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WEIRS
Classification of Weirs:
Design of Weirs:
Hydraulic Design
Structural Design
Floor Design
Detailed Drawings
Solved Example

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Objectives of Weirs in Irrigation Canals

Proper distribution of water carried by a main canal among the branch
canals depending upon it

Reducing the hydraulic slope (gradient) in a canal (if canal water slope is
greater than the allowable water slope)

Reducing head on existing structures

Collecting sediments at US of structures (sand strap)

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Weirs for reducing water slope in steep lands

Distance between weirs

ac = L * Slope (before)
ab = L * Slope (after)

rise (R) = ac ab
= L {Slope (before) slope (after)}

L = distance between weirs

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L = R / (natural slope required slope)

Classification of Weirs According to Geometrical Shape

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Classification According to Position in Plan

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Classification According to Dimensions of Cross Section

Classification According to Position of Down-Stream Water Level

a) Free- Overfall Weir (Clear-Overfall)

Q = 2/3 Cd B (2g) 0.5 H1.5

DSWL is lower than crest level
Q is independent of DSWL
QH

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b) Submerged Weir

Q = 2/3 Cd B (2g) 0.5 H1.5 + Cd B h1 (2gh2)0.5

DSWL is higher than weir crest

Q H, h1, h2

Classification According to Crest Length (B)

Design of Weirs
Design of Weirs is divided to 3 parts:

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I. Hydraulic Design (determination of crest level and weir

(length according to head
II. Structural Design (Empirical Dimensioning check of
(stability

III Detailed Drawings

For proper Design of Water Structures:

Velocity of Flow:
Must cause minimum Loss in Head
Or

minimum Heading Up

Flow of Water in a Channel is controlled either by:

A Weir

or

A Regulator

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Weirs:

For lands having steep slopes

Regulators:

For lands having mild slopes or flat lands

I- Hydraulic Design of Weirs

1- Clear Over fall Weir
Q = 2/3 Cd B (2g) 0.5 H 1.5

2 Submerged Weir
Q = 2/3 Cd B (2g) 0.5 h21.5 + Cd B h1 (2*g*h2) 0.5

3 BroadCrested Weir
Q = 1.71 Cd B H 1.5

4 Fayum Type Weir

Q = 1.65 B H 1.5

5 Standing Wave Weir

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Q = 2.05 B H 1.5

II Structural Design

1 The super structure

Theoretical Weir Profile

Scour Length of Weir Floor

Scour may be defined as deepening and widening of water channel under the
influence of the flowing water with high velocities.

The scour continues until the energy of the flowing water reaches the normal
channel energy.

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Velocity distribution through scour hole

Precautions against scour

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Floor of Heading Up Structures

A weir on solid rock (impervious foundation) does not need long apron (Floor), but
needs sufficient width b to resist soil stresses.

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A weir on pervious soil needs length L to:

a) Cover percolation length,

b) Resist scour from falling water

Definitions
Percolation is the flow of water under the ground surface due to an applied
differential head

Percolation length (creep length) is the length to dissipate the total

hydraulic pressure on the structure

Undermining (Piping) is to carry away (wash) soil particles with flowing water
below the ground surface causing collapse or failure of the above structure

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Determination of Percolation Length

To determine the critical head: (after which undermining occurs)

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1- Measure Q for different heads

2- H1 ----- Q1, v1= Q1 / A
H2 ------Q2, v2. (k determined)
3- H..Hn varies until Hcritical (soil particles begin to move)

Vcritical = Qcritical / A

vcr

vcr = k Hcr / L = K icr

k = vcr L / Hcr
Soil
Clean gravel
Clean sand
Fine sand + silt
Clay

L = K Hcr / vcr

= Qcr L / A Hcr
K (cm / min)
5000 50
50 0.05
0.05 0.00005
< 0.00005

Type of flow
Turbulent
Turbulent or laminar
Laminar
Always laminar

Permeability : (hydr. Conductivity)

Ability of fluid to move in the soil under certain head (dimensions of velocity)

v=ki
i=H/L
v porosity + arrangement of grains

Seepage or percolation below weirs on previous soils:

a weir may be subject to failure from under seepage

water head will force (push) the water to percolate through the soil voids

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if water velocity at D.S. end is not safe (> v critical) then undermining occurs,
i.e. water at exit will carry away soil particles

v = k I (Darcy,s law)
= k dP / dl = k H / L

In practice: icr = vcr / k

is unknown

Therefore we carry the 2nd experiment

e = voids ratio
e = vv/ vs

e = (1 vs) / vs = (1 / vs) 1

Or 1+e = 1 / vs

or

vs = 1 / (1+e)

Upward force = H * A
Downward force =

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(net weight)
= sp. Gr. Wt. Of soil under water

=(

-1) A L / (1+e)

for stability: H. A. = (
H / L = icr = (

-1) A L / (1 + e)

- 1) / (1 + e)

Safe percolation length

can be determined

L = H / icr

Or L = H / icr (F.S.)

Values of icr & F.S.

Soil
Fine gravel
Coarse sand
Fine sand
Silt & clay

icr
0.25 0.20
0.20 0.17
0.17 0.14
0.14 0.12

F.S.
4 5
56
67
78

If I > icr undermining (piping)

i.e. water has v >> to carry away soil particles

Bligh Creep Theory

The length of the seepage path transversed by the water is known as the length of creep

(percolation length).

Bligh supposed that the dissipation of head per unit length of creep is constant
throughout the seepage path.
CB = Bligh coefficient of percolation

C B = V/K

Percolation length is the path length from (a) to (b)

LBligh = CBligh . H

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L` = 2 t + L
If L` > LB (Design is safe, no possibility of undermining)
If L` < LB (Design is unsafe, undermining occurs, leads to failure)

L` = L + 2 t + 2 S1 + 2 S2
L`

LB (design is safe, no possibility of undermining)

L` < LB (design is unsafe, undermining occurs, leads to failure)

Lanes Weighted Creep Theory

Lane suggested that a weight of three should be given to vertical creep and a weight of
one to horizontal creep.
LL = CL H
Lane percolation length

L` = 1/3 L (horizontal) + L (vertical)

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L` = 1/3 L + 2 t + 2 S1 + 2 S2

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Distance between successive sheet piles

Distance between sheet piles a-a and b-b

d1 + d2

Water percolation length takes the right path -----safe

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Distance between sheet piles a-a & b-b < d1 + d2;

Water percolation length takes a short cut from a to b;
Actual percolation length is smaller than designed
unsafe

Design Head for Percolation

H = USHWL DSHWL

(1)

H = USLWL DSLWL

(2)

H = Crest level DSBL

(3)

Design head H is the biggest of (1), (2), and (3)

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Determination of Floor Dimensions

t1 = 0.5 1.0 m
t2 is taken 2.0 m
t3 = t2 / 2

assumed
or

t2 = 0.8 (H)0.5

1m

and l1 is assumed (1-2) H

L2 = is determined according to weir type

(3-8) m

LScour = Cs (Hs) 0.5

Or
LScour = 0.6 CB (Hs) 0.5

Hs = USHWL DSBL Yc
= Scour head; Yc = critical depth

&

q=Q/B

where B is the weir length; q is the discharge per unit length

L` = l1 + l2 + ls + 2 t2
LB = CB . H

if L` LB no need for sheet pile

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If L` < LB unsafe; use sheet pile

Depth of sheet piles = (LB L`) / 2
Sheet pile depth

Determination of the uplift diagram

HD
h2 = H t1/CB l1 / CB
t2 = t / (m) * Factor of safety
t2 = F.S. [ h2 / (m)] m.; m = 2.2 t/m3
t2 = 1.3. [ h2 / (m)]
then t3 = t2/2

1 m.

t3 = F.S. [ h3 / (m)] m
thickness t3
L3 = CB * h3 = x + t3

then the head h3 which corresponds to floor

then get distance x

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Precautions Against Percolation

The aprons are of plain concrete blocks of about 1.5 * 1 * 0.75 m deep
For small structure blocks of about 1 * 0.75 * 0.5 m deep may be used
The blocks are placed in rows with (70 100) mm open joints filled with broken
stone.
An inverted filter of well graded gravel and sand is placed under the blocks in order
to prevent the loss of soil through the joints

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EXAMPLE
A canal (A) is divided into two branches (i & ii).The discharge of branch (i)=2Q of
branch (ii) at all times. Two weirs have to be constructed at the entrance of each canal
.

Data :- Bed width of canals (i & ii )

= ( 23.0 & 8.0 ) m .

- Flood discharge of canal (A)

- Summer discharge of canal (A) =

105 cum/sec .
45

cum/sec .

- DSHWL in the two canals = ( 11.00 )

- minimum water depth in the two canal branches = 4.0 m .
- Difference between H.W.L & L.W.L in canal(A) = .7 m .
- Submergence in canal (i)

- Bligh coeff. of percolation

1/3
16

- Bed level is constant in canal (A) and its branches .

- Q = 2 B H1.5
If a Board crested weir is constructed at the entrance of the two branches (i&ii) it is
required to :-

1- Crest level of weirs ( i & ii ) .

2- Length of each weir .
3- HWL in canals (A) .
4- LWL in canal (A) & (i) .
5- Design of weir floor for canal (i) by applying Bligh method..

solution
QA = Qi + Qii

&

Qi =

2 Qii

QA = 2 Qii + Qii
At flood

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QA

= 105

3 Qii

Qii = 35 m3/s

& Qi = 70 m3/s

At summer
QA

= 45

3 Qii

Qii = 15 m3/s

& Qi = 30 m3/s

For branch ( i )

= (2 B H11.5) / (2 B H21.5)

Qmax /Qmin

H1/H2 = (Qmax /Qmin )2/3

H1/H2 = 1.527
H1 - H2

&
.7

= H12/H22

= (70/30)2/3

H1 = 1.76 H2

(1)

(2)

From (1) & (2)

1.76 H2 - H2

= .7

H2 = .92 m

H1 = 1.62 m
h1/H1 = 1/3

h1 = 1.62/3

1- Crest level of weirs ( i & ii ) = 11 - .54 =

( 10.46 )

2- length of weir (i)

Qmax = 70 = 2 B (1.62)1.5

B = 17 m

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Qmin = 30 = 2 B (.92)1.5

B = 17 m

B = 17 m
Length of weir (ii)
Qmax = 35 = 2 B (1.62)1.5

B = 8.5 m

Qmin = 15 = 2 B (.92)1.5

B = 8.5 m

B = 8.5 m

3- HWL in canals (A) = 10.46 + 1.62 = (12.08)

4- LWL in canal (A) = 10.46 + .92 = (11.38)

h2/H2 = 1/3

& h2 = .92/3 =

.3

LWL in canal (i) = 10.46 + .3 = ( 10.76 )

Design of weir floor for canal (i) by applying Bligh method

BED LEVEL = 10.76 4 = 6.76

HD = 12.08 - 11

= 1.08

HD = 11.38 - 10.76 = .62

HD = 10.46 - 6.76

= 3.7

take

LB = CB * HD

HD = 3.7 m

= 16 * 3.7 = 59.2

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Assume L1 =

6m

L2 = 6 m

LS = CS (HS).5

CS = .6 CB

HS = 12.08 - 6.76 - Ycr

&

HS = 4.37

&

LS = 20 m

Assume t2 = 2 m
L\ = 6 + 6 + 20 + 2 * 2 = 36
L\ < LB

unsafe use sheet pile d = (59.2 36) / 2 = 11.6

Use two sheet pile d =7 m & d = 5 m

h2 = 3.7 - .5/16 6/16- (2*7)/16 = 2.9

t2 = 2.9 * (1.3/1.2)

= 3.1 m

t3 = t2/2

> 1

= 1.6 m

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1.6 = 1.3 * h3/1.2

L3 = 16 * 1.47 = X + 2*5 + 1.6

h3 = 1.47
&

X =

11.92 m

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