Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis

E X A M P L E 9

Mixed Flow Analysis


Purpose

This example demonstrates the analysis of a river reach that contains both
subcritical and supercritical flow. This mixed flow problem is caused by a
bridge structure that constricts the flow enough to force it to pass through
critical depth, creating a backwater effect and causing subcritical flow
immediately upstream from the bridge.

The discussion of this example will focus on the analysis of the mixed flow
regime. Additionally, the bridge structure was analyzed using both the
energy method and the pressure flow method. The results of these methods
are then compared. For a more detailed discussion on bridge analyses, the
user is referred to chapter 6 of the Users Manual and to chapter 5 of the
Hydraulic Reference Manual.

To review the data files for this example, from the main program window
select File and then Open Project. Select the project labeled Mixed Flow -
Example 9. This will open the project and activate the following files:

Plan: Putah Creek Bridge
Geometry: Base Geometry Data - Energy
Flow: 100 Year Discharge


Geometric Data

The geometric data for this example consists of the river system schematic,
the cross section data, the locations of the cross sections, and the bridge data.
Each of these components is discussed below.

River System Schematic

To view the river system schematic, from the main program window select
Edit and then Geometric Data. This will activate the Geometric Data
Editor and display the schematic, as shown in Figure 9.1. The schematic
shows the layout of a section of Putah Creek, which consists of 20 cross
sections. Cross section 12 is the upstream river station and cross section
1 is the downstream river station. Additionally, a bridge was located at river
station 7 and will be discussed in a subsequent section.

9-1
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis


Figure 9.1 Putah Creek River System Schematic


Cross Section Data

The data for each cross section is comprised of : a description, the X-Y
coordinates, downstream reach lengths, Mannings n values, main channel
bank stations, and the expansion and contraction coefficients. The data used
for this example can be viewed by selecting the Cross Section icon on the
Geometric Data Editor (Figure 9.1). It should be noted that the whole
number cross sections were obtained from field data and the cross sections
with an * were interpolated. This will be discussed in the following section.

Location of the Cross Sections

The location of the cross sections in relation to a bridge are crucial for the
accurate calculation of the expansion and contraction losses. The bridge
routine utilizes four cross sections, two upstream and two downstream from
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Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
the structure, to determine the energy losses through the structure. The
modeler is referred to chapter 6 of the Users Manual and chapter 5 of the
Hydraulic Reference Manual for additional discussion on the location of
cross sections and for modeling bridges.

For this example, the flow used for this analysis will remain in the main
channel during the event. Additionally, there is only one pier for the bridge
and the cross sections in the vicinity of the bridge do not reflect major
changes in geometry. Therefore, there is no major expansion or contraction
losses occurring in the vicinity of the bridge.

Since the flow in the main channel is supercritical, the cross sections were
placed close together to more accurately calculate the energy losses along the
channel. The cross-section data from the field survey were 100 feet apart.
These data were entered and then additional cross sections were interpolated
at 50 feet intervals. This was performed from within the Geometric Data
Editor by selecting Tools, XS Interpolation, and then Within a Reach.
This activated the XS Interpolation by Reach Window as shown in Figure
9.2.



Figure 9.2 Cross Section Interpolation by Reach Window

To perform the interpolation, the reach of Putah Creek and the starting and
ending river stations of 12 and 1 were selected as shown in Figure 9.2. Then,
a maximum distance of 50 feet was entered and the Interpolate XSs button
was selected. This created the interpolated cross sections along the entire
river reach. After the interpolation, each interpolated cross section was
reviewed to determine the adequacy of the interpolation. For additional
discussion on cross section interpolation, the user is referred to chapter 6 of
the Users Manual and to chapter 4 of the Hydraulic Reference Manual.

9-3
As a final review of the cross section locations, from the Geometric Data
Editor select Tables and then Reach Lengths. This will activate the Reach
Lengths Table as shown in Figure 9.3. As can be seen in the table, the final
channel reach lengths are 50 feet for each cross section, except through the
bridge.
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis


Figure 9.3 Reach Lengths Table for Puta Creek


Bridge Data

To enter the bridge data for this example, first the deck/roadway data, then
the pier data, and finally the bridge modeling approach data were entered.
These components are described in the following sections.

Deck/Roadway Data. From the Geometric Data Editor, select the
Bridge/Culvert icon. This will activate the Bridge/Culvert Data Window.
Then select the Deck/Roadway icon on the left side of the window. This will
activate the Deck/Roadway Data Editor as shown in Figure 9.4.

As shown in the Figure 9.4, the first item on the top row of the editor is the
distance from the river station immediately upstream of the bridge (river
station 8) to the upstream side of the bridge. For this example, this distance
was set at 10 feet. The next item is the width of the deck/roadway and this
distance was 90 feet. The program will then add the 10 feet and the 90 feet to
obtain 100 feet as the distance from the river station 8 to the downstream side
of the bridge. From the Reach Lengths Table, it can be seen that the
distance from river station 8 to river station 6 was 110 feet. Therefore, the
program will allow for 10 feet of distance from the downstream side of the
bridge to river station 6 (the river station located immediately downstream of
the bridge). The last item on the top row of the editor is the weir coefficient,
which was set at 2.9.




9-4
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis


Figure 9.4 Deck/Roadway Data Editor


The central portion of the editor consists of the station and elevation data for
the low and high cords of the deck/roadway. These values were entered as
shown. Finally, the bottom portion of the editor consists of the data entry for
the weir flow calculations. For this example, weir flow did not occur and this
data will not be emphasized. For additional discussion on the deck/roadway
data, the user is referred to example 2 for bridges and to example 3 for
culverts. The OK button was then selected to exit the editor.

Pier Data. To enter the pier data, the Pier icon was selected from the
Bridge/Culvert Data Editor. This activated the Pier Data Editor. For this
example, the bridge geometry consisted of only one pier located at a
centerline station of 150 and a width of 8 feet. This data was entered and then
the editor was closed. This concluded the input of the bridge geometry and
the bridge appeared in the Bridge/Culvert Data Editor as shown in Figure
9.5.

As a final note for the bridge geometry, there were no ineffective flow areas
defined for the analysis. This was due to the fact that the flow for the analysis
remained in the main channel and the bridge geometry did not create any
appreciable ineffective flow areas. This will become more apparent during
the review of the output.


9-5
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis


Figure 9.5 Bridge/Culvert Data Editor


Bridge Modeling Approach. The final component of the geometric data is
the entering of the coefficients for the bridge analysis. This was performed
by selecting the Bridge Modeling Approach icon on the Bridge/Culvert
Data Editor. This activated the Bridge Modeling Approach Editor as
shown in Figure 9.6.

The first selection is the low flow computation methods. For this example,
the energy and momentum methods were selected. Then, the Highest Energy
Answer field was selected. This will inform the program to use the greater
answer of the energy and the momentum methods for the final solution of the
low flow analysis. The next selection was the method for the high flow
analysis. For this simulation, the energy method was selected. (A subsequent
analysis was performed with the pressure/weir method and will be discussed
later.)



9-6
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis



Figure 9.6 Bridge Modeling Approach Editor for Energy Method
Analysis


This concluded the geometric input for the analysis and the data was then
saved as Base Geometry Data - Energy. Next, the steady flow data were
entered for the simulation.


Steady Flow Data

To enter the steady flow data, first the profile data and then the boundary
conditions were entered. These data components are discussed below.

Profile Data

To enter the steady flow profile data, from the main program window Edit
and then Steady Flow Data were selected. This activated the Steady Flow
Data Editor as shown in Figure 9.7. On the top row of the editor, the
number of profiles was chosen to be one. When this number was entered, the
table portion of the editor adjusted for this number of profiles. Then, the 100-
year flow rate of 3200 cfs was entered at the upstream end of the river reach;
there were no flow change locations. Finally, the boundary conditions were
entered.




9-7
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis



Figure 9.7 Steady Flow Data for Puta Creek



Boundary Conditions

To enter the boundary conditions, the Boundary Conditions icon was
selected from the Steady Flow Data Editor (Figure 9.7). This activated the
Boundary Conditions Data Editor as shown in Figure 9.8. Since the flow
through the river reach is supercritical, the analysis will be performed in the
mixed flow regime. This will allow for the computations of both subcritical
and supercritical flow profiles, if they are found to occur. Therefore, the user
must enter both an upstream and a downstream boundary condition. As can
be seen in Figure 9.8, a Normal Depth upstream boundary condition was
selected with a slope of 0.01 ft/ft. Additionally, a downstream boundary
condition was selected as Critical Depth. The selection of these boundary
conditions will be discussed in the analysis of the output. For additional
discussion on boundary conditions, the modeler is referred to chapter 7 of the
Users Manual. At this point, the flow data was saved as 100 Year
Discharge.










9-8
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis



Figure 9.8 Steady Flow Boundary Conditions


Steady Flow Analysis

After all of the geometric and steady flow data were entered, the steady flow
analysis was performed. This was accomplished by selecting from the main
menu Run and then Steady Flow Analysis. This activated the Steady Flow
Analysis Window as shown in Figure 9.9.

As shown in Figure 9.9, first a Short ID was entered as Energy. Then the
geometry file Base Geometry Data - Energy and the steady flow file 100
Year Discharge were selected by using the down arrows on the right side of
the window. (Note: The selection of these files was not necessary since there
existed only one geometry file and only one flow file at this time.) Then the
Flow Regime was selected as Mixed and the information was saved as a
plan by selecting File and then Save Plan As. The title Putah Creek Bridge
- Energy was entered and the OK button was selected. Then this plan title
appeared at the top of the steady flow window (as well as on the main
program window). Finally, the COMPUTE button was selected to perform
the analysis.










9-9
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis



Figure 9.9 Steady Flow Analysis Window



Review of Output for Energy Analysis

The modeler can review the output in both graphical and in tabular form. For
this analysis, first the water surface profile was plotted and then the profile
table and the cross section table for the bridge were reviewed.

Water Surface Profile

To view the water surface profile, from the main program window select
View and then Water Surface Profiles. This will display the profile as
shown in Figure 9.10. The profile shows the energy gradeline, the water
surface, and the critical depth for the flow of 3200 cfs (the only flow for this
example).

To perform the mixed flow analysis, the program will first compute a
subcritical flow profile for the entire river reach starting at the downstream
river station. The program will flag any location that defaulted to critical
depth. Next, the program will perform a supercritical analysis for the river
reach starting at the upstream river station. During this phase, the program
will compare the specific force for the supercritical flow to the specific force
for the subcritical flow at any river station that has a valid answer in both
flow regimes. The flow regime with the greater specific force will control at
that river station. For a further discussion on mixed flow analysis, the user is
referred to the section Mixed Flow Regime Calculations in chapter 4 of the
Hydraulic Reference Manual.

For this example, it can be seen in Figure 9.10 that the flow is supercritical at
the upstream end of the river reach because the water surface is below the
critical depth line. This was determined by comparing the specific force of
9-10
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
the user defined upstream normal depth boundary condition with the
subcritical flow answer. The program had determined that the specific force
of the supercritical flow boundary condition was greater than that of the
subcritical flow answer and therefore used the upstream boundary condition.
The program then continued in the downstream direction with a supercritical
flow profile.



Figure 9.10 Water Surface Profile for Energy Analysis With Mixed Flow
Regime


When the program calculated the water surface profile for river station 9, it
determined that there was a valid answer for both the subcritical and
supercritical flow profiles. The program then compared the specific force of
both of these flow regimes and determined that the subcritical flow had a
greater specific force. This implies that the flow at river station 9 was
subcritical and that a hydraulic jump developed upstream of this river station.
This can be seen in Figure 9.10 to have occurred between the main channel
stations of 710 and 760 (river stations 9 and 9.5*). This hydraulic jump
occurred because the cross section geometry in the vicinity of the bridge
caused a constriction of the flow and a backwater was created upstream from
the bridge. This backwater created a subcritical profile immediately upstream
of the bridge and a hydraulic jump was necessary for the flow to transition
from supercritical to subcritical.




9-11
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis


Figure 9.11 Standard Table 2 Profile Table for Energy Method Analysis


To view the calculated values of the water surface elevations, critical depth,
and energy gradeline, the Standard Table 1 profile table was activated from
the main program window by selecting View, Profile Summary Tables, and
then Std. Table 1. This table is shown as Figure 9.11 and shows a water
surface elevation of 1280.85 and a critical water surface elevation of 1281.57
at river station 9.5*. This water surface elevation is less than the critical
depth and implies a supercritical flow regime. At river station 9, the water
surface elevation of 1282.08 is greater than the critical water surface of
1281.02 and implies a subcritical flow regime. The modeler can use this table
to determine all of the computed values that are displayed on the profile plot
as shown in Figure 9.10.

Referring back to Figure 9.10, as the calculations continued through the
bridge, Class B low flow was found to occur since the flow did not encounter
the low cord of the bridge and the flow passed through critical depth under
the bridge. For Class B low flow, the program will set the water surface at
critical depth at either the upstream inside or downstream inside cross section
of the bridge. The program will calculate the specific force for critical depth
at both of these sections and set the flow at critical depth at the section that is
the most constricted and has the greater specific force. For this example, the
flow was set at critical depth at the bridge upstream inside cross section, as
shown in Figure 9.10. Additionally, if the specific force of both cross-
sections are approximately equal, then the program will use the location
entered by the user. The location can be selected from within the
Bridge/Culvert Data Editor by selecting Options and then Momentum
Class B defaults.

9-12
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Finally, a supercritical profile continued downstream of the bridge to the last
downstream cross section. The downstream boundary condition had been set
at critical depth. However, the program determined that the supercritical flow
solution at the downstream end had a greater specific force than the boundary
condition and used the supercritical flow answer.

Water Surface Profiles for Subcritical and
Supercritical Flow Analyses

To perform the analysis, the mixed flow regime had been selected. If the user
had selected a subcritical or supercritical flow regime for the analysis, the
output would have reflected various warnings and notes intended to alert the
user of possible inconsistencies with the results. For example, if the user had
selected a subcritical flow regime, the water surface profile would have
appeared as shown in Figure 9.12.



Figure 9.12 Water Surface profile for Energy Analysis with Subcritical
Flow Regime


As can be seen in Figure 9.12, the water surface coincided with the critical
depth line for the majority of the river stations. A review of the Summary of
Errors, Warnings and Notes would reveal the repetition of the warning:
During the standard step iterations, when the assumed water surface was set
equal to critical depth, the calculated water surface came back below critical
depth. This indicates that there is not a valid subcritical answer. The
program defaulted to critical depth. This warning is issued when the user
has requested a subcritical flow analysis but the program could not determine
9-13
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
a subcritical flow depth at the specified cross section. Since a subcritical
solution was not possible, the program used critical depth at this location and
continued on with the calculations. This warning may be associated with too
long of reach lengths between cross sections or the fact that the flow analysis
should be performed in the supercritical or mixed flow regimes.

If the user had selected to perform a supercritical flow analysis, the water
surface profile would have appeared as shown in Figure 9.13. As can be seen
in the figure, there is an inconsistent drop in the energy gradeline immediately
upstream of the bridge. A review of the warnings at the upstream inside
bridge cross section revealed that the energy equation could not be balanced
within the specified number of iterations and the program defaulted to critical
depth at this location. The user should perform the computations in the
mixed flow regime to determine if a subcritical flow profile exists in the river
reach. The program can only provide for both subcritical and supercritical
flow answers when the mixed flow regime is selected.



Figure 9.13 Water Surface profile for Energy Analysis with
Supercritical Flow Regime


The analysis of the river reach in the subcritical and supercritical flow
regimes are not provided as plans for this example. They were computed and
presented to show what would develop if these flow regimes had been
selected. However, the modeler can readily select these other flow regimes
and execute the program to observe the output. For an additional discussion
for the descriptions of the warnings, errors, and notes, the user is referred to
example 1 and to chapter 10 of the Users Manual.
9-14
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Profile Table - Bridge Comparison

Returning to the mixed flow analysis of the river reach, it was observed that
during the flow event, Class B low flow was found to occur at the bridge. For
the low flow analysis, the energy and the momentum methods had been
selected to be computed for the analysis in the Bridge Modeling Approach
Editor. To determine which method the program used for the final answer,
from the main program window select View, Profile Summary Table, Std.
Tables, and then Bridge Comparison. This will activate the Bridge
Comparison Profile Table as shown in Figure 9.14.



Figure 9.14 Bridge Comparison Profile Table for Energy Method
Analysis


The first two columns in the table show the reach and river station for the
bridge location. For this example, the bridge is located at river station 7. The
third column shows the energy gradeline elevation that was used as the final
answer for the analysis, 1282.99 ft. The fourth column displays the water
surface elevation (1282.10 ft) that corresponds to the energy gradeline in
column three. The fifth column displays the bridge method that was selected
as the final answer. Finally, the sixth and seventh columns show the results
of the energy and momentum methods since these two methods were selected
to be computed. As can be seen in the table, the energy low flow method
produced a result of 1282.22 ft for the energy gradeline. The momentum
method produced a result of 1282.99 for the upstream energy gradeline. The
program selected the momentum method for the final solution because the
bridge is exhibiting class B flow, and the momentum method is the default
solution when class B flow occurs.

Cross Section Table - Bridge

As an additional review of the output for the bridge, the cross section table
was activated from the main program window by selecting View, Cross
Section Table, Type, and then Bridge. This displayed the Bridge Cross
Section Table as shown in Figure 9.15. For this example, there was only one
bridge located on Putah Creek at river station 7. The left side of the table
shows the energy and water surface elevations for the river station
immediately upstream of the bridge (as shown in Figure 9.14). The right side
of the table displays information for the two cross sections located inside of
9-15
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
the bridge. The bottom portion of the table displays any errors, warnings, and
notes for the cross section. As is shown in Figure 9.15, two of the notes that
appear at this river station notify the modeler that Class B low flow was
computed for this bridge structure. Whenever Class B low flow is found to
occur, the modeler should perform the analysis in the mixed flow regime
mode.



Figure 9.15 Bridge Type Cross-Section Table for Energy Method

This completed the review for the energy method analysis. As a final review
of the water surface profile as shown in Figure 9.10, it can be seen that the
water surface upstream of the bridge did not encounter the bridge decking for
the energy method analysis and therefore was calculated as a low flow
profile. However, the water surface elevation is very close to the bridge
decking and, due to the turbulent wave action of the flow, may jump to
pressure flow during the event. Therefore, an additional analysis was
performed with the pressure/weir flow option selected for the high method.
This is discussed further in the next section.
9-16
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Pressure/Weir Analysis

The water surface profile in the vicinity of the bridge was calculated as low
flow for the energy method analysis. However, for a pressure flow analysis,
the program will compare the energy gradeline value of the flow with the low
cord of the bridge decking to determine when pressure flow will begin to
occur. As can be seen in Figure 9.10, the energy gradeline elevation is
greater than the low cord at the upstream side of the bridge. Therefore, the
river reach was re-analyzed using the pressure/weir method for the high flow
computations.

To select the pressure/weir method, the geometry file Base Geometry Data -
Energy was activated. Then the Bridge/Culvert icon and the Bridge
Modeling Approach icon were selected. The Pressure/Weir Method was
then chosen for the high flow analysis. This Bridge Modeling Approach
Editor is shown as Figure 9.16.



Figure 9.16 Bridge Modeling Approach Editor for Pressure/Weir Flow
Analysis


For the pressure/weir analysis, the editor allows three input coefficients. The
first coefficient is for the flow situation when only the upstream side of the
bridge decking is submerged. For this example, the field was left blank so
that the table values would be used by the program. The second coefficient is
for the flow situation when both the upstream and downstream sides of the
bridge decking are submerged. This coefficient was left at a value of 0.8, the
default value. The final field is for the modeler to enter an elevation value for
the program to use to determine when to begin the pressure flow calculations.
9-17
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Pressure flow calculations will begin when the low flow energy gradeline
value is greater than the value entered in this field. If the field is left blank
(as for this example), then the program will use the highest low cord of the
bridge decking on the upstream side. Once all of the data had been entered,
the editor was closed by selecting the OK button.

Next, the ineffective flow areas were added at river station 8 (the river station
located immediately upstream of the bridge). A left ineffective flow area was
set to begin 10 feet to the left of the bridge opening and a right ineffective
flow area was set to begin 10 feet to the right of the right side of the bridge
opening. Both of these ineffective flow areas were set at an elevation of 1285
feet, the high cord elevation of the bridge.

Then, the geometry file was saved as Base Geometry Data - Press/Weir.
Next, this geometry file and the steady flow data file were saved as a plan.
This was performed by first activating the Steady Flow Analysis Window
from the main program window. The steady flow window is shown in Figure
9.17. Then, the geometry and steady flow file were selected by depressing
the down arrows on the right side of the window.



Figure 9.17 Steady Flow Analysis Window for Pressure/Weir Analysis


Next, the Short ID Press/Weir was entered in the upper right corner of the
editor and the flow regime Mixed was selected. Finally, File and Save
Plan As were selected and the title Putah Creek Bridge - Press/Weir was
entered. This created a new plan with the pressure/weir geometry file and the
steady flow data file. The plan name then appeared at the top of the steady
flow analysis window (as well as on the main program window).

After the new plan was created, the COMPUTE button was depressed to
activate the calculations of the water surface profile. The user can activate
this plan by selecting File, Open Plan, and then the plan Putah Creek Bridge
- Press/Weir to review the remaining discussion of this example.

9-18
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Review of Output for Pressure/Weir Analysis

For the output for the pressure/weir analysis, this discussion will review the
water surface profile, the expansion and contraction reach lengths, the bridge
comparison table, the bridge cross section table, and finally the 3-D plot.

Water Surface Profile

The water surface profile for the pressure/weir analysis is shown in Figure
9.18. As can be seen in the figure, the upstream water surface profile begins
in the supercritical flow regime. However, the energy gradeline at the cross
section immediately upstream of the bridge was greater than the highest value
of upstream low cord. Therefore, during the computations, pressure flow was
found to occur and the water surface profile developed as pressure flow
through the bridge. This pressure flow caused a backwater effect and created
a subcritical flow profile upstream of the bridge. For the flow to transition
from a supercritical to a subcritical profile, a hydraulic jump occurred in
between river stations 11 and 11.5*.

The flow through the bridge structure is again Class B flow because the flow
passed through critical depth within the bridge. Finally, the downstream
profile is supercritical to the downstream cross section. As before, it was
necessary to perform the analysis in the mixed flow regime in order to obtain
a water surface profile in both the subcritical and supercritical flow regimes.



Figure 9.18 Water Surface profile for Pressure/Weir Flow Analysis


9-19
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Expansion and Contraction Reach Lengths

As stated previously, the locations of the cross sections in the vicinity of a
bridge are crucial for the accurate prediction of the energy losses through the
structure. For this example, the distance from river station 6 to 5.5 * defines
the expansion reach length and the distance from river station 8.5* to 8
defines the contraction reach length. Each of these reach lengths are
evaluated below based upon the procedures as outlined in appendix B of the
Hydraulic Reference Manual. However, these procedures were developed
based on subcritical flow through bridges. Therefore, only the table values
will be used to provide a general guidance for the reach lengths.

Expansion Reach Length. To estimate the expansion reach length from
Table B.1, the following information was required:

b = 90
B = 190
b/B = 0.50
S = 50
n
ob
/n
c
= 0.035 / 0.025 = 1.4
L
obs
= 45

where: b = bridge opening width, ft
B = floodplain width, ft
S = bed slope, ft/mi
n
ob
= Mannings n value of the overbank
n
c
= Mannings n value of the main channel
L
obs
= average length of obstruction, ft

From Table B.1, the expansion ratio (ER) was determined to be in the range
from 1.2 - 1.5. Using an average value of 1.3 yields an expansion reach
length (L
e
) of:

L
e
= (ER) (L
obs
) = (1.3) (45) = 60 feet

From the geometric data, the distance from river station 6 to 5.5* was set at
50 feet. This value is approximately equal to the expansion reach length as
determined above and the location of the river stations were not adjusted.

Contraction Reach Length. To estimate the contraction reach length, the
contraction ratio from Table B.2 was determined to be in the range from 0.8 -
1.4. Using an average value of 1.1 yielded a contraction reach length (L
c
) of:

L
c
= (CR) (L
obs
) = (1.1) (45) = 50 feet

From the geometric data, the contraction reach length was set to be 50 feet.
For this example, the flow in the main channel did not exhibit a large degree
of contraction or expansion losses. This allowed for shorter expansion and
contraction reach lengths, as determined above. As stated previously, the
table values were used as a general guide, because the data of the example
9-20
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
were not within the range of the data used to develop the regression
equations.

Bridge Comparison Table

As was shown in Figure 9.18, the water surface reflected pressure flow
through the bridge structure. To determine why this energy value was
selected, the user can review the Bridge Comparison Table. This table is
activated from the main program window by selecting View, Profile
Summary Table, Std. Tables, and then Bridge Comparison. This table is
shown in Figure 9.19.

As described previously, the first two columns in the table show the reach and
river station of the bridge location. The third column shows the bridge
method that was used as the final answer. The fourth column shows the final
energy gradeline value used for the analysis. The fifth column shows the
water surface that corresponds to the energy value in column four. The next
four columns (Energy, Momentum, Yarnell, and WSPRO) show the
calculated energy gradeline values for these low flow methods. For this
example, only the energy and the momentum methods were selected to be
calculated for the low flow analysis. The solution of the energy gradeline for
the energy method is 1282.22 feet. The momentum method produced an
answer of 1282.99 feet. Therefore, the program used the value of 1282.99 as
the answer for the low flow analysis (this is not necessarily the final answer
as is discussed subsequently).



Figure 9.19 Bridge Comparison Table for Pressure/Weir Flow Analysis

The tenth column (Prs O EG) displays the energy gradeline necessary for
only pressure flow to be occurring through the bridge. For this example, this
value is 1284.79 feet. The program then compared this pressure only energy
gradeline to the energy gradeline that was used for the low flow analysis
(1282.99). The greater of the two values was then used as the final answer.
For this example, the pressure only energy gradeline was the greater value
and the program then used the pressure only method as the final solution.

9-21
The ninth column (Prs/Wr EG) shows the calculated energy gradeline value
for the situation when both pressure and weir flow would occur. This
situation did not develop for this example. For a further discussion for bridge
analyses, the user is referred to example 2 and to chapter 6 of the Users
Manual and chapter 5 of the Hydraulic Reference Manual.
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Bridge Detailed Output Table

As a final table for the review of the pressure/weir flow, the user can select
the Bridge Detailed Output Table. This is activated from the main program
window by selecting View, Detailed Output Table, Type, and then Bridge.
This will display the table as shown in Figure 9.20.

As discussed previously, the left side of the table shows the energy gradeline
and the water surface for the cross section immediately upstream of the
bridge. (These values are the same as was shown in Figure 9.19.)
Additionally, the left side of the table shows that there was no weir flow
occurring over the bridge decking. The right side of the table displays
information for the two cross sections located inside of the bridge.



Figure 9.20 Bridge Detailed Output Table for Pressure/Weir Flow Analysis



9-22
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
The bottom of the table displays the errors, warnings, and notes for the river
station. At this bridge location, the notes shown in the figure indicated that
the sluice gate equation was used for pressure flow. This equation was used
because the water surface elevation at the river station immediately below the
bridge was less than the lowest value of the low cord for the bridge.

X-Y-Z Perspective Plot

As a final review of the pressure/weir flow analysis, the X-Y-Z Perspective
plot was viewed. This plot was activated from the main program window by
selecting View and then X-Y-Z Perspective Plots. This plot is shown as
Figure 9.21. The user must be aware of the fact that this plot can be aligned
according to left or right edges of the cross sections or by the main channel
left, centerline, or right bank stations. Additionally, the alignment is based
upon the X-coordinates as entered by the user. If the X-coordinates for the
cross sections are not all established from the same left baseline, then the plot
may not be accurately portraying the correct configuration of the river
system.



Figure 9.21 X-Y-Z Perspective Plot for Pressure/Weir Analysis

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Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Summary

As a summary for this example, a profile plot for both the energy and
pressure flow analysis is shown as Figure 9.22. Once the plot was activated,
Options and Plans were chosen and both plans were selected to be displayed.
The heading at the top of the figure displays the Short IDs that were used for
each plan : 1) Energy and 2) Press/Weir. The legend displays two lines for
the critical depth and two lines for the water surface. Both of the critical
depth lines will coincide since the flow rate was the same for both plans. For
the water surface profiles, the lines are labeled WS 100yr - Energy and
WS 100yr - Pressure for the energy and pressure methods respectively.

(Note: For this example, each plan only had one profile.) Similarly, the
legend description for the solid water surface profile signifies that this line is
for the first profile of the energy plan.



Figure 9.22 Water Surface profiles for both Energy and Pressure
Analysis


A review of Figure 9.22 shows a significant difference in the calculated water
surface profiles for the two plans. During the energy analysis, the water
surface does not encounter the bridge decking and this lead to a low flow
profile. However, the pressure analysis determined that the water surface
came in contact with the upstream side of the bridge. With both of these
analyses, the modeler must use engineering judgment to determine which
profile is actually occurring.

9-24
Example 9 Mixed Flow Analysis
Realistically, for this example, as the flow rate begins to increase to the value
of 3200 cfs, the flow will most likely be a low flow profile as calculated by
the energy method. At the flow rate of 3200 cfs, the flow may also initially
be occurring as the low flow profile. However, the water surface
immediately upstream of the bridge has risen due to the constriction of the
cross sections in the vicinity of the bridge. If the flow is sediment laden and
as debris begins to accumulate in the vicinity of the bridge opening, the water
surface may begin to fluctuate due to the turbulent nature of the flow. These
water surface fluctuations may become great enough to cause the water
surface to come in contact with the upstream low cord of the bridge. When
this occurs, the flow may jump to become pressure flow through the bridge
opening.
9-25