RIVER STRUCTURAL WORKS AND OPERATION Ch5.

River training works

by: Ing. Teshome Seyoum

RIVER TRAINING WORKS

Outline of presentation
River Training Works Objectives of River Training Works Site Selection And Interaction With Other Structure Design Consideration Morphodynamic Effect (Aggradations And Degradation) Sustainable Management Of River Training Works

5.0 RIVER TRAINING WORKS

River training in its wider aspects covers all those engineering works, which are constructed on river so as to guide and confine the flow to the river channel This training works are used to control and regulate the river bed configuration ensuring safe and effective disposal of floods and sediment loads. Stabilizing and training the river along a certain alignment with suitable waterway is therefore the first and foremost aim of river training.

RIVER TRAINING WORKS

5.1 Objectives
The River training works may serve the following objectives: i. To prevent the river from changing its course and to avoid outflanking of structures like bridges, weirs aqueducts, etc. ii. To prevent flooding of the surrounding countries by providing a safe passage for the flood waters with out overtopping the banks. iii. To protect the river banks by deflecting the river away from the attacked banks. iv. To ensure effective disposal of sediment load v. To provide minimum water depth required for navigation

Classification of River Training Works

Depending up on the purpose for which a river training programme is undertaken the river training works may be classified in to the following three categories: 1. High water training or Training for discharge 2. Low water training or Training for depth 3. Mean water training or Training for sediment. 1. High water training or Training for discharge. High water training is undertaken with the primary purpose of flood control.

River Training Works cont

It, therefore, aims at providing sufficient river crosssection for the safe passage of maximum flood It is concerned with making the adjoining are floodproof by construction of dykes or levees.
2. Low water training or Training for depth. Low water is undertaken with the primary purpose of providing sufficient water depth in navigable channels during low water periods. It may be accomplished by concentrating and enhancing the flow in the desired channel by contracting the width of the channel with the help of groynes etc

River Training Works cont

3. Mean water training or training for sediment. Mean water training aims at efficient disposal of suspended load and bed load and thus to preserve the channel in good shape. The maximum accretion capacity of a river occurs in the vicinity of mean water or dominant discharge. Therefore the change in the river bed are attempted in accordance with that stage of flood flow. The mean water training is the most important type and forms .

5.2. Site Selection & Interaction With Other Structure

Selection of works-site- it is evident that an engineering structure, such as a bridge or a weir should be spanned in that portion of the river where the distance b/n the extreme banks is minimum.
This reduces the extent of possible embayment at the back of the guide banks & permits shorter guide banks.

On a meandering river the river section at the bend is always wide & non- uniform deep on the concave bank & shallow on the convex.

Site Selection cont

The transition reaches connecting two adjacent bends are narrower & uniform in depth.
Hence, bridges should preferably be built in these transition reaches rather than on the bends. In case of bridges, the river bed at the proposed bridge site should consist of deep strata of erodible land, so that after construction the river may be able to deepen the bed to gain an adequate waterway. If the bed consists of stiff clay etc the constriction can be done only after due allowance is made for afflux, which may make it costlier.

Site Selection cont

In case of weirs & barrages, the usual practice is to construct the weir or the barrage, outside the main river channel in a minor creek which is dry in winter, & then to divert the main river channel through it. At the weir site, the river width is constricted. The meandering river upstream has therefore, to be trained to flow b/n the two abutments of the weir, without causing any damage.

5.3 Design Consideration-Methods of River Training

The chief aim of river training is to achieve ultimate stability of the river with the aid of river training measures. The stability of a river does not mean that changes like scouring and silting of bed advancement of delta in to the sea, etc will not take place. It only means that the river attains equilibrium stage & no significant changes occurs in its alignment, slope, regime, & etc. The regime may change within a year but shows little variation from year to year except that the river may meander within its extreme banks.

Methods cont
A river adjusts its alignment, perimeter, area, slope etc. with respect to the discharge & sediment load, either by aggrading, meandering or by degrading. It may be concluded that meandering type is the full & final development of an alluvial river. The other two types are the interim phases and are maintained so long as the factors causing them remain operative. River training work undertaken on aggrading or degrading rivers may, therefore, fail to impose any stability on such rivers.

Methods cont
Bank protection works undertaken on an aggrading river may either be destroyed by severe erosion or get buried under sediment deposition. Soil conservation measures are the most effective measures to be undertaken for controlling aggrading rivers, before taking up any river training works on such rivers. Similarly, the training works undertaken on degrading rivers may fail due to scour and undermining of foundations by bed scour. The scouring tendency of degrading rivers must be controlled by building cross-bars, weirs, etc. before attempting any other river training works on such rivers.

5.3.1 River training works

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Marginal embankments or levees Guide banks Groynes or Spurs Artificial cut-offs Pitching of banks and provision of launching aprons 6. Pitched islands 7. Miscellaneous methods.

1. Marginal embankments or levees:

Marginal embankments are general earthen embankments, running parallel to the river, at some suitable distance from it. They may be constructed on both sides of the river or only one side, for suitable river length, where the river is passing through towns or cities or any other places of importance. These embankment walls retain the flood water and thus, preventing it from spreading into the nearby lands and towns.

Marginal levees cont

The alignment of levees should follow the normal meandering pattern of the river. The retirement of the levees has to be governed by technical as well as economical and political considerations, because the land falling within the levees is either to be acquired by the government or remains susceptible to floods. The levees are many types, pitched on the upstream side (i.e. water side). Launching apron may also be provided, if the bank or levee is close to the main river channel.

Design of levee Section:

Levees are just like earthen dams with the ff difference: Levees are very long, Come in operation discontinuously and for a short time Have limited possibilities for selection of their alignment along favorable geological strata. Their sections should be designed in such a way as to keep the seepage gradient inside the body of the embankment by at least one meter below the top surface of the embankment. The normal value of usually adopted seepage gradient varies b/n 4:1 to 6:1 (i.e. H:V) depending up on the characteristics of the soil.

Design of levee cont

It may necessitate that the river side slopes varying b/n 2:1 to 5:1, land side slopes b/n 2:1 to 7:1, and top width b/n 2.5 to 10 m. The top level of the levee should be decided by leaving a sufficient freeboard varying b/n 0.3 to 1.5 m above the high flood level. The following levee sections for different height are generally adopted:

Typical sections of levees

2. Guide Banks
If an engineering structure such as a weir or a barrage or a bridge etc is constructed across a river, the river width is reduced & trained in such a fashion as to ensure not only a safe & expeditious disposal of flood water but also to ensure a permanent reasonable width of the waterway for the river flow. It has already been discussed that the alluvial rivers do shift their courses.

Now, if today, a structure such as a bridge is constructed across the existing river width the other day the river may shift.

Guide Banks cont

In this case there may not be any river below the existing river width, & the river may be found to be flowing away from it, necessitating the construction of another structure. This may lead to the extension of the structure for the entire river length b/n its extreme banks. But it is unwise and uneconomical to span the entire width of the river & to expose the structure to vagaries of attack & deep scour. Hence, a structure such as a weir, or a barrage, or a bridge, etc is extended in a smaller width of the river, & water is trained to flow almost axially through this without out-flanking the structure.

Guide Banks cont

The river is normally trained for this purpose with the help of a pair of guide banks.
The guide banks are generally provided in pairs, symmetrical in plan & may either be kept parallel or may diverge slightly upstream of works. Symmetrical & parallel guide banks are usually adopted, unless, the local conditions warrant otherwise. Before the water enters in to the trough formed b/n these two guide banks, the flow may have to be partially controlled & directed with the help of marginal bunds or by groynes or both.

Guide Banks cont

The guide banks usually consist of two heavily built embankments in the river in the shape of a bell mouth. The portion of the river b/n the normal river banks & the guide banks is closed by ordinary embankments.

Sometimes, one of the guide banks may become unnecessary & may be dispensed with for economical reasons. This may happen either when the extreme bank is very near the works site thus serving the purpose of guide banks.

Guide Bank Details

Guide Bank Section

Principle & factors governing the design of guide banks

1. Top level of guide banks: The top level of guide banks is governed by HFL, Afflux, velocity head, and freeboard. It can be obtained by adding all these four values

a) Afflux: Afflux means the rise in the high flood level of the river, u/s of the weir (or the bridge in case of non-erodible soil) as a result of its construction. This rise in water level is maximum just near the site of constriction & reduces as we go away from it, upstream.

1. Top level of guide banks cont

The amount of afflux governs the top levels of the guide banks as well as that of the marginal bunds. The distance to which the afflux extends on the upstream side governs the length and sections of the marginal bunds.
b) Waterway & Discharge per meter run The waterway is the actual width from which the water has to flow after river is constricted. Since this width is reduced at the works site, the depth of water increase and hence, the HFL will go up.

1. Top level of guide banks cont

The rise in this HFL is nothing but it is afflux. The limit placed on afflux automatically placed a limit on the constriction or on the waterway, since the two are interdependent. In addition to high afflux, the insufficient waterway will cause excessive velocities, causing dangerously deep scour along the guide banks, at the bridge piers, and etc On the other hand too long bridge or weir may cause slack velocities, causing formation of shoals with consequent non-uniform flow distribution and an oblique flow.

1. Top level of guide banks cont

A likely figure to be adopted for waterway may be given by Laceys Regime perimeter (P) , given by P 4.75 Q
B/c in larger rivers ,width is approx. equal to its perimeter. In case of a bridge, obstruction caused by piers should be accounted for, & the above equation should be taken to represent the clear effective waterway. It should be remembered that regime conditions are disturbed after the construction of the weir and the above formula is not strictly applicable. Most of the time a clear waterway from 10% to 50% more than that given by Laceys is provided.

2. Shape of guide banks in plan

The guide banks are generally provided in pairs, symmetrical in plan & may either be kept parallel or may diverge slightly u/s of the works. The diverging guide banks may be favored on the ground that they cover larger width of the extreme banks & exert an attracting influence on the flow. But they are not recommended mainly because for equal bank lengths they provide relatively less protection to the approach embankment under the worst possible embayment. Moreover, the divergent banks induce oblique flow & tend to form shoals in the center.

3. Length of the guide banks

Spring & Gales have correlated the length of guide bank with the length of structure b/n the abutments (L). According to spring, the length of the u/s part of the guide bank should be equal to 1.1L or even longer if required to obviate the possibility of the river curving at the back & cutting into approach bank. The length of the guide bank on the d/s side should be b/n 0.1 L to 0.2 L According to Gales, the u/s length of the guide bank is 1.25 L for flow Q up to 20,000 m3/s, & 1.5 L for flood Q more than 20,000 m3/s.

Length cont
The length of the guide bank on the downstream side should be taken equal to 0.25 L. A convergence of 1 in 20 in the former case and 1 in 40 in the latter case also been suggested by him .

His recommendations are based on assumptions that the structure is constructed well within the extreme banks & is provided with two training bunds.

Gales guide banks

4. Radius of curved head

(a) Upstream curved portion: The upstream curved portion of a guide bank is called the impregnable head. The radius of curvature of the impregnable head should be sufficient enough so as not to cause intense eddies due to the curved flow near it. Greater the radius, flatter the curve, & lesser is the probability of formation of eddies.

For same river slope, coarser the bed material, shorter can be the radius depending on the expected velocity.

U/s curved portion cont

A safe value for the radius (R) may be taken equal to R= 0.45 L. The upstream curve is extended to subtend an angle of 120 to 140 at its center.

b) Downstream curved portion

On the downstream, the river fans out so as to attain its normal width. The downstream portion of the guide bank ensures the safety of approach embankments and prevents the river from attacking them. This purpose can be well served by providing short guide bund with sharp curved head.

A radius equal to half the radius at the upstream side may be provided.

Upstream curved portion

5. The shank portion & section of bund

The straight portion of the guide bund is called the shank portion.
The guide banks should have a minimum top width of 4 meters so as to provide sufficient carriage-way. Extra width may, however be provided for storing pitching materials, etc Side slope may vary from 1.5H:1V to 2.5 H:1V, But generally kept as 2H:1V, depending construction materials & the height of the bund. A freeboard of 1.2 to 1.5 m is generally provided. on the

6. Slope pitching
The sloping water side of the entire guide bund as well as the sloping rear side of the curved portions are pitched with one man stone ( i.e. a stone which can be lifted by one person-weighing 40 to 50 kg) or concrete blocks.

The pitching should extend up to1m higher than HFL.

The rear side of the shank portion is not pitched, but is generally coated with 0.3 to 0.6m earths for encouraging vegetation growth, so as to make it resistant against rain, wind etc.

Slope pitching cont

The thickness of the pitching on the river side may be calculated by the formula t = 0.06 Q1/3 Where t is the thickness of stone pitching in meters Q is the discharge in cumecs. The thickness of pitching should be 25% more at the impregnable head than for the rest of the bund.

Section of Guide Bank

7. Launching apron
Whenever a sloping face is protected by stone pitching against scour the pitching is extended beyond the toe on the bed, called Launching apron.
If no such protection is provided scour will occur at the toe with consequent undermining & collapse of the stone pitching.

In order to obviate such a danger to the slope, the pitching is extended on the horizontal river bed portion, which falls down in to the scoured portion as soon as the scour occurs.

Launching apron details

Launching apron cont

The launching apron is generally laid in a width equal to 1.5 times the depth of scour (D) below the original bed. The total scour below HFL is taken as xR, where R is the Lacey normal scoured depth given by equation
Q R 0.47 f
1 3

where

Q is the discharge and f is silt factor

Value of x
S.No Locations Mean values of x 2.25 1.50 D=xR-water depth above bed 2.25R-y 1.5R-y

1 2

Noses of guide banks Transition from noses to straight portions Straight reaches of guide bunds

1.25

1.25R-y

3.Spurs or Groynes
Groynes /Transverse Dykes are the embankment type structure constructed transverse to the river flow, extending from the bank in to the river. They are constructed in order to protect the bank from which they are extended by deflecting the current away from the bank. As the water is unable to flow to a sharp embayment, the bank gets protected for certain distance upstream and downstream of the groyne. The groyne is subjected to tremendous action of water & has to be heavily protected by pitching etc.

Spurs or Groynes cont

The action of eddies reduces from the head towards the bank and therefore, the thickness of slope pitching & apron can be reduced accordingly. Types of alignment: The groynes may be built either perpendicular to the bank line or they may be inclined u/s or d/s. A groyne pointing u/s has the property of repelling the flow away from it & scour holes caused by the formation of vertical eddies are developed away from the bank & near the head of the groyne such groynes are called repelling groynes. A groyne pointing d/s has the property of attracting the flow towards it & is called an attracting groyne.

Different alignments of Groynes

Spurs or Groynes cont

In an attracting groyne, scour holes are developed nearer the bank as compared to those in a repelling groyne. Since such attracting groynes bring the water current as well as scour holes nearer the bank & make it more susceptible to damage, they are generally not used. The groynes are therefore generally aligned either perpendicular to the bank or pointing upstream. The perpendicular alignment is generally used on convex banks & the upstream pointing is generally used on concave banks.

Spurs or Groynes cont

When the length of an upstream pointing groyne is small such that it changes on the direction of flow without repelling it is called a deflecting groyne instead calling it a repelling groyne.
The repelling groynes are generally found to serve the desired result, provided they are properly located with due regard to their positioning in relation to the meander length. On the upstream side of a repelling groyne, a still water pocket is formed where the suspended sediment carried by the river gets deposited.

Spurs or Groynes cont

The head of such a groyne however causes severe disturbance in the flow at its nose where heavy scour take places. Due to this heavy attack of swirling river current at the head, a repelling groyne needs heavy protection at & near its head in the form of heavy stone pitching & apron laid by placing stones filled in wire crates in and around the earthen groyne

Length of the groynes

The length of the groynes depend upon the position of the existing bank line & the designed or expected bank line for trained river. Too long groynes on easily erodible susceptible to damage and failure. rivers are

In such case the best results can be obtained by starting with a shorter length and to extend the groynes gradually, as silting between them proceeds. No general rule can be formulated for fixing the length of the groynes.

Spacing of the groynes

As each groynes can protect a certain length, the primary factor governing the spacing b/n two adjacent groynes, is their length. The spacing is therefore, taken as a certain proportion of their length.
Apart from the length, spacing may be governed by the following factors: a) Type of bank where the groyne is to be located. Larger spacing is required locating groynes on convex banks, & a smaller one for concave banks with intermediate values at the crossings.

Spacing of groyne cont

A spacing of 2.5 times the length of the groyne is generally adopted at convex banks, While a spacing equal to the length of the groyne is mostly adopted for concave banks.

b) The width of river. For rivers of equal flood discharges, a larger spacing is preferred for wider rivers than for narrower rivers. c) Type of groyne. A higher value of spacing may be used for permeable groynes.

Types of groynes
Based upon their material of construction, the groynes may be divided in to two types, namely: i. Impermeable groynes ii. Permeable groynes. i. Impermeable groynes. Impermeable groynes are also called as solid groynes or embankment groynes. These groynes may be rock fill embankments or earthen embankments, armoured with stone pitching, concrete blocks, etc,

Impermeable groynes cont

The head of groynes needs special protection and is generally provided with a launching apron in addition to the increased pitching. These groynes are called impermeable groynes because they do not allow any significant flow through them. Their design is the same as that for the guide bund with an apron.
Commonly adopted dimensions of the groyne embankment are: Freeboard =1m

Impermeable Groyne Section

Top with = 3m Side slopes =2:1 Head = square and having a slope of 5:1 Apron = as per standard design requirement

ii. Permeable groynes:

Permeable groynes do permit restricted flow through them. The groynes are more or less temporary structures & are susceptible to damage by floating debris, etc. The common materials used as permeable groynes, are a) Trees used as groynes, called Tree spur. b) Timber stakes or wooden piles called Balli spurs. c) Stone filled in balli crates. d) Stone filled in wire crates.

Permeable groynes cont

Permeable groynes simply obstruct the flow, reducing its velocity & causing silt deposition. They are, therefore, best suited for rivers carrying huge sediment load in suspension. In comparatively clear rivers, they reduce the erosive strength of the current & thus, prevent local bank erosion. Permeable spurs do not change the flow abruptly as is done by impermeable spurs, & intense & serious eddies & scour holes are not developed. They are cheaper & perhaps the best for silt laden rivers.

Permeable groynes cont

When the groyne is to be submerged, then permeable groynes give much better results, b/c they do not generate so strong turbulence as is generated by submerged impermeable groynes, making them susceptible to be washed away due to over topping.
Balli spurs are being successfully used these days on many rivers in plains, & are becoming popular.

T-shaped groyne
Deneheys T-shaped groyne is a special type of groyne developed in India.
It is an ordinary groyne provided with an extra cross groyne at the head giving it a T-shape. The cross groyne protects the main groyne on the same principles as the main groyne saves the bank. The longer arm of the T is provided on the u/s, & the shorter one on the d/s. These groynes are usually spaced at about 800 m apart.

T-shaped groyne & Hocked shaped groyne

Concluding remarks on groynes

The groynes should be constructed after model studies.

Their design is not much amenable to theoretical investigation & has to be checked & tested with model studies. A series of groynes may be useful for general deflection of the river, a single groyne placed suitable may best serve the purpose of controlling a river at a certain works-site.

Groynes

4. Pitched island
A pitched island is an artificially created island in the river bed. It is protected by some stone pitching on all sides. A pitched island is created with sand core and boulder lining. To protect it from scouring, a launching apron is also provided. The location, size and shape of pitched islands are usually decided on the basis of model studies.

Pitched Islands

Purposes
1. Creating an oblique approach u/s of weirs, barrages & bridges by training the river to be axial. Rectifying adverse curvature for effective sediment exclusion. Redistribution of harmful concentration of flow for relieving attack on marginal bunds, guide banks and river bends, etc., Improving the channel for navigation.

2.

3.

4.

5.3.2 Bank erosion protection

River bank protection may be carried out by 1. Planting 2. Rubble stone pitching 3. Gabions 4. Bagged concrete and concrete slabs, Flexible Brick pitching 5. Asphalt slabs, asphalt, asphalt concrete 6. Soil cement blocks

Bank erosion protection cont

It is important to appreciate that any protective facing of banks must be continued to the river bed and be provided with good footing. Governing criteria of bank erosion protection is wave height. Preferred type of protection is Dumped rock rip rap. Hand placed stone pitching (where labour cost is low), however, Dumped rock rip rap is better. In the absence of availability of rock at a reasonable cost, alternative of concrete or asphaltic facing or soil cement protection may be used.

Bank erosion protection cont

Most design specifications for the rip rap relate the criteria for selection of rock size & thickness of rip rap layer directly to the design of wave height. The following is an example of such a tabular type of specification. General requirements 1. For embankment slopes between 2:1 to 4:1 dumped rip rap shall meet the following criteria (recommended by US Army corps of Engineers).

Bank erosion protection cont

Maximum Average Maximum Layer Wave size D50 rock size thickness height (m) (m) (kg) (m) 0.00-0.30 0.20 45 0.31 0.30-0.60
0.60-1.20 1.20-1.80

0.25
0.31 0.38

91
227 680

0.38
0.46 0.61

1.80-2.40
2.40-3.00

0.46
0.61

1134
1814

0.76
0.91

Bank erosion protection cont

2. Rip rap should be well graded from a maximum size of at least 1.5 times the average rock size to 2.5cm spalls suitable to fill voids between rocks. Rip rap blanket shall extend to at least 2.4m below lowest water level, for river banks up to bed and 3 to 4m on river bed as toe trench. Rocks should be un-weathered, specific gravity greater than 2.60, should meet soundness and density requirements for concrete aggregate. Filter shall be provided between the rip rap & embankment soils to meet the following criteria.

3.

4.

5.

Bank erosion protection cont

Maximum Wave Minimum D35 Filter thickness height (m) size for filter (cm) (cm) 0.00-1.20 2.50-3.50 15.10 1.20-3.00 3.80-5.00 1.20-2.40 22.50 2.40-3.60 30.00
6. No filter is needed if embankment material meets the above requirements for D85 size. A filter may not be required if the embankment consists of CH (Plastic clay) or CL (clay, low plasticity) with liquid limit greater than 30, resistant to erosion. Filter helps to minimize the effect of frost heave or draw down pore pressure.

Bank erosion protection cont

7. Failure may occur if there is i. Segregation of large, over size stones in the pockets in the layer, allowing the bedding materials to be washed through the rip rap ii. Segregation of small, under size stones in areas of rip rap layer during placements, permitting holes to be formed in the layer. iii. No extension of primary rip rap far enough down the slope to below the line of attack at minimum pool level

Hand placed rip rap

Hand placed rip rap consists of a single layer of stones fitted together in a fashion similar to that for dry rubble masonary & laid on a layer of finer bedding material. No better than dumped stone rip rap. Soil cement slope protection Soil cement slope protection consists of a series of approximately horizontal layers of soil cement compacted in stair step fashion up the embankment slope. The layer are usually 2 to 3m wide, compacted to 15cm vertical thickness & placed and compacted by standard soil handling construction equipment.

Slope protection cont

Soil with a wide range of gradations may be successfully used for soil cement. Organic soils and those containing a high percentage of alkali- reactive minerals should be avoided. The cement content varies from 7 to 15% by volume of soil cement depending up on soil characteristics.

5.4. Morphodynamic Effect (Aggradations & Degradation)

In contrast to the localised scour, degradation implies a lowering of the river bed over long distances. Degradation may progress d/s or u/s or both. The most common example of d/s degradation occurs d/s of dams that trap the sediment in transport and release clear water.

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

For example, the sand and gravel bed below the Hoover dam in Colorado degraded 7.1 m in 30 years & the degradation extended over 52 km. Degradation progressing u/s occurs when the d/s water level is lowered, e.g. lowering of a lake level or removal of a control & is more rapid than d/s progressing degradation. In general, a d/s progressing degradation leads to a flattening of slope, i.e. the end result could be looked at as a rotation of the bed profile about a d/s control point, e.g. a lake or sea. It can be caused by a reduction of sediment in transport, a reduction in size of the bed material or an increase in water discharge.

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

The rate of degradation decreases with time and the equilibrium conditions are approached very slowly. Profile adjustments occur only when the threshold conditions of the armour layer on the bed are exceeded. An imposed steepening of the slope by lowering of water level, by cut-offs etc. leads to u/s propagating degradation & continues until equilibrium is established by coarsening of bed material or by change in river geometry. Degradation of river bed can lead to slumping of the valley slopes & to undermining of structures along the river, such as bridge foundations.

 Degradation can be counteracted by release of sediment from reservoirs. It can also be controlled to some extent in any reach of a river, for example, by reduction of slope by ground sills which convert the river into a cascade. A sequence of reservoirs, although trapping sediment & causing degradation, also has a reducing effect in that the flood peaks are reduced. Since most of the transport and degradation occurs during the short period of floods this reduction of transport capacity can be significant.

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

Aggradation means the building up of the stream bed elevation. However, the accumulation of sediment in a reservoir, which is also a form of aggradation, is usually called siltation. Aggradation of stream beds is usually associated with excessive sediment supply, for example, from a badly eroding catchment. Although it is basically the same problem as degradation, it is frequently made more difficult through spatial variation of the sediment supply, i.e. sediment may be supplied from both banks overland and by tributaries over a considerable distance of the stream, not just an input boundary condition at the u/s end.

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

A tributary, for example, may also bring in an excess amount of sediment at a section of a river. The flow in the river will then continue to change until a new sediment transport equilibrium is established over that section of the river. The u/s reach will slowly aggrade to the new slope imposed by the equilibrium at crosssection & its hydraulic conditions change to carry the incoming sediment at the new slope. The bed elevation changes logarithmically with time. From the input station d/s, the aggradation proceeds as a propagating wedge over which equilibrium conditions prevail & d/s of the front of this sediment wedge flow remains essentially unaffected.

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

Aggradation can be a particularly serious problem d/s of water diversion structures that are effective in sediment exclusion, i.e. the sediment load from u/s is to be transported by the reduced flow of water.
A river adjusts its alignment, perimeter, area, slope etc. with respect to the discharge & sediment load, either by aggrading, meandering or by degrading. It may be concluded that meandering type is the full & final development of an alluvial river. The other two types are the interim phases & are maintained so long as the factors causing them remain operative.

Morphodynamic Effect cont...

Aggrading rivers are, therefore, equally amenable to river training on account of their instability. River training work undertaken on aggrading or degrading rivers may, therefore, fail to impose any stability on such rivers. For example, bank protection works undertaken on an aggrading river may either be destroyed by severe erosion or get buried under sediment deposition. Soil conservation measures are the most effective measures to be undertaken for controlling aggrading rivers, before taking up any river training works on such rivers.

Sustainable Management cont...

Similarly, the training works undertaken on degrading rivers may fail due to scour & undermining of foundations by bed scour. The scouring tendency of degrading rivers must be controlled by building cross-bars, weirs, etc. before attempting any other river training works on such rivers.

5.5. Sustainable Management of River Training Works

Sustainable management of river training works takes the concept from sustainability and synthesizes them with the concepts of management of the river training works. Sustainability creates the ability to keep the structure operating indefinitely without malfunction, & maintain its viability. Sustainable management has been created to be defined as the application of sustainable practices in the categories of healthy operation.

Sustainable Management cont...

Sustainable management of river training works is needed b/c it is an important part of the ability to successfully maintain the quality of design life period of the structure. The problems that affect the sustainability of the structure are: Wrong site selection, Unavailability of Technical skills, Aggradations & degradation, Improper design of structure, Poor construction materials, Poor construction due to lack of proper construction control, and Lack of proper operation & maintenance