CHAPTER 4.

DIVERSION HEAD WORKS

3.1 Introduction 3.2 Weir and Barrage
3.3 Components and Layout of Diversion Headwork 3.4 Design of Weir and Barrage
3.5 Theory of Seepage
3.5.1 Bligh’s Theory of Seepage
3.5.2 Lane’s Theory of Seepage
3.5.3 Khosla’s Theory of Seepage

Compiled By: Tamirat D

and Belete T.
Diversion Headworks
Diversion Headworks
Headworks can be either diversion headworks (weir or barrage) or
storage headwork (dam)

The main differences between storage dams and weirs are:

Dams store large amounts of water and for longer durations than
storage weirs.
Water in the reservoir never overtops the dam, but in the case of
weirs, the water can flow over the weir crest.
In the case of dams, the surplus flood water is disposed of
downstream through spillways, but in the case of weirs, it is through
the weir crest and under-sluice.
Diversion Headworks
Diversion Headworks:- are structures that are constructed across a river in
order to divert river water towards the off-taking canal so as to ensure a
regulated continuous supply of silt-free water with a certain minimum head into
the canal.
purposes of diversion head works
Raise the water level in the river so that a sufficient quantity of water can be
supplied.
Regulate the supply of water into the canal.
Control the entry of silt into the canal.
Store some water for a short period of time.
Reduce the water level fluctuations in the river.
Diversion Headworks
Location & site selection criteria for diversion headwork :
♣ As far as possible a narrow, straight, well-defined channel
confined between banks not submerged by the highest flood;
♣ It should be possible to align the off-taking canal in such a way
that the command of its area is obtained without excessive
digging.
♣ The material of construction such as stone, sand, etc. should
be available in the vicinity of the site.
♣ The site should be accessible by road. And there should be
(enough) workers available in the vicinity of the project site.
Diversion Headworks
Diversion Headworks
Weir and Barrage
Weir: The major part of the entire ponding of water is achieved
by raised crest and a smaller part or nil part of it is achieved
by the shutter.
Barrage: The major part of pounding is achieved by gates and
a smaller or nil part of it is done by a raised crest
Diversion Headworks
pond
Crest Level = pond level Shutte
level r
P2=0 P2 Crest
Level
P=P1 P
P1

P1 >> P2
a) Without b) With shutter
shutter
Weir
pond pond
level level Shutter
Shutter
P =P2 P2
P Crest
Level
P1
P1=0
P1 << P2
a) Without crest Barrage b) With crest
 Diversion Headworks
Weir
• Weir is a solid obstruction, with which water is heading up.
• It is used to raise the water level in the river and then divert it into the canal.
• The weirs can also be used to store surplus flood water (pondage), to tide over
the shortages likely to occur during lean months.
• High flood water passes over the crest
Barrage
• water is headed up with the help of gates.
• the crest level is maintained at a low water level which is almost in the level of
bed level of the river.
• Because gates can be lifted for passing the flood water and shut down for
storing water, control of the water level in the river is better exercised with the
help of a barrage.
• However, barrages are much costlier than weirs.
Diversion Headworks
Diversion Headworks
Diversion Headworks

WEIR BARRAGE
Diversion Headworks
Types of Weirs
Types of Weirs
Types of Weirs
Types of Weirs
Components of vertical drop weir
Components of vertical drop weir
Components of vertical drop weir
Components of vertical drop weir
Components of vertical drop weir
Layout of diversion head works
Typical layout of a diversion headwork consists of:
1. Weir proper or Barrage
2. Divide Wall
3. Fish ladder
4. Pocket or Approach channel
5. Under sluices or Scouring sluices
6. Silt excluder
7. Canal head regulator
8. River training works (such as Marginal bunds and
Guide bunds)
Layout of diversion headworks

Fig. Typical layout of Diversion-Headwork

Layout of diversion head works

UNDER SLUICE

WEIR

DIVIDE WALL
Layout of diversion headwork

Canal head regulator

Layout of diversion head works

Fish ladder
 Components of a weir
A. Weir wall
• Weir walls are permanent structures constructed across the river
to rise the water level.
 Components of a weir
B. Under sluice or scouring sluices
❖ They are openings provided at the base of the weir or barrage & are
separated from the main weir body by the divide wall.
❖ It has a gated controlled opening which will allow excess supply to the
downstream of the river.
Functions of under-sluices
✔ preserve a clear and well-defined river channel towards the canal head
regulator;
✔ scour the silt deposited on the river bed in the pocket through the openings;
✔ pass low floods without the necessity of dropping the weir crest shutters;
✔ help to lower the high flood level by supplementing the discharge over the
weir during high floods.
 Components of a weir
Capacity of Under-sluice
The discharging capacity of the under-sluices is designed aiming that:
a) It should be able to ensure sufficient scouring capacity, for which the
discharging capacity should be at least twice the full supply
discharge of the main canal at its head;
b) It should be able to pass the dry weather flow and low floods during
the months excluding the rainy season, without the necessity of
dropping the weir shutters;
c) It should be able to dispose of 10 to 15% of the high flood discharge
during severe floods.
 Components of a weir
Under sluice or scouring sluices
Design Considerations
• Sill of the under-sluice pocket is kept at or slightly above the deepest
river bed and about 1.2 to 1.5m below the sill of the canal head
regulator.
• The length of the under-sluice pocket between the divide wall and the
head regulator may be kept as 1.5 times the upstream length of the
divide wall
Components of a weir
C. Divide wall
❖ Long masonry or concrete wall (an embankment protected on all sides by
stone or concrete blocks).
❖ It is constructed at right angles to the axis of the weir.
❖ Separates the under sluices from the rest of the weir.
❖ If two canals take off on different sides, two divide walls are required.
❖ It usually extends upstream beyond the beginning of the regulator and
downstream to the launching apron.

❖ It may be constructed with stone masonry or cement concrete.

❖ The dividing wall may also serve as one of the side walls of the fish ladders
and be used as a log chute.
Components of a weir
Main functions of divide wall:
To separate the lower level of under sluices from the weir floor.
Provides a quiet pocket in front of the regulator so that silt deposits
and clear water enters into the canal.
Provides a straight approach through the pocket and hence scouring
action of under sluices will be concentrated and washing out of silt will
be facilitated.
It keeps the cross currents, if any, away from the weir.
 Components of a weir
Design Considerations of divide wall:
The top width of divide wall is about 1.5 to 2.5 meters
The divide wall can be designed as cantilever retaining walls
subjected to silt pressure & water pressure from the
under-sluice side
 Components of a weir
D. River training works
❖ River training works are constructed near the weir site in order to insure a
smooth and axial flow near the weir site.
❖ The river training works required near the weir site are: Guide banks and
Marginal bunds
Guide banks: are provided on either side of the banks to direct the main
river flow as centrally as possible to the diversion structure.
Marginal bunds: are required u/s of the guide banks to stop the
submergence due to the raised high flood level caused by afflux created
by the weir.
• Marginal bunds have to be continued till they join high contours above
the high flood levels.
 Components of a weir
E. Fish ladder
❖ To avoid high destruction of migratory fishes (if any in the river) due to
obstruction of movements because of construction of weir or barrage.
❖ Naturally, fish can travel u/s only if the velocity of flow does not exceed 3 to
3.5m/s.
❖ So, the design of fish ladder should be such that it constantly releases water
at velocity not exceeding this value.
❖ Fish ladder baffles or other staggering devices are provided to check the
velocity (providing energy dissipating mechanism).
❖ Fish ladder is provided adjacent to divide wall near the under sluices (b/c there
is always some water in this section).
Fish ladder
 Components of a weir
The canal head regulator:
❖ provided at the head of the off-taking canal, and serves the following
function:
It regulates the supply of water entering the canal
It controls the entry of silt into the canal
It prevents the river floods from entering the canal
Manually operated steel gates are provided for regulation of flow into the
canal

Fig. Typical Section of a Canal Head Regulator

 Design of Weir
Afflux: the rise in the maximum flood level (HFL) u/s of the weir
caused due to the construction of the weir across the weir
Pond level: the water level required in the under-sluice u/s of the
canal head regulator, so as to feed the canal with its full supply level
(FSL) which depends on the level of the irrigated areas and slope of
the canal which is generally obtained by adding 1.0 to 1.2m to FSL
 Design of Weir

• The design of the weir/barrage consists of hydraulic design and structural

design
Hydraulic design: deals with the evaluation of the hydraulic forces acting on
the structure and the determination of the configurations of the structure which
will be most economical and will have the best functional efficiency.
structural design: consists of dimensioning the various parts of the structure to
enable it to resist safely all the forces acting on it.
The hydraulic design is treated in respect of both subsurface and surface
flows.
The various aspects of design in respect of subsurface flow involve the
determination of; Uplift pressure, Exit gradient, Length of the impervious floor,
depth of sheet piles or cutoffs at upstream and downstream ends of the
impervious floor; Protection works.
Design of Weirs and Barrages: Theory of Seepage
Theory of seepage: Method of seepage analysis
• Bligh’s creep theory;
• Lane’s creep theory;
• Khosla’s theory
a) Bligh creep theory of seepage:
According to Bligh’s theory - “The percolating water follows the outline of the
base of the foundation of the hydraulic structure.”
• The length of the path thus traversed by water is called the length of the
creep.
• The head loss is proportional to the length of the creep.
• If HL is the total head loss between the upstream and the downstream, and
L is the length of creep, then the loss of head per unit of creep length (i.e.
HL/L ) is called the hydraulic gradient.
Note: Bligh makes no distinction between horizontal and vertical creep.
Design of Weir and Barrage

▪ Creep length, L = b + 2d1+2d2+2d3

▪ Head loss per unit length or hydraulic gradient, G = H/L
▪ Head losses equal to (H/L)2d1, (H/L)2d2 and (H/L)2d3 will
occur respectively in the planes of three vertical cutoffs.
 Design of Weir and Barrage

i) Safety against piping:

• According to Bligh, safety against piping can be ensured by providing
sufficient creep length, which is given by: L=CH ; where C is Bligh's
coefficient for the soil.
No. Type of soil Value of C Safe Hydraulic gradient
should be less than

1 Fine micaceous sand 15 1/15

2 Course grained sand 12 1/12
3 Sand mixed with boulder and 5 to 9 1/5 to 1/9
gravel, and for loam soil
4 Light sand and mud 8 1/8
 Design of Weir and Barrage
ii) Safety against uplift pressure:
• The ordinates of the H.G. line above the bottom of the floor
represent the residual uplift of the water head at each point.
• If h’ meters is the ordinates, then water pressure equal to h’
meters will act at this point, and has to be counterbalanced by the
weight of the floor of thickness say t
Uplift pressure = γwh’
Downward pressure = (γw G)t
Where γw and G are the unit weight of water and the specific gravity
of the floor material respectively.
Design of Weir and Barrage

For equilibrium :
γw h’ = (γw G)t
• Subtracting t on both sides, we get :
h’- t = t(G - 1)
t = (h’-t )/(G-1) = h/(G-1) Where;
✔ (h’-t) = h is the ordinate of the H.G. line above the top of the
floor.
✔ (G-1) is the submerged specific gravity of floor material.
✔ The thickness obtained by the above formula generally
increased by 33% for factor of safety.
Design of Weir and Barrage

Note :
• Thickness of the floor designed by the above formula
works only for the downstream floor and for the worst
condition when maximum ordinates of H.G line occur.
• The water standing on the upstream floor
counterbalance the uplift caused by the same water, and
hence only a nominal floor thickness is required on
the up stream side.
• Bligh’s theory is quite simple and convenient. Many of
earlier structures were designed based on this theory. It
is now used for the design of small structures or for
preliminary design of large structures.
Design of Weir and Barrage

b) Lane’s weighted creep theory of seepage:

• Unlike Bligh, Lane on the basis of his analysis carried out on
about 200 dams all over the world, stipulated that the
horizontal creep is less effective in reducing uplift than the
vertical creep.
• He therefore suggested 1/3 for the horizontal creep against
1 for the vertical creep.
• Thus, the total Lane’s creep length (Lt) is given by :
Lt=(d1+d1)+1/3L1 + (d2+d2) + 1/3L2 + (d3+d3)
• To ensure safety against piping to this theory, the creep
length Lt must not be less than C1HL, where HL is the head
causing flow, and C1 is Lane’s creep coefficient.
Design of Weir and Barrage
No. Type of soil Value of C Safe Hydraulic gradient
should be less than

1 Very fine sand 8.5 1/8.5

2 Fine sand 7 1/7

3 Coarse sand 5 1/5

4 Gravel and sand 3.5 to 3 1/3.5 to 1/3

5 Boulders, gravels and sand 2.5 to 3 1/2.5 to 1/1.6

7 Clayes soils 3 to 1.6 1/3 to 1/1.6

Table: Value of Lane’s creep coefficient for different soil condition
Note: Lane’s theory was an improvement over Bligh's
theory, but it is purely empirical without any rational
basis, and hence, is generally not adopted in any
design.
Design of Weir and Barrage

Example 1. The figure shown above shows a hydraulic

structure built on fine sand (C=15, C1=8.5), determine
a) Whether the percolation gradient is safe
b) Uplift pressure at point A, B and C at distance of 15,
25 and 35m from the upstream end
c) Thickness of the floor at these points .
Use Bligh's and Lane’s theories
 Design of Weir and Barrage
Solution (Bligh’s Theory):
a) Creep length
L= 2x6+35+2x8=63m
Hydraulic gradient i =H/L = 4/63
1/15.75 < 1/15 ….safe
Or Lmin = C*H = 15*4 = 60m < 63m -------- Safe!
b) Uplift pressure head
at point A = 4-1/15.75(2*6+15) = 2.29m
at point B = 4-1/15.75(2*6+25) = 1.65m
at point C = 4-1/15.75(2*6+35) = 1.02m
C) Thickness of the floor, t = 4/3(h/G-1)
at point A = 4/3*(2.29/2.24-1) = 2.46m
at point B = 4/3*(1.65/2.24-1) = 1.77m
at point C = 4/3*(1.02/2.24-1) = 1.1m
 Design of Weir and Barrage
Solution: (Lane’s theory):
a) Creep length ; L = 2x6+1/3*35+2x8=39.67m
Hydraulic gradient i = H/L = 4/39.7 = 1/9.92 < 1/8.5….safe
Or Lmin = C1*H = 8.5*4 = 34m < 39.67m -------- safe
b) Uplift pressure head
at point A = 4-1/9.92 (2*6+15/3) = 2.29m
at point B = 4-1/9.92 (2*6+25/3) = 1.95m
at point C = 4-1/9.92 (2*6+35/3) = 1.61m
c) Thickness of the floor, t = 4/3(h/G-1)
at point A = 4/3*(2.29/2.24-1)= 2.46m
at point B = 4/3*(1.95/2.24-1)= 2.10m
at point C = 4/3*(1.61/2.24-1)= 1.73m
 Khosla’s Theory
The main principles of this theory are summarized below:
A.The seepage water does not creep along the bottom contour of
impervious floor as stated by Bligh, but moves along a set of
streamlines.
B.The seepage water exerts a force at each point in the direction of
flow and tangential to the streamlines.
Exit gradient
Critical exit gradient
Khosla’s Theory of Independent Variables
♣ For designing hydraulic structures such as weirs or barrages on
previous foundations, Khosla has evolved a simple, quick, and
accurate approach, called the Method of Independent Variables.
♣ In this method, a complex profile like that of a weir is broken into a
number of simple profiles; each of which can be solved
mathematically.
♣ Mathematical solutions of flow nets for these simple standard profiles
have been presented in the form of equations and curves which can be
used for determining the percentage pressures at the various key
points. The simple standard profiles used are:
Cont’d
1. A straight horizontal floor of negligible thickness with a sheet pile at
either end, i.e. at the upstream or downstream end

2. A straight horizontal floor depressed below the bed but with no

vertical cut-offs.
Cont’d
3.A straight horizontal floor of negligible thickness with a sheet pile line at
some intermediate position.

In general, the usual weir section consists of a combination of all or some

of the three forms mentioned above.
Each elementary form is treated as independent of the others. The pressures
as a percentage of the water head are read from Khosla’s curves at the key
points.
The key points are the junction of the floor and the pile or cut-off walls, the
bottom points of the pile or walls, and the bottom corners in the case of
depressed floor.
cont’d
The percentage pressure observed from the Curves for the simple form
into which the profile has been broken up is valid for the profile as a
whole if corrected for:
(i) Mutual interference of piles;
(ii) The floor thickness; and
(iii) The slope of the floor
Correction for Mutual Interference of Piles
♣ The correction C to be applied as a percentage of the head is given by
cont’d

The correction is positive for points in the rear or backwater and

subtractive for points forward in the direction of flow.
This equation does not apply to the effect of an outer pile on an
intermediate pile, if the intermediate pile is equal to or smaller
than the outer pile and is at a distance less than twice the length
of the outer pile.
Correction for floor thickness
In the standard forms with cutoffs, the thickness of the floor is
assumed to be negligible. Thus as observed from Khosla’s curves, the
percentage pressures at the junction points E and C pertain to the level
at the top of the floor whereas the actual junction is with the bottom of
the floor.
The percentage pressures at the actual points E and C are interpolated
by assuming a straight line pressure variation from the hypothetical
point E to D and also from D to C.
For pile no. 1, since the corrected pressure at E1 should be less than the
calculated pressure at E, the correction to be applied for the joint E1
shall be negative. Similarly, the pressure calculated at C is less than
the corrected pressure at C1, and hence, the correction to be applied at
point C1 is positive.
cont’d
Correction for the slope of the floor

A correction is applied for a sloping floor and is taken as positive

for the down and negative for the up slopes following the direction
of flow.
The values of correction for various slopes are tabulated below
cont’d
cont’d
The correction given above is to be multiplied by the
horizontal length of the slope and divided by the distance
between the two pile lines between which the sloping floor is
located.
This correction is applicable only to the key points of the pile
line fixed at the beginning or the ends of the slope.
Exit Gradient (GE)
For standard form consisting of a floor-length b with a vertical cutoff
of depth d, the exit gradient at its end is given by:

The exit gradient so calculated must lie within safe limits as given in
the following table
cont’d
cont’d
cont’d
Example
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Example cont’d
Class Work/Test
Depth of sheet piles
Design of protection works
Design of protection works Cont’d
Design of protection works Cont’d
Design of protection works Cont’d
Block Protection: It is provided immediately at the u/s end of the
impervious floor.
It consists of 0.6 to 1.0 m thick stone or concrete blocks laid on 0.4 to
0.6 m thick loosely packed stone
The length of the block protection is usually equal to the depth of
scour, D, below the river bed at the u/s end of the impervious floor
Design of vertical drop weir
Design of vertical drop weir cont’d
The design of a vertical drop weir consists of:
Design of vertical drop weir cont’d
Hydraulic Calculations
(i) The length of the waterway, L is calculated from Lacey’s regime
formula
Design of vertical drop weir cont’d
Design of vertical drop weir cont’d
Effect of Retrogression: As a result of the
construction of a weir or barrage progressive
retrogression or degradation of the downstream river
bed is caused which results in the lowering of the
downstream river stages
Design of Weir Wall
It is necessary to check the stability of the weir under the
following three states:
State 1. When the u/s water or headwater is at crest level or
at the top of the crest shutter (if any) and there is no flow
State 2. When water is flowing over the weir crest and the
weir is submerged
State 3. When water is flowing over the weir crest and weir is
discharging with a clear overfall
Design of Weir Wall cont’d
Design of Weir Wall cont’d
Top width of weir wall
Top width of the weir wall is obtained using three methods:
Design of Weir Wall cont’d
 Design of Weir Wall cont’d
Bottom width of weir wall
❖ The bottom width of the weir wall, B, is determined by equating the
overturning moments to the resisting moments taken at the outer middle
third of the bottom width of the weir wall.
❖ In determining the bottom width all the three states discussed before are
considered
Design of Weir Wall
cont’d
Design of Weir Wall
cont’d
Design of Weir Wall
cont’d
Design of impervious floor (or apron)
Design of impervious floor (or apron) cont’d
Design of impervious floor (or apron) cont’d
Design of protection works on upstream and
downstream sides
Design of protection works on upstream and
downstream sides