United States Soil P.O.

Box 2890
Department of Conservation Washington, D.C.
Agriculture Service 2001 3

March 5, 1986

DESIGN NOTE NO. 6 (Second E d i t i o n )

2 10-VI

SUBJECT: ENG - RIPRAP LINED PLITNGE POOL FOR CANTILEVER OUTLET

Purpose. To d i s t r i b u t e Design Note No. 6 (Second E d i t i o n ) , "Riprap Lined

Plunge Pool f o r C a n t i l e v e r O u t l e t .I1

E f f e c t i v e Date. E f f e c t i v e when r e c e i v e d .

E x p l a n a t i o n . Design Note No. 6 was o r i g i n a l l y i s s u e d i n 1969 and was b a s e d on

r e s e a r c h r e p o r t e d i n 1967. T h i s second e d i t i o n was developed based on
r e c e n t l y r e p o r t e d r e s e a r c h by Fred W. B l a i s d e l l of t h e A g r i c u l t u r a l Research
S e r v i c e . The need f o r a r e v i s i o n of t h e o r i g i n a l Design Note No. 6 h a s been
i d e n t i f i e d by s e v e r a l r e p o r t e d s i t u a t i o n s of r i p r a p b e i n g d i s p l a c e d from t h e
plunge pool.

The B l a i s d e l l developed m a t h e m a t i c a l model i s i n o v e r a l l agreement w i t h t h e

e x p e r i m e n t a l d a t a . The purpose of t h i s e d i t i o n of t h e d e s i g n n o t e i s t o
present Blaisdell's f i n a l design equations with modifications t o f a c i l i t a t e
c o n s t r u c t i o n and s t i l l meet t h e minimum d e s i g n r e q u i r e m e n t .

Filing Instructions. D i s c a r d t h e 1969 e d i t i o n of Design Note No. 6 and f i l e

t h i s second e d i t i o n w i t h o t h e r d e s i g n n o t e s .

D i s t r i b u t i o n . The d e s i g n n o t e s h o u l d be u s e f u l t o p r o f e s s i o n a l s d e s i g n i n g o r
r e v i e w i n g t h e d e s i g n of an e n e r g y d i s s i p a t o r a t t h e downstream end of a
conduit spillway. I n i t i a l d i s t r i b u t i o n i s shown on t h e r e v e r s e s i d e .
A d d i t i o n a l c o p i e s may be o b t a i n e d from C e n t r a l Supply.

JOSEPH W. HAAS
Deputy Chief f o r Technology

Enclosure

DIST: DN-6

The Soil conservation Service

is an agency of the
United States Department of Agriculture
 United States Department of Agriculture January 23, 1986
Soil Conservation Service
Engineering Division

Design Note No. 6 (Second ~dition)"

Subject: Riprap Lined Plunge Pool for Cantilever Outlet

INTRODUCTION

The energy in flow exiting from a spillway usually requires dissipation

before being released to the outlet channel. For flow exiting from a
conduit, when an open plunge pool is acceptable, an excavated riprap-
lined hole at the downstream end of the conduit can be an economical
energy dissipator. However, the size of plunge pool, location relative
to the conduit outlet, and size of riprap must be properly designed for
the plunge pool to operate successfully. Successful operation consists
of negligible kinetic energy in the outflow, no erosion or loss of the
plunge pool foundation soil due to the turbulence in the process of
energy dissipation, and no displacement of the riprap.

Design Note No. 6, originally issued in 1969, was based on research

reported in 1967. This second edition was developed based on recently
reported research (Blaisdell and Anderson 1984). The need for a revi-
sion was identified by several reported situations of riprap being
displaced from the plunge pool.

Fred W. Blaisdell, Research Hydraulic Engineer, of the Agricultural

Research Service conducted experiments at the Saint Anthony Falls
Hydraulic Laboratory of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis to
evaluate the scour at cantilevered pipe spillway outlets. The Blaisdell
developed mathematical model indicates an overall agreement with the
experimental data. The final equations for the design of plunge pool
energy dissipators for cantilevered pipe spillways were presented at
the ASCE Hydraulic Division Conference in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, August,
1984. The purpose of this edition of the design note is to present the
final design equations with modifications to facilitate the evaluation
of plunge pool shape, length, width, depth, position in relation to the
outlet end of the conduit, and plunge pool volumes. Figures 1 and 2
illustrate the plunge pool layout dimensions.

DISCHARGE PARAMETER

The plunge pool dimensions were developed using a discharge parameter.

The parameter is based on the design discharge, Q, pipe diameter, D,
and combined with the acceleration of gravity, g, resulting in a

*Prepared by H. J. Goon, Design Unit, Engineering

- Division, Washington,
D. C.

0 (210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

dimensionless parameter of Q . This is very convenient since Q

and D are known prior to the plunge pool design.

-1 rWater surface at maximum discharge

Figure 1 - Plunge pool definition sketch

DISCHARGE JET TRAJECTORY

The plunge pool location is determined by the discharge jet trajectory.

The location of the plunge pool centerline downstream from the discharge
end of the pipe is dependent on the jet velocity and angle of impingement
with the pool surface as well as the plunge pool depth.

The jet impingement velocity and angle of entry into the pool can be
determined from the pipe exit slope, pipe discharge velocity, and height
of pipe invert above the water surface. The height of pipe invert above
the water surface, should be measured from the tailwater elevation
for the associated zd ~ '
scharge used for the plunge pool design. The
discharge should be the maximum prior to any secondary spillway flow.
S
The pipe slope is
- 1
, where S is the sine of the angle whose
v1-s'
tangent is the slope of the pipe. The discharge velocity, V,, is com-
puted based on the design discharge and the conduit cross-sectional
area. The path of the free falling jet is a parabola between the pipe
exit and tailwater surface where the jet enters the water with the
impingement velocity, Vp, and the slope, tan a. The horizontal
distance, X from the pipe exit to where the jet plunges into the
P'
tailwater with horizontal velocity, Vh, and vertical velocity, Vv,
is given in Eq. 5; where

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 3

vh - vo cos (sin-' S) Eq. 1

vV -d ( v
0
sI2 + 2g [zp + $ cos (sin-' s)] Eq. 2

v
tan a = -
v Eq. 3
vh

Eq. 4

Eq. 5

PLUNGE POOL DEPTH

The depth of e r o s i o n c r e a t e d by t h e discharging j e t can be c o n t r o l l e d by

t h e bed m a t e r i a l s i z e . The bed m a t e r i a l i s represented by i t s mean g r a i n
s i z e , dS0, t h e s i z e of which 50 percent by weight is f i n e r i n diameter.
The r e s e a r c h tests were run on noncohesive m a t e r i a l s . Therefore, t h i s
design procedure is a p p r o p r i a t e f o r s o i l and rock bed m a t e r i a l t h a t
perform as s i n g l e g r a i n m a t e r i a l i n r e s i s t i n g erosion. The dS0 s i z e f o r
r i p r a p l i n i n g m a t e r i a l may be v a r i e d t o a d j u s t t h e e r o s i o n depth. The
plunge pool depth i s computed using a densimetric Froude number, Fd, a s
follows :

Eq. 6

where : = Bed m a t e r i a l o r r i p r a p p a r t i c l e d e n s i t y
p = Water d e n s i t y

Z
For < 1, t h e maximum eroded depth i s computed by t h e equation

Z
m
= 7.5 D [ 1- e -Om6 (Fd - 2, I Eq. 7a

z
For % > 1, t h e maximum eroded depth is computed by t h e equation

Z
m
= 10.5 D [ 1- e -0*35 (Fd - 2, I Eq. 7b

The e f f e c t of a h o r i z o n t a l ledge o r a nonerodible l a y e r on t h e shape of

t h e plunge pool above t h e l a y e r was t e s t e d and found t o be a minimal.

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

4
z
The dimensions of the plunge pool are functions of -
m
.
When the
plunge pool dimensions are based on the value of Zm, ?he designed
contours above the ledge conform to the plunge pool shape. Therefore,

computed maximum depth, e.

it is acceptable to size and construct the plunge pool to 0.8 of the
However, the full value of the computed Zm,
as determined by equation 7a or 7b, must be used in subsequent equations
9, 10, and 11.

The d50 bed material size must be checked to assure that it is adequate
to control shallow beach type erosion at the top edge of the plunge
pool. High flow rates during research testing caused flow to circulate
upstream along both sides of the plunge pool. When these circulating
flows exceeded the bed mterial's critical tractive stress, beach ero-
sion at the top edge of the plunge pool occurred. The check for adequate
bed material size up to the tailwater elevation is by equation 8. The
d50 size is adequate and beach erosion will not occur if

Eq. 8

If the bed material d50 is not large enough, protection will need to
be added. In the case of riprap, a larger particle gradation will be
required.

LOCATION OF PLUNGE POOL

The horizontal distance, s,

from the pipe exit to the center of the
plunge pool, i.e., where maximum scour depth occurs is

z 5 112
X = [xp +-tanm a ] 1.15 e-0.15 [QIW ) I Eq. 9
m

DIMENSION OF PLUNGE POOL

The plunge pool natural shape is an ellipse with the greater length
parallel to the pipe flow. The minimum size based on laboratory tests
is the result of flow turbulence, boundary tractive stresses and submer-
ged angle of repose of granular material. The test material dS0 sizes
ranged from 0.5 to 8 m. The minimum horizontal distance from the center
of the plunge pool to the water surface contour at the upstream end of
the pool is equal to Lee

Eq. 10

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 B J
PLAN

j* W.S.

SECTION B-B SECTION A-A

Figure 2 - Plunge Pool

Since t h e plunge pool shape is t h a t of an e l l i p s e , t h e d i s t a n c e from

t h e c e n t e r of t h e plunge pool t o t h e water s u r f a c e contour a t t h e
p r o j e c t e d scour h o l e s l o p e a t t h e downstream end is a l s o equal t o
t h e minimum Lee

The minimum width of t h e plunge pool a t t h e c e n t e r of t h e pool i s equal

t o 2We.

Eq. 11

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

Once the minimum width, length, depth and the distance from the end of
the pipe to the center of the plunge pool are determined for a given
spillway layout and dS0 particle size, the final design shape and di-
mensions can be established. It is suggested that a comparable rectan-
gular shape with length equal to 2Le and width equal to 2We be specified
thus facilitating construction and still meeting the minimum design
requirement. The dimensions of the rectangular base at the bottom of
the plunge pool, 0.8 Zm below the water surface, are length, 2Lr2,
and width, 2Wr2 where;

Eq. 12

Eq. 13

It is recommended that the excavated side slopes of the plunge pool

along the length, z and along the width, z , be adjusted to accept-
a w
able grades for layout and riprap placement purposes, e.g., 3 horizon-
tal to 1 vertical. The final length and width of the plunge pool at
the water surface are 2Lr and 2Wr, respectively. Where;

Eq. 14

W
r
= 0.82 z
m w
+ W r2 Eq. 15

If Lr is less than Xm, the water surface contour at the upstream end
of the pool is downstream from the end of the conduit. Therefore, Lr
should be increased to equal to or greater than Xm.

PLUNGE POOL VOLUMES

The volume, V, in cu. yds. of the plunge pool and lining materials,
such as riprap and granular filter, can be determined as frustums of
pyramids. For convenience, the appropriate equation is listed below

where A1 is the plan rectangular area of the plunge pool at the

2
invert elevation of the outlet channel, ft
A2 is the plan rectangular area at the bottom of the plunge
pool at a d stance Z below the invert elevation of the outlet
channel, ft 1

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 Z is e i t h e r equal t o 0.8Zm -
Zd, 0.8Zm -
Zd + a l , o r
0.8Zm -
Zd + a 2 below t h e i n v e r t e l e v a t i o n of t h e o u t l e t
channel, f t .
al i s t h e t h i c k n e s s of t h e r i p r a p l i n i n g , f t .
a 2 is t h e t h i c k n e s s of t h e r i p r a p l i n i n g and g r a n u l a r f i l t e r
material, f t .
Zd is t h e water depth above t h e i n v e r t e l e v a t i o n of t h e out-
l e t channel, f t .

The volumes of r i p r a p and f i l t e r m a t e r i a l above t h e i n v e r t e l e v a t i o n

of t h e o u t l e t channel depend on t h e s i t e topography.

PROCEDURE

The s t e p procedure given below is i n a form t h a t can e a s i l y be pro-

grammed on e i t h e r programmable c a l c u l a t o r s o r microcomputers.
L
1. Compute

2. Compute Vol 49
nD

3. Compute Vh = Vo cos (sin-' S) Eq. 1

2
vv -7/(v
0
S) + 29 [zp + rDc o s (sin-' s)] Eq. 2

tan a - -v
v
"h
Eq. 3

Eq. 4

Eq. 5

Eq. 6

5. Compute
D '
if < 1, Go t o s t e p 6a ; i f > 1, Go t o s t e p 6b

6a. Compute Z
m
= 7.5 D [l - e-Oo6 (*d - "1; GO to step 7 ~ q .7a

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

6b. Compute Zm = 10.5 D [l - e-0*35 (ld - 2 ) ~ Eq. 7b

7. Compute 1.0 + 25 d50

Eq. 8

2< 1.0 50 , then

+ 25 y-- go to step 9; otherwise, make
8. If

to increase d50 and return to step 4.

9. Compute xm = [xP +-mtan

'
a
] 1.15 e-0.15 [Q&D 5 ) 1/21
Eq. 9

10. Compute L =
e
zm [ r3 +l _ e ] Eq. 10
Ip
Eq. 11

11. Determine A2, plan rectangular area of the plunge pool bottom
at 0.82, below the water surface

12. Check the side slopes of the plunge pool and adjust , if necessary
to acceptable grades, zQ and z The final length and width of the
W*
plunge pool at the water surface are 2Lr and 2Wr, respectively.

13. If Lr < Xm, increase side slope, z

L' so that Lr 2 Xm

14. Determine A1, plan rectangular area of the plunge pool at the invert
elevation of the outlet channel

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

15. Plunge Pool Volume:
The Volume between a horizontal plane at the invert elevation of
the outlet channel and the exposed riprap surface is Vao.

'"a0 = Z-
[A1 + A2 + y x][0.82 m - zd], CU. yds.

The volume between a horizontal plane at the invert elevation of

the outlet channel and a surface at a thickness, al, below the
exposed riprap surface is Val. '

1
Ti['la1 + A2al +d- ] [0.82 m - Zd + all, cu. yds.

and

The volume of riprap at thickness, al, below a horizontal plane

at the invert elevation of the outlet channel, exclusive of the
volume of the riprap filter cap is Val - Vao, CU. yds.

The volume between a horizontal plane at the invert elevation of

the outlet channel and a surface at a thickness, a2, below the
exposed riprap surface is Va2

'a2 = x1 [*la2
+A
2a2
+ v r ]
la2 2a2
[0.8~
m
- Zd+a2], CU. yds.

and
A2a2
= 4 [ L +a ( - zr )I [wr2 + aZ

The volume of filter material of thickness, a2 a l p below a -

horizontal plane at the invert elevation of the outlet channel,
including the volume of the riprap filter cap, is equal to
-
Va2 Val, CU- ydsm

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 EXAMPLE

Given:
Invert elevation at outlet end of conduit = 102.5
Invert elevation of outlet channel = 100.0
Elevation of tailwater for rdaximum conduit discharge = 101.5
Q = 147 cfs, D = 2.5 ft., S = 0
Riprap size, d50 = 1.0 ft., Ps = 2.64
Thickness of filter material bed = 0.75 ft.

Determine:
I. Plunge pool position with respect to outlet end of conduit
TI. Plunge pool depth, length, and width
111. Plunge pool volumes below the invert elevation of outlet channel

Solution:

-1
3. Vh = V cos (sin S) = 30 Lt/sec
0

L
= - 1 = 0.4 < 1, therefore use Equation 6a
5. D 2.5
6. Z = 7.5D [ l - e
-0.6 (Fd - 2)] = 7.5 (2.5) [ l - e -1*47] = 14.4 ft
m

(210-VI-ND-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

' 8 2< [ 1.0 + 25
0
d50
- -

; t h e r e f o r e r i p r a p s i z e i s adequate t o
prevent s i g n i f i c a n t shallow e r o s i o n
enlargement a t water s u r f a c e e l e v a t i o n .

9. Plunge pool p o s i t i o n from o u t l e t end of p i p e t o c e n t e r of pool, Xm

X
m
= [xp + -
zm
tan a
] 1.15 e
-0.15 (Q/G)

10. Plunge Pool Dimensions

depth a t c e n t e r = 0.8 Zm = 0.8 (14.4) = 11.5 f t

11. Lr2 = 0.2 Le = 0.2(34.2) = 6.8 f t .

Wr2 = 0.2 We = 0.2(27.3) = 5.5 f t .

12. zg =
Le -
Lr2 - -
- 34.211.5 6.8 = 2.4; Adjust zg t o 3.0
0.82
m
.*. Lr = 0.82 zg + Lr2 = 11.5 (3.0) + 6.8 = 41.3 f t .
m
W - W
e r 2 = 27.3 - 5.5
Z =' = 1.9; Adjust zw t o 2.0
w 0.82 11.5
m
. W = 0.8Zm zu + Wr2 = 11.5 (2.0) + 5.5 = 28.5 f t .
r
13. L
r
= 41.3 > X
m
= 36.6 O.K.

14. A1 = 4 (Lr - zgZd) (Wr -zZ ) = 4 [41.3 - 3(1.5)] [28.5 - 2(1.5)]

15. Vao =& [ A ~+ A2 + v n ] [ 0 . 8 ~m - zd]

- 1
-
81
[3754 + 150 +V3754 r 150 ][11.5 - 1-51 = 574 cu. yds.

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 'iir [ 5560 + 176 + v 5 5 6 0 x 176][11.5 - 1.5 + 2.51 = 1038 cum gds.

Volume of riprap = Val - Vao = 1038 - 574 = 464 cue yds.

V = [6170 + 184 +V6170 x 184][11.5 - 1.5 + 3.251 - 1214 cu. yds.

Volume of f i l t e r = Va2 - Val = 1214 - 1038 - 176 cue yds.

Invert of outlet channel

7

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 NOMENCLATURE

Thickness of riprap, ft

Thickness of riprap and filter material, ft

Plan rectangular area of the plunge pool at the invert

2
elevation of the outlet channel, ft

Plan rectangular area at the bottom of the plunge pool

at a distance Z below the invert elevation of the outlet
channel, ft .
2

Size of rock in riprap of which 50 percent by weight is

finer, ft

Cantilever outlet pipe diameter, ft

Base of natural logarithms

Densimetric Froude number

2
Acceleration of gravity, ft/sec

Minimum horizontal distance from the center of the pool

to the water surface contour at the upstream or down-
stream end of an elliptical-shape plunge pool, ft

Adjusted horizontal distance from the center of the pool

to the water surface contour at the upstream or downstream
end of the rectangular-shape plunge pool, ft

One-half' the length of the bottom of a rectangular-shape

plunge pool, ft

Design discharge, cfs

Sine of the angle whose tangent is the slope of the pipe

Volume of the plunge pool between the invert elevation of

the outlet channel and the exposed riprap surface, cu. yds.

Volume of the plunge pool between the invert elevation of

the outlet channel and a surface at a thickness, a.1,
below the exposed riprap surface, cu. yds.

Volume of the plunge pool between the invert elevation of

the outlet channel and a surface at a thickness,
a2 ,
below the exposed riprap surface, cue yds.

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

Horizontal component of t h e j e t impingement v e l o c i t y ,
Vp, f t l s e c

Velocity i n t h e p i p e corresponding t o t h e design discharge,

Q, f t l s e c

Velocity where t h e jet plunges i n t o t h e water s u r f a c e ,

f t/sec

V e r t i c a l component of t h e j e t impingement v e l o c i t y , V
P'
ft/sec

One-half t h e minimum width a t t h e c e n t e r of t h e e l l i p t i c a l -

shape plunge pool a t t h e water s u r f a c e e l e v a t i o n , f t

One-half t h e a d j u s t e d width a t t h e c e n t e r of t h e r e c t a n g u l a r -
shape plunge pool a t t h e water s u r f a c e e l e v a t i o n , f t

One-half t h e width of t h e bottom of a r e c t a n g u l a r plunge

pool, f t

Horizontal d i s t a n c e from t h e pipe e x i t t o t h e c e n t e r of

t h e plunge pool, f t

Horizontal d i s t a n c e from t h e pipe e x i t t o t h e c e n t e r of

t h e j e t plunging i n t o t h e water s u r f a c e , f t

Side s l o p e r a t i o of t h e upstream o r downstream s l o p e of

t h e rectangular-shape plunge pool

Side s l o p e r a t i o of t h e s i d e s l o p e s of t h e r e c t a n g u l a r -
shape plunge pool

Water depth above t h e i n v e r t e l e v a t i o n of t h e o u t l e t

channel, it

Maximum computed depth of t h e plunge pool, f t

V e r t i c a l d i s t a n c e from t h e t a i l w a t e r s u r f a c e t o t h e
c a n t i l e v e r pipe i n v e r t , f t

Water d e n s i t y

Bed m a t e r i a l o r r i p r a p p a r t i c l e d e n s i t y

J e t impingement a n g l e where t h e jet plunges i n t o t h e water

surf ace

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

 REFERENCES

Blaisdell, Fa W., and Anderson, C. La 1984. Pipe spillway plunge pool

design equations. Proceedings of the conference water for resource -
development, Hydraulics Division, ASCE, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Anderson, C. L. and Blaisdell, F. W. 1982. Plunge pool energy dissipa-

tor for pipe spillways, Proceedings of the conference applying research -
to hydraulic practice, ASCE, Jackson, Mississippi, p. 289-297.

Blaisdell, Fa W., Anderson, C. L., and Hebaus, G. G. 1981. Ultimate

dimensions of local scour. Journal of the Hydraulics Division, ASCE,
Vol. 107, No. HY3, Proc. Paper 16144, p. 327-337.

(210-VI-DN-6, Second Ed., January 1986)

*U.S. Government P r i n t i n g O f f i c e : 1986 - 490-918140184