RIVER ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION
River take off from mountains, flow from the mountains
plain terrains, and finally join the oceans.

Types of rivers and their characteristics

1. Classification of rivers on the basic of the topography
of the river basin.
Depending upon the topography of the basin, the
river reaches can be classified as:
(i) Rivers in hills (upper reaches)
(ii) Rivers in alluvial flood plans (lower reaches)
(iii) Tidal rivers

(i) River in hills

The rivers generally take off from the mountain
and flow through the hilly regions before
traversing the plains. These upper reaches of
the rivers may be termed as Rivers in hills.
a) Incised of rocky river stage (b) boulder river stage
Rocky stage
• In this type, the flow channel is generally
formed by the process of degradation
• The sediment transported in this reach is
different from the river bed material.
• These river reaches as highly steep with swift
flow.
• The beds and banks of such rivers are less
susceptible to erosion.

b) Boulder river stage

• The river bed in these reaches consists of a
mixture of boulders, gravels and alluvial sound
deposit created by it self
• During a flood, the boulders and gravels are
transported d/s, but as the flood subsides, the
materials gets deposited in heaps.
• The water then unable to shift these heaps, go
round them and the channel often wanders in
new direction after attacking the banks and
consequently widening the bed.
1. Aggrading type
An aggrading river is silting river. Such a river
increase its bed slope, which is called building up of
slope. The silting may be due to various reasons,
i) Heavy sediment load
ii) Construction of as a dam or a weir:
iii) Sudden intrusion of sediment from a tributary
2. Degrading type
If the river bed is constantly getting scoured to
reduce and dissipate available excess land slope then
the river is known as a degrading river. It may be
found either above a cutoff or below a dam or a weir
or a barrage etc.

3. Stable type
River which does not change its alignment, slope &
its regime significantly is called a stable river.

4. Braided rivers
When a river flow in two or more channel around
alluvial island, it is known as a braided river.
5. Deltaic river
Delta is a stage rather than a type of a river

6. Tidal rivers
River adjoining the oceans are affected by the tides
in the ocean.
The distance upto which the tidal affect is
experienced depend upon various factors such as
the shape and configuration of the river, the tidal
range etc.
CLASSIFICATION OF RIVERS ON THE BASIC OF
FLOOD HYDROGRAPHS
(i) Flashy river
If the flood rise and flood fall in a river is
sudden, then it is called flashy river. In flashy
river, the flood flows, occur suddenly and rise
and fall of water level is very quick
(ii) Virgin river
River in the states of kutch and Rajasthan in
india.
 INDIAN RIVERS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION
1. Himalayan rivers
• These rivers take off from Himalayas and flow
through alluvial plains.
• They derive their water from rains during
mansoon and winter, and from the melting
snow during summer.
• These river carry huge sediment
 Indus, Jhelum, Chenob, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej,
Ganga, Kosi, Brahmaputra, Etc

2. Non Himalayan Rivers

• They are non perennial rivers.
• They receive their major water supply only in
rainy seasons
• They draw water from ground supply only in
rainy seasons.
• They draw water from ground water as base
flow for the rest of the year
 • They flow in central and south Indian and
takeoff from Aravalli, Vindhya and Satpura
mountain ranges.
• These rivers are much more stable than the
Himalayan rivers. And pose lesser problems,
as they flow through non alluvial soil.

BEHAVIOUR OF RIVERS
The sediment carried by the river poses numerous
problems, such as: increasing of flood levels, silting of
reservoirs,silting channels, meandering of rivers, splitting
up of a river into a number of interlaced channels etc.

1) Straight reaches
 In a straight reach of a river the river cross section is
in the shape of a trough with high velocity flow in
the middle of the section.
Due to the existence of this transverse gradient from
side towards the centre transverse rotary current get
developed straight reaches are very few in alluvial
rivers

2) Bends
Every alluvial river tends to develop bends, which
are characterized by scouring on the concave side
and splitting on the convex side. The silting and
sourcing in a bend may continue due to the action of
the centrifugal force.
3) Meanders
Formation of successive bends of reverse order may
lead to the formation of a complete S curve called
meander.
4) Causes of meandering
There are four variables which govern the
meandering process.
They are (a) Valley slope, (b) silt grade and silt
charge, (c) discharge (d) bed and side materials and
their susceptibility to erosion

5) Meander parameters
i) Meander length (ML):- it is the axial length of
one meander, i.e. the tangential distance
between the corresponding points of a
meander.
ii) Meander belt (MB):- Distance between the
outer edges of clockwise and anti clockwise
loops of the meander.
iii) Meander ratio :- ratio of meander belt to
meander length, i.e. MB/ML
iv) Tortuosity:- Ratio of the length along the
channel (i.e, actual length) to the direct axial
length of the river reach
v) Crossings or cross-overs: the short straight
reaches of the river, connecting two consecutive
 clockwise and anti clockwise loops are called
crossing or cross overs.
vi) Cutt off:- the process, whereby this chord
channel is developed or the chord channel itself,
it termed as cut-off
A cut off is a natural phenomenon of
counterbalancing the otherwise ever increasing
length of the river course due to the
development of meander

s
CUTOFF RATIO:-
• Ratio of the length of the bend to that of the chord is
called the cutoff ratio.
• This ratio varies depending upon the characteristic
of the river at site. Such as the discharge the river
flood stage surface fall bed material and its suitable
for the growth of protective grass and weeds etc

RIVER TRAINING AND ITS OBJECTIVES

The main objective of rivers training are as follows:

(i) High water training

• High water training is undertaken with the primary
purpose of flood control.
• It aims at providing sufficient river cross-section of
the safe passage of maximum flood concerned
with making the adjoining area flood proof, by
construction of dykes or levees, etc
(ii) Low water training
• Low water training is undertaken with the
primary purpose of providing sufficient water
depth for navigation during lower water periods,
• It may be accomplished by concentrating and
enhancing the flow in the desired channel by
closing other channels.

(iii) Mean water training

• Mean water training aims at efficient disposal of
suspended load and bed load and thus, preserve
the channel in good shape.
METHODS FOR RIVER TRAINING
1. Marginal embankments
• Marginal embankments are earthen
embankment constructed parallel to the river to
protect the area on one side of it from flooding
• It is also termed ad bund dyke as levees
 • A levees or dyke is mainly used for flood
protection by controlling the river and not by
training the river

a) To increase the rate at which the flood wave travels

down the stream,
b) To increase the water surface elevation at flood,

The following causes may lead to failure of levees,

either singly or due to a combination of two or more
factors:

2. Guide bank
 • The guide banks are the earthen embankments
provided to confine the flood water of alluvial rivers
within reasonable waterway and provided a
straight non tortuous approach towards a structure
constructed across the river
• They prevent the river from chaining its course and
outflanking the work.
Guide bank may be classified according to their
layout u/s of the work as
(i) Divergent guide banks
(ii) Convergent guide banks
(iii) Parallel guide banks

(i) Divergent guide banks :- tends to attract the

flow towards them and are suitable where the
river current has been oblique to the structure
or where the work is located at one edge of
khadir
(ii) Convergent guide banks :- have the
disadvantage of excessive attach and heavy
 scour at the u/s head and shoaling all along the
bank thus rendering the bays ineffective
(iii) Due to these drawbacks, divergent and
convergent guide banks with excessive splay are
rarely used
It most of the cases parallel guide banks or
slightly convergent guide banks with a splay of 1
in 20 or 1 in 40 are used unless local conditions
necessitate the other types.

3. Groynes or Spurs
• Groynes may be aligned either perpendicular to
the bank or at an angle pointing u/s or d/s.
 • These are also known as spur dikes or
transverse dike and constitute the most widely
used river training works.
• The nose of the groyne is subjected to
tremendous action of water and has to be
heaving protected by pitching

FUNCTIONS OF GROYNES
(i) Training the river along a desired course by
attracting deflecting or repelling the flow in the
river
(ii) Creating a slack flow with the objective of silting
up the area in the vicinity
(iii) Protecting the river bank by keeping the flow
away from it
 (iv) Contracting a wide river channel, usually for the
improvement of depth for navigation

TYPE OF GROYNES
(i) According to methods and materials of
construction
(ii) According to height of groyne
(iii) According to function served
(iv) Special types

IMPERMEABLE GROYNES
• Impermeable of solid groynes do not permit
appreciable flow of water through them
• The section of groyne has side slope varying from 2 :
1 to 3 : 1 depending on the material used for its
construction and front of head slope varying from
3:1 to 5:1
The permeable groynes permit restricted flow of
water through them.
• As the sediment accumulates between the groynes
the bank becomes more or less permanent so that
there is no need to use any other material for its
protection

Tree groyness
A tree groynes consists of a thick wire rope 25 mm
diameter firmly anchored at one end to the bank
and tied at the other end to a concrete block
Pile groynes
This type of groynes may be constructed out of
timber of R.C.C piles or sheet piles

Permeable groynes are more effective then solid or

impermeable groynes in the regulation of river
courses or in the protection of banks especially in a
silt laden river.

Classification according to height of groynes

According to height of groynes these may be
classified as:
a) Non submerged groynes
b) Submerged gorynes
 Classification according to function served
According to function served by the groynes these
may be classified as
a) Attracting groynes
b) Repelling groynes
c) Deflecting groynes
d) Sedimenting groynes

Attracting groynes
• A groyne pointing d/s tends to attract the river flow
towards the bank on which it is provided and hence
it is called an attracting groyne.
• The angle of inclination of an attracting groyne with
the bank may be in the range 30o to 60o
• The attracting groynes are not useful for bank
protection and any sometimes even endanger the
adjacent banks since silting between successive is
absent.
Repelling groynes
• A groyne pointing u/s tends to repel the river flow
away from the bank on which it is provided and
hence it is called a repelling groyne
• The angle of inclination of repelling groynes with the
bank varies from 60o to 80o or with a line
perpendicular to the bank varies from 10o to 30o
• The head of a repelling groyne needs a very strong
protection because it is subjected to direct attack of
a swirling current
NOTE:- as compared to attracting groynes repelling
groynes are more effective and do not cause any trouble
as such repelling groynes are commonly used for purpose
of river training and bank protection
Deflecting groynes
• A groynes perpendicular to the bank or pointing
slightly u/s & having a relative short length tends to
only deflect the flow without repelling it and hence it
is called a deflecting
• A deflecting groyne gives only local protection
Sedimenting groynes
• A groyne which dampens the velocity of flow and
thus causes deposition of sediment carried by the
river without repelling or deflecting the flow, is
called a sedimenting groyne.
Special types of Groynes
• Some of the special type of groynes that have also
been used are
(i) Denehy’s T-headed groynes
(ii) Hockey head groynes or Hockey groynes

(i) Denehy’s T-headed groynes

• Denehy’s groynes or T-headed groynes were
developed in India by Denehy and were first used by
him in 1880 for the purpose of river training and
bank protection at the Okhla Headworks, Delhi on
the Yamuna River.
• It is an ordinary groyne provided with an extra cross
groynes at the head giving it a T-shape
• A greater length of the cross groyne projects on the
u/s side and as smaller length on the d/s side on the
main groyne
 (ii) Hockey head groynes or Hockey groynes
• These groynes are provided with a curved head such
that; at the lower end their shape in like a hockey stick.
• The hockey head groynes behave more like attracting
groynes and hence they are not likely to be useful for
bank protection or repelling of the current away form
the bank.
BANK PITCHING AND LAUNCHING APRONS
(i) Direct (ii) indirect

Direct protection includes works done on the bank

itself
Indirect protection includes works constructed not
directly on the banks in front of them for reducing the
erosive action of the current.

Pitched Islands
 • A pitched island is an artificially created island in the
river bed and it protected by stone pitching on all
sides.
• A launching or falling apron is provided around the
island to protect the toe of its side slopes.

SILLS
• Sills (also called submerged sills or submerged dykes)
are used to counteract the tendency to cause
excessive scour and large depth in any part of the
river cross section
Closing dykes
• A closing dyke is an obstruction put across a branch
of a river which is desired to be closed so that the
river flow may be diverted to single channel. They
dykes may be either solid or permeable
• A solid dyke must be designed to resist the pressure
of water on its u/s face and to be safe against the
possibility of undermining by seepage
• A permeable dyke retards the flow and causes a
gradual silting up of the branch above itself.

Bandalling
• Bandalling is a method of river training which is
generally used to confine the low water flow in a
 single channel for maintaining required depth for
navigation.
• Bandals are placed at an angle of 30o to 40o
inclined d/s. they check the flow and causes sand
to be deposited parallel to and behind the
bandals.