud. Proc. 8th Int. Conf. on Finite Element Methods in Flow Problems (Onate, ed.) (Barcelona, Sept.'93), pp.1211-1220, CIMNE/Pineridge Press.
• Toorman, E.A. (1994). An analytical solution for the velocity and shear rate distribution of non-ideal Bingham fluids in a concentric cylinder viscometer. Rheologica Acta, 33:193-202.
• Toorman, E.A. & H. Huysentruyt (1997). Towards a new constitutive equation for effective stress in self-weight consolidation. Cohesive Sediments (Proc. 4th Nearshore and Estuarine Cohesive Sediment Transport Conference, INTERCOH'94, Wallingford, July 1994), pp.121-132, J. Wiley, Chichester.
• Toorman, E.A. (1994). A review of the use of the concentric cylinder viscometer for cohesive sediment suspensions. Proc. 4th Nearshore and Estuarine Cohesive Sediment Transport Conference (INTERCOH'94, Wallingford, July 1994).
• Toorman, E.A. (1996). Sedimentation and self-weight consolidation: general unifying theory. Géotechnique, 46(1):103-113.
• Torfs, H., H. Williamson, H. Huysentruyt & E. Toorman (1996). Settling and consolidation of mud/sand mixtures. Coastal Engineering, 29:27-45.
• Toorman, E.A. (1997). Modelling the thixotropic behaviour of dense cohesive sediment suspensions. Rheologica Acta, Vol.36(No.1):56-65.
• Toorman, E.A. (1999). Sedimentation and self-weight consolidation: constitutive equations and numerical modelling. Géotechnique, 49(6):709-726.
• Toorman, E.A. (2001). Cohesive sediment transport modeling: European perspective. Coastal and Estuarine Fine Sediment Processes, (W.H. McAnally & A.J. Mehta, eds.), pp.1-18, Proceedings in Marine Science Vol.3, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
• Toorman, E.A. (2002). Modelling of turbulent flow with cohesive sediment. In: Proceedings in Marine Science, Vol.5: Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment (J.C. Winterwerp & C. Kranenburg), pp.155-169, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
• Toorman, E.A., A.W. Bruens, C. Kranenburg & J.C. Winterwerp (2002). Interaction of suspended cohesive sediment and turbulence. In: Proceedings in Marine Science, Vol.5: Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment (J.C. Winterwerp & C. Kranenburg), pp.7-23, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
• M.P. Dearnaley, W. Roberts, S. Jones, K.C. Leurer, D.G. Lintern, L.M. Merckelbach, G.C. Sills, E.A. Toorman & J.C. Winterwerp (2002). Measurement and modelling of the properties of cohesive sediment deposits. In: Proceedings in Marine Science, Vol.5: Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment (J.C. Winterwerp & C. Kranenburg), pp.57-73, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
• Violeau, D., S. Bourban, C. Cheviet, M. Markofsky, O. Petersen, W. Roberts, J. Spearman, E. Toorman, H.J. Vested & H. Weilbeer (2002). Numerical simulation of cohesive sediment transport: intercomparison of several numerical models. In: Proceedings in Marine Science, Vol.5: Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment (J.C. Winterwerp & C. Kranenburg), pp.75-89, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
• J.C. Winterwerp, A.W. Bruens, N. Gratiot, C. Kranenburg, M. Mory & E.A. Toorman (2002). Dynamics of concentrated benthic suspension layers. In: Proceedings in Marine Science, Vol.5: Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment (J.C. Winterwerp & C. Kranenburg), pp.41-55, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
• Toorman, E.A. (2003). Validation of macroscopic modelling of particle-laden turbulent flows. Proceedings 6th Belgian National Congress on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (Gent, 26-27 May 2003), CD Rom, 7 pp.
• Adam, S., J. Monbaliu, E. Toorman, A. De Backer, S. Degraer & M. Vincx (2008). Sediment characterization of intertidal mudflats using remote sensing. In: Sediment and Ecohydraulics: INTERCOH 2005 (eds. T. Kusuda, H. Yamanishi, J. Spearman & J.Z. Gailani), Proc. in Marine Science, Vol.9:109-124, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
• Toorman, E.A. (2008). Vertical mixing in the fully-developed turbulent layer of sediment-laden open-channel flow. J. Hydraulic Engineering (ASCE), 134(9):1225-1235.

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