Laboratoryexperimentshavebeencarriedouttostudythecharacteristicsofsedimenttransportinsteepstreams.Thequestionisdiscussedwetheranarmouredsurfacesisdestroyedduetothetransportofmaterial,becauseadditionalimpulsesareactingonit,orthelayerisshelteredbythetransportedmaterial,becauseapartofthestreampowerisusedtomovethematerial.Accordingtotheresultsofthepresentedexperiments,inwhichtheinfluenceofthefeedingrateandthefeedingdurationhavebeeninvestigated,transportedmaterialreachinganarmouredriversectionfromupstreamalwaysremobilzesbedmaterial,whichisimmobileunderclearwaterflowconditions.Todecideifastaticarmourlayeriseitherdestroyedornot,twosimplecriteriawerechosen:oneconsideringthegrain-sizedistributionoftheerodedbedmaterial,andanother,whichreferestotheamountoferodedbedmaterial.
