DIVERSION

HEADWORKS
BY:
Himani Jain (66)
Neha Jain(41)
Shupriya Singh(78)
 Hydraulic Structures
 Storage structure, usually a dam, which acts like a
reservoir for storing excess runoff of a river during
periods of high flows and releasing it according to a
regulated schedule.

Diversion structure, which may be a weir or a barrage

that raises the water level of the river slightly, not for
creating storage, but for allowing the water to get diverted
through a canal situated at one or either of its banks.
 OBJECTIVES OF DIVERSION HEAD
WORKS
To raise water level at the head of canal.
To form a storage by constructing dykes on both
banks.
To control entry of silt in canal
To control fluctuation of water level.
 Selection of site for diversion
headwork
The river should be straight and narrow at site
The elevation of the site should be higher than the area to be
irrigated for gravity flow
Rivers should be well defined and stable
Valuable land upstream of the barrier like weir and barrage
should not be submerged
Material of construction should be locally available
Road and railway communication to the site should be there
Site should be close to the cropland to minimize loss of water
due to seepage and evaporation in canal
The site should provide good foundation for construction of
weir and barrage
COMPONENTS OF DIVERSION HEADWORK

1) Weir or Barrage
2) Canal head regulator
3) Divide wall
4) Fish ladder
5) Scouring sluices/ undersluices
6) Silt excluder
7) Marginal banks and Guide banks
 WEIR
Concrete crest wall constructed across to raise the water level
from lower level to higher level.
It may be provided with shutters
Most of the raising of water is done by solid wall
Components of weir are:
Weir breast
Crest shutters
Apron
Cut-off
Launching apron
The Twin Heart Stone Weir on the island of Cimei,
Taiwan
 BARRAGE
Low crest wall with high gates
When water level on the up stream side of is required to be raised
to different levels at different time, then barrage is constructed.
More preferred over weir
Components of barrage include:
Barrage piers
Adjustable gates
Cut off
Sheet piles
Apron
Upstream glacis
KOTA BARRAGE
KOSI BARRAGE
Difference between Weir and Barrage
Weir Barrage
Low cost High cost
Low control on flow Relatively high control on flow and
water levels by operation of gates
No provision for transport Usually, a road or a rail bridge can be
communication across the river conveniently and economically
combined with a barrage wherever
necessary
Chances of silting on the upstream Silting may be controlled by judicial
is more operation of gates
Afflux created is high due to Due to low crest of the weirs (the
relatively high weir crests ponding being done mostly by gate
operation), the afflux during high
floods is low. Since the gates may be
lifted up fully, even above the high
flood level.
 TYPES OF WEIR
Based on material of construction, design features and
type of foundation:

Vertical drop weir

Concrete Sloping Weir
Parabolic weir
Dry stone sloping weir
 VERTICAL DROP WEIR
• Masonry wall with a vertical d/s face and horizontal
concrete floor
• Suitable for hard clay andconsolidated gravel
foundation
• Have become more or less obsolete
• u/s and d/s cuttoff walls are provided upto scour depth
CONCRETE SLOPING WEIR
Also called glacis weir
Crest has sloping floor on the u/s as well as d/s
Sheet piles are driven upto maximum scour depth on
u/s and d/sends of concrete floor
Sometimes intermediate pile is driven at the
beginning of u/s or end of d/s glacis
 ROCKFILL WEIR
• Also called dry stone sloping weir
• In addition to main weir wall there are number of core
walls
• The space between core walls is filled with rock
fragments
• It is suitable for fine sand foundation
• More or less obsolete
• Okhla weir across Yamuna river is an example
 PARABOLIC WEIR
Similar to spillway section of a dam
Body wall designed as low dam.
Cistern to dissipate energy
 CANAL HEAD REGULATOR
• Structure constructed at the head of canal to regulate
flow of water.
• It consists of a no. of piers which divide total width of
canal into a no. of span
• The axis of head regulator usually makes an angle of 90°
to 120° with axis of weir
• Functions:
- regulate the supply of water in canal
- control entry of silt into canal
- prevents the river floods from entering the canal
DIVIDE WALL
The divide wall is much like a pier and is provided between the sets of
undersluice or river sluice or spill bays.
Function of divide wall:
 To form still water pocket in front of canal head.
 To settle down suspended silt.
 To control eddy current
 To provide a straight approach.
 To resist overturning effect of weir or barrage

The length of the divide wall on the upstream has to be such as to keep
the heavy action on the nose of the divide wall away from the upstream
protection of the sluices and also to provide a deep still water pond in
front of the canal head regulator.
 UNDERSLUICES
• Also called scouring sluices
• openings with gates provided at the base of weir or barrage.

Functions:
Maintain a well defined river channel near the canal head regulator
Control silt entry into channel
Scour the silt (silt excavated and removed)
 Pass the low floods without dropping the shutter of the main weir, the
raising of which entails good deal of labor and time.

Capacity of under sluices:

For sufficient scouring capacity, its discharging capacity should be at least
double the canal discharge.
Should be able to pass the dry weather flow and low flood, without dropping
the weir shutter.
Capable of discharging 10 to 15% of high flood discharge
 FISH LADDER
Provided parallel to divide wall for the free movement
of fishes.
Due to construction of weir and barrage the natural
flow of fishes is obstructed. So for free movement of
fishes along river fish ladder is essential
It consists of an inclined channel with slope not
exceeding 1 in 10
 SILT EXCLUDER
Structure to pass the silt laden water d/s through
undersluices so that clear water enters head regulator
It’s alignment is parallel to head regulator
Consists of number of tunnels with bell mouthed
entrance of different lengths with their roof slabs at
same level as the crest of head regulator
Tunnels are throttled at the exit to increase velocity to
prevent silt deposition and reduce the discharge
Dicharge in silt excluder is restricted to 15 to 20% of
canal discharge
Silt excluder
 MARGINAL EMBANKMENT
Also known as levees or dikes
Constructed on either bank of river on u/s of diversion
headwork in alluvial soil.
The aim of providing these embankments is to protect
the land which is likely to be submerged during
ponding of water during floods
Run parallel and close to the river bank except for a
meandering river
 GUIDE BANKS
Provided on either side of the diversion headwork in
alluvial soil to prevent river from outflanking the
diversion headwork
Length and curvature of the guide bank should be
such that worst meander loop is away from the canal
embankment
If alluvial banks of river are close to the diversion
headwork then guide banks should be suitably tied to
them
 SILT EXTRACTOR
Also called silt ejector
Structure built on the d/s of the head regulator on the
main canal to remove silt which has entered the canal
Not part of diversion headwork
It consists of a horizontal diaphragm placed slightly above
the canal bed. The diaphragm thus separates the top water
level from the bottom layer containing heavier silt charge.
The discharge through the tunnels is governed by the gate
opening of the escape chamber. The escape channel is
given a steeper slope so that the silt is discharged back to
the river through the shortest route.
KHOSLA’S THEORY
Following are some of the main points from Khosla's Theory
From observation of Siphons designed on Bligh's theory, by actual measurement of pressure, with
the help of pipes inserted in the floor of two of the siphons،
Does not show any relationship with pressure calculated on Bligh's theory. This led to the
following provisional conclusions:
Outer faces of end sheet piles were much more effective than the inner ones and the horizontal
length of the floor.
Intermediated piles of smaller length were ineffective except for local redistribution of pressure.
Undermining of floor started from tail end.
Related Pages It was absolutely essential to have a reasonably deep vertical cut off at the
downstream end to prevent undermining.
Khosla and his associates took into account the flow pattern below the impermeable base of
hydraulic structure to calculate uplift pressure and exit gradient.
Starting with a simple case of horizontal flow with negligibly small thickness. (various cases were
analyzed mathematically.)
Seeping water below a hydraulic structure does not follow the bottom profile of the impervious
floor as stated by Bligh but each particle traces its path along a series of streamlines
Method of independent variable:
Most designs do not confirm to elementary profiles (specific cases). In actual cases we
may have a number of piles at upstream level, downstream level and intermediate
points and the floor also has some thickness.
Khosla solved the actual problem by an empirical method known as method of
independent variables.
This method consists of breaking up a complex profile into a number of simple
profiles, each of which is independently amiable to mathematical treatment. Then
apply corrections due to thickness of slope of floor.
As an example the complex profile shown in fig is broken up to the following simple
profile and the pressure at Key Points obtained.
Straight floor of negligible thickness with pile at upstream ends.
Straight floor of negligible thickness with pile at downstream end.
Straight floor of negligible thickness with pile at intermediate points.
The pressure is obtained at the key points by considering the simple profile.
For the determination of seepage below the foundation of hydraulic
structure developed the method of independent variable.
In this method, the actual profile of a weir which is complex, is
divided into a number simple profiles, each of which cab be solved
mathematically without much difficulty. The most useful profile
considered are:
A straight horizontal floor of negligible thickness provided with a
sheet pile at the upstream end or a sheet pile at the downstream end.
ii) A straight horizontal floor depressed below the bed, but without
any vertical cut-off.
A straight horizontal floor of negligible thickness with a sheet pile at
some
Intermediate point
The mathematical solution of the flow-nets of the above
profiles have been given in the form of curves. From the
curves, percentage pressures at various key points E, C, E1,
C1 etc) be determined. The important points to note are:
Junctions of pile with the floor on either side{E, C
(bottom), E1, C1 (top) }
Bottom point of the pile (D), and
Junction of the bottom corners (D, D’) in case of
depressed floor
The percentage pressures at the key points of a simple
forms will become valid for any complex profile,
provided the following corrections are effected:
correction for mutual interference of piles
correction for the thickness
of floor
correction for slope of
the floor.
Correction for Mutual Interference of Piles
Let b1 = distance between the two piles 1 and 2, and
D = the depth of the pile line (2), the influence of which on the
neighbouring pile (1) of depth d must be determined
b = total length of the impervious floor
c = correction due to interference.
The correction is applied as a percentage of the head
This correction is positive when the point is considered to be at the rear
of the interfering pile and negative for points considered in the forward
or flow direction with the interfering pile.
Corrected pressures at E1 should be less than the computed pressure t
E1*. Therefore the correction for the pressure at E1 will be negative. And
so also is for pressure at C1.
Correction for Floor Thickness
Standard profiles assuming the floors as having
negligible thickness. Hence the values of the
percentage pressures computed from the curves
corresponds to the top levels (E1*, C1*) of the floor.
However, the junction points of the floor and pile are
at the bottom of the floor (E1, C1)
The pressures at the actual points E1 and C1 are
interpolated by assuming a straight line variation in
pressures from the points E1* to D1 and from D1 to C1
Correction for Slope of Floor
A correction for a sloping impervious floor is positive for the down slope
in the flow direction and negative for the up slope in the direction of flow.
The correction factor must be multiplied by the horizontal length of the
slope and divided by the distance between the two poles between which
the sloping floor exists.
In the diagram above, correction for slope can be applied only to point E2.
As the point E2 is terminating at the descending slope in the direction of
flow, the correction will be positive. The value of correction will be:
C.F. x bs/b1
Where C.F. =correction factor
bs = horizontal length of sloping floor
b1 = horizontal distance between the pile lines
No. Slope = Ver:Horiz Correction as % of pressure
1 1:1 11.2
2 1:2 6.5
3 1:3 4.5
4 1:4 3.3
5 1:5 2.8
6 1:6 2.5
7 1:7 2.3
8 1:8 2.0
Exit & Critical Gradient
Every particle of water while seeping through the sub-soil, at any position will exert a force f, which will be
tangential to the streamline at any point. As the streamlines bend upward, the tangential force f will be having a
vertical component f1. Also at that point, there will be a downward force W due to the submerged weight of the
soil particle. Thus at that point there will be two forces on the particle; one upward vertical component of f, and
the other, the submerged weight.  It is evident that if the soil particle is not to be dislodged, then the submerged
weight must be greater than the upward vertical component of f.  The upward vertical component force at any
point is proportional to  the water pressure gradient dp/dx.
Hence for stability of the soil and for the prevention of erosion and piping, the seeping water when it emerges at
the downstream side, at the exit position, the force f1 should be less than the submerged weight W. In other
words the exit gradient at the downstream end must be safe.
If at the exit point at the downstream side, the exit gradient is such that the force f1is just equal to the
submerged weight of the soil particle, then that gradient is called critical gradient. Safe exit gradients = 0.2 to
0.25 of the critical exit gradient.
Values of safe exit gradient may be taken as:
0.14 to 0.17 for fine sand
0.17 to 0.20 for coarse sand
0.20 to 0.25 for shingle
For the standard form consisting of a floor of a length b, and a vertical cut-off of depth d, the exit gradient at its
downstream end is given by:
Exit gradient GE = (H/d) x
 DESIGN OF VERTICAL DROP WIER
HYDRAULIC CALCULATIONS FOR FIXING
VARIOUS ELEVATIONS

DESIGN OF WIER WALL

DESIGN OF IMPERVIOUS FLOOR

DESIGN OF PROTECTION WORKS ON UPSTREAM

AND DOWNSTREAM SIDES
 HYDRAULIC CALCULATIONS
Hydraulic calculations include calculation of the
following quantities :-
Length of waterway(L)
L = 4.83Q1/2
Discharge per unit length(q)
q = Q/L
Regime scour depth(R)
R = 1.35 (q2/f)1/3
Regime Velocity (V) and Velocity Head
V = q/R
velocity head = V2/2g
Water levels and Total Energy Line on u/s and d/s side
Level of d/s T.E.L= (H.F.L before construction) +V2/2g
Level of u/s T.E.L= Level of d/s T.E.L + Afflux
Level of d/s H.F.L= Level of u/s T.E.L – V2/2g
Crest Level
Crest Level = u/s T.E.L - K
K = (q/1.7)2/3
Pond Level
= Level of top of gates
Protection against scour
Level of bottom of u/s pile = u/s H.F.L -1.5R
Level of bottom of d/s pile = H.F.L after retrogression –
2R
 DESIGN OF WIER WALL
Stability of weir is checked under three stages :-

STAGE1- When the upstream water or head water is at crest

level or at the top of the crestshutters and there is no flow

STAGE2- When water is flowing over the weir crest and the
weir is submerged

STAGE3- When the water is flowing over the weir crest and
weir is discharging with a clear overfall.
TOP WIDTH OF THE WEIR WALL
B1 = S + 1
B1 = d/µG
B1 =D/G1/2
Greater of the three values is selected

Bottom width of weir wall

Over turning moment- M0
Moment of resistance – MR
STAGE 1-
M0 = w*(H+S)3/6
MR = wHG (B2 +BB1 –B12)/6

STAGE2-
M0 = whH2/2
MR = wH(G-1)(B2 +B1B)/12

STAGE3-
M0 = w( H3+3dH2 – D3)/6
DESIGN OF IMPERVIOUS FLOOR
Downstream impervious floor(L1)

(for weirs without crest shutters)

L1 = 2.21 C √HS/10
( for weirs with crest shutters)
L1 = 2.21 C √HS/13

Upstream impervious floor (L2)

According to Bligh’s creep theory

L2 = L - L1 – (B + 2d1+ 2d2 )
L2 = b - L1 – B
 DESIGN OF PROTECTION WORKS ON
UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM SIDES
1)Upstream side –
Pile of length d1 is provided below the river bed . Upstream of
the block protection a launching apron of length equal to 1.5d1 and
thickness 1.5m is provided.

2)Downstream side –
Total length of impervious floor, inverted filter and launching
apron on downstream of the weir wall is given by Bligh’s theory.
For weirs without crest shutters
L3 = 18 C √(H/10)*(q/75)
For weirs with crest shutters
L3 = 18 C √(H/13)*(q/75)