DIVERSION HEADWORK AND

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN OF

HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES

Prof. (Dr.) Arup Kr. Sarma

Civil Engineering Department
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
 Planning lay out and components of Diversion
Headworks/Canal Headworks

These are constructed in perennial rivers whereas dams are constructed in

non-perennial river for the purpose of irrigation.
If the stage on the u/s is significant then the weir is called storage weir.
A diversion headworks serves the following purpose
• Raise the water level
• Regulate the supply of water to the canal
• Control the entry of silt into canal
• Provide a small Pondage and not a Reservoir
• Negotiate uncertainty of River Flow to some extend
Layout of Diversion Headwork
Types of weir:
a. Vertical Drop
b. Rockfill Weir

WEIR
Rockfill
WALL

CORE WALLS
c. Concrete Weir
 Basic principle of design of hydraulic structure
Hydraulic structures are generally found on highly pervious alluvial soil.
These soils also get easily scoured.
Basic principles of the design of hydraulic structures on pervious
foundations are:
(a) Design consideration for Sub-surface flow
1) To prevent piping failure due to subsurface flow.
2) Thickness should be sufficient to resist the uplift of subsurface
flow.
3) Similarly graded filter, loaded with concrete block should be
provided at the end of the impervious flow to prevent piping.
4) The downstream pile(cut-off wall) must be provided to reduce
the exit gradient and to prevent piping. Upstream cut-off may
also be needed
 Basic principle of design of hydraulic structure

(B) Surface flow

1) Pile or cut-off wall at the upstream and downstream end of the
impervious floor should be provided up to maximum scour depth.
2) Launching aprons should be provided at the u/s and d/s to provide
a cover to the main structure against scour.

(c) Hydraulic jump

1) A device is required at d/s to dissipate energy. The hydraulic
structure is designed to form a HJ.
2) Additional thickness of the impervious floor is provided to
counterbalance the suction pressure at the d/s point where the
hydraulic jump trough is located, as Subsoil HGL is at higher level
than the HJ profile.
• Major problem in the design of hydraulic structure is the calculation of
uplift pressure below the foundation and calculation of exit gradient. Many
things have been suggested and applied and failure of structure lead to
development of another theory.
1) Hydraulic gradient theory (accepted in 1902)
2) Bligh’s Creep theory (in 1910 by W.G. Bligh)

ℎ1
H ℎ2
P ℎ3
H

𝑑1 L
𝑑2 𝑑3
L
𝐻
Hydraulic gradient 𝑖 : 𝑖 = 𝑙1 𝑙2
𝐿

Creep length (L): L = 2𝑑1 + 𝑙1 + 2𝑑2 + 𝑙2 + 2𝑑3 Water percolates along base profile
 𝑘𝑁
• Uplift pressure at any point = u = hω [ω=ρg=unit wt. of water= 9.81 ]
𝑚3
Where, h= remaining head or residual head at any point
• In the given figure in previous slide,
uplift pr. at point P = 𝑢𝑃𝑙 = 𝐻 − 𝑖 2𝑑1 + 𝑙 ω
• Bligh suggested the critical value of 𝑖 to avoid piping:
1
𝑖≤ C=Bligh’s creep coefficient
𝐶
𝐻 1
Thus, ≤ ⇒ 𝐿 ≥ 𝐶𝐻 SOIL TYPE VAULUE OF C
𝐿 𝐶
Light sand and mud 18

• He suggested different values of C for Fine sand (like North 15

India)
different soil type (given in table) Course sand (like South 12
India)
Boulder, Gravel mixed 5 to 9
with sand
Failure due to rupture:
Question arise only on d/s
upward force U = ωh’ x 1 H’ H

Downward force W = Gω1*t 1 h

t
ωh’= Gωt
ω(h + t) = Gωt t
h’
t(G-1) = h H’
ℎ
t=
(𝐺−1)
4
Generally a F.O.S. is used.
3
4 ℎ
Thus, t=
3 𝐺−1
A nominal thickness is provided for the U/S floor.
Lane’s weighted creep theory (1932):
• Lane’s conducted a statistical analysis in 290 existing hydraulic
structures on pervious foundations.
• He found that vertical creep is 3 times more effective than horizontal
1
creep. A weightage of unity was given to vertical creep and rd to the
3
horizontal creep.
1
• The weighted creep length, Lw = 3H + V (H:Horizontal, V:Vertical)
𝐻 1
Average weighted hydraulic gradient: ≤
𝐿𝑤 𝐶′
Where C’ is Lane’s creep coefficient SOIL TYPE LANE’S CREEP COEFFICIENT
C’
Thus for soil, 𝐿𝑤 ≥ 𝐶′𝐻 Very fine sand or 8.5
silt
Fine sand 7
Gravel 3.5
Potential flow (irrotational steady flow)
𝜕ϕ 𝜕ϕ
Velocity potential ϕ: =u & =v
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝜕u 𝜕v
For continuous flow: + =0 (Continuity equation)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥
𝜕2 ϕ 𝜕2 ϕ
Laplace Equation: 2 + 2 = 0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
Similarly,
𝜕ψ 𝜕ψ
Stream function ψ: = −v & = u
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝜕v 𝜕u 𝜕2 ψ 𝜕2 ψ
For irrotational flow: − =0 ⇒ + =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2

Darcy’s Law
𝑑ℎ
𝑣 = 𝑘𝑖, 𝑣 = −k
𝑑𝑥
𝑑ϕ 𝑑ℎ
⇒ =−k ⇒ 𝑑ϕ= − k dh ⇒ ϕ= − kh
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
 𝑃 𝑃
➢Pressure head: = ℎ − 𝑧 (z is –ve) ⇒ =ℎ+𝑧
ω ω
𝐻
➢ℎ = 𝐻 − 𝑚 ∆ℎ & ∆ℎ =
𝑁𝑑
➢∆𝑞 = 𝑘𝑖𝐴
∆ℎ
=𝑘 𝑏∗1
𝑙
𝑏
= k ∆ℎ Datum
𝑙
ℎ 𝑏
= 𝑘
𝑁𝑑 𝑙
Total discharge
ℎ 𝑏
𝑞=𝑘 𝑁𝑓
𝑁𝑑 𝑙
Hydraulic gradient
∆ℎ
• Hydraulic gradient: 𝑖 =
𝑙
• At the exit point, 𝑙 is small, so 𝑖 increases.
(𝑃 + 𝑑𝑝)A
• For alluvial soil in North India 𝑖𝑒 ≤ 1.0 𝑖. 𝑒. 𝑖𝑒 = 1.0
1 1
With factor of safety 4 to 7: 𝑖𝑒 ≤ 𝑡𝑜
4 7
𝑃 𝑑𝐴
• Force 𝐹 = 𝑃𝑑𝐴 − 𝑃 + 𝑑𝑃 𝑑𝐴 = −𝑑𝑃 𝑑𝐴
𝐹 𝑑𝑃
Force per unit volume = 𝑓 = = −
𝑑𝑙 𝑑𝐴 𝑑𝑙
Again, 𝑑𝑃 = 𝜔 𝑑ℎ
𝑑ℎ
⇒ 𝑓 = −𝜔 = −𝜔𝑖
𝑑𝑙
• For safety against piping submerged unit weight of soil solid should be
greater than 1.
𝜔𝑠′ = 𝜔(1 − 𝑛)(𝐺𝑠 − 1)
⇒ 𝜔 𝑖𝑐 = 𝜔(1 − 𝑛)(𝐺𝑠 − 1)
e
⇒ 𝑖𝑐 = (1 − 𝑛)(𝐺𝑠 − 1)

for 𝑛 = 0.39 & 𝐺𝑠 = 2.65 (for river sand) 1

𝑖𝑐 = (1 − 0.39)(2.65 − 1)
𝑖𝑐 ≈ 1

e 1
𝑛= ⇒ 1−𝑛 = n=Porosity, e=Void Ratio
1+e 1+e
Khosla’s theory :(Dr. A. N. Khosla) published by CBIP
They started with the potential flow theory and find the solution of
Laplace’s equation for different configuration of floors. From the
solution of Laplace equation they could get the uplift pressure at
salient point and the exit gradient.

Ellipse
Khosla gave formal solution for the following cases.
i) An impervious floor with an intermediate pile
ii) An impervious floor with an downstream pile
iii) An impervious floor with an upstream pile
U/S
i) An impervious floor with an intermediate pile
𝐻 −1 λ1 −λ 𝐿1 +𝐿2
𝑃𝐸 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); λ= ; 𝐿1 = 1 + 𝝰1 2 A E C B
𝜋 λ 2
𝐻 λ1 𝐿1 −𝐿2 𝑏1 d 𝑏2
−1
𝑃𝐷 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); λ1 = ; 𝐿2 = 1 + 𝝰2 2
𝜋 λ 2 D
𝐻 −1 λ1 +λ 𝑏1 𝑏2
𝑃𝐶 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); 𝝰1 = , 𝝰2 =
𝜋 λ 𝑑 𝑑 O
1 1
A’ E’ D’ C’ B’
𝐿1 𝐿2
ii) An impervious floor with an downstream pile
D/S

𝐻 −1 λ−2
𝑃𝐸 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); A E C
𝜋 λ 𝑏 = 𝑏1 d
𝐻 −1 λ−1
𝑃𝐷 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); D
𝜋 λ
𝑏
𝑃𝐶 = 0; 𝝰 =
𝑑
1+ 1+𝝰1 2
λ= O
2
𝐻 1 A’ E’ 1
D’ 1
C’
Exit Gradient 𝐺𝐸 =
d 𝜋 λ 𝐿1 𝐿2
iii) An impervious floor with an upstream pile

d/s
𝑃𝐸1 = 𝐻
𝐻 −1 1−λ E C B
𝑃𝐷1 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); d 𝑏 = 𝑏2
𝜋 λ
𝐻 −1 2−λ
𝑃𝐶1 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠 ( ); D
𝜋 λ
𝑏 1+ 1+𝝰2
𝝰 = ; λ=
𝑑 2
O
1 1
E’ D’ C’ B’
𝐿1 𝐿2
Ground Water Flow Modelling (Numerical Method)
• Governing Equation

Where,
Kxx, Kyy, and Kzz ate the hydraulic conductivity along the x-axis, y-axis, and z axis
qe= volumetric flux flowing in and out of the control volume representing the source and sink terms.
Ss = specific storage of the porous material
A case Study of Installing Sheet Pile for Dewatering
THANKS