Irrigation Assistant Lecturer : Saad Sh.

Sameen

Eleventh Lecture

Design of Irrigation
Canals
Silt Theories and Design of Irrigation Canals
Design of irrigation canals means determining of their various hydraulic dimensions, such
as, bed width (B), depth of water (y), side slope and shape of section and bed slope (S). The
design aspects of irrigation canals can be divided into two parts:-

1- Design of canals in non-alluvial soils.

2- Design of canals in alluvial soils.

Design of canals in non-alluvial soils

Non alluvial soils are stable, and as such scouring and consequent silting in canals
passing through such areas is not pronounced. So the design of canals in such soils is simple:-

The general adopted values of side slopes for non-alluvial canals as:

1 (H) : 1(V) in cutting , 1.5 (H) : 1 (V) in filling.

The channels can be designed after fixing the ratio of (depth / width) by using one of the
following hydraulic formulas:-

1- Chezys Formula : It state that

Where: v : velocity in channel (m/s).

R : hydraulic radius (m) = (area / wetted perimeter).

S : bed slope.

C : a constant depending upon the shape and surface of the channel.

2- Mannings Formula : It state that

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Irrigation Assistant Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

Design of canals in alluvial soils

Alluvial soils are highly unstable and they can be scoured as easily as can be deposited.
The irrigation canals taking off from rivers flow through such soils will definitely carry huge
amounts of silt. But an irrigation canal having a certain fixed water depth and flow velocity,
can carry in suspension, only a certain fixed amount of sediment. The excess silt entering the
canal will tend to silted down in the channel. Mannings equation and chezys equation do not
take the factor into consideration, and hence cannot be used for the design of the such
channels. Such channels can only be designed by taking this problem of silt transportation into
account.

Design of stable channel in alluvial soil needs such a bed slope and section of the channel,
that neither silting nor scouring takes place in the channel. Such channel are known as stable
channel (Regime channel).

Regime channel : A channel is said to be in state of regime, if the flow is such that silting and
scouring need no special attention such a state is not easily possible in rivers, but in artificial
channels it can be obtained by properly designing the channel.

The channels in alluvial soil can be designed using one of the following theories:-

1- Kennedys Theory

The critical velocity (vo) is determined at first using the equation :

vo = 0.55.m.y0.64

where : m : is a factor named as critical velocity ratio depends upon the silt grade.

vo is determined by assuming a trial depth and then :

A = Q/v

So dimensions of the channel can be determined. Finally the actual mean velocity (v) can
be determined using Mannings formula. If the two velocities (vo) and (v) are similar, then the
assumed depth is all right, otherwise (y) must be changed.

Example (28) :-Design an irrigation channel with the following data: discharge =40 m3/sec,
B/y = 2.5, the critical velocity ratio = 1, Mannings coefficient =0.023.

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 Irrigation Assistant Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

Solution
vo = 0.55.m.y0.64

= 0.55 (1)(y)0.64 .(1)

Q = A.vo A = Q /vo = 40 /vo

using 0.5:1.0 slope, A = y(B+2(1/2)(0.5y))= y(B+y/2)

40/vo = y(B+y/2) 40 = y(B+y/2).vo

But (B/y) = 2.5 B =2.5y

40 = y(2.5y + 0.5y)vo =y(3y).vo = 3y2.vo ..(2)

From (1) & (2)

40 =3y2(0.55y0.64) y2.64 = (40)/(30.55) y= 3.34m

B = 2.5(y) = 2.5(3.34) = 8.35m

A = 3y2=3(3.34)2 = 33.467m2

vo = 0.55(3.34)0.64= 1.043m/sec

using Mannings equation :-

Assume S = (1/4000)

Putting the value of (S) and computing the value of v

v = 1.154m/sec v > vo

Therefore to reduce the value of v, S must be reduce ( say S = 1/ 5000)

v = 1.041 m/sec 1.042 m/sec or v vo

so use S = 1/4750

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Irrigation Assistant Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

Hence, use a trapezoidal channel section as follows :-

Depth of water = 3.5m

Base width = 8.4m

Side slope =0.5H:1.0V

Bed slope = 1/4750

2- Laceys theory : lacey came out with the statement that even a channel showing no silting
or scouring may actually not be in regime. He state that an artificial constructed channel
having a certain fixed section and slope can behave in regime only if the following
conditions are satisfied :

a- Discharge is constant.

b- Flow is uniform.

c- Silt grade and silt is constant.

Various equations put forward by Lacey for the design of static channels as :-

Where f is the silt factor and d is particle size

Where R is the hydraulic mean depth

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 Irrigation Assistant Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

Where P is the welted perimeter

Example(29)
:- Design a regime channel for a discharge of 50m3/sec and silt factor 1.1
using Laceys theory.

Solution

A = Q/v = (50) /(0.869) = 56.3m2

For a trapezoidal channel with (0.5:1.0) side slope

Solving (1) & (2) get b = 33.56 2.24 y (3)

And from (2) 56.3 = (33.56 2.24y)y + (y2/2) y2 19.3y +32.4 = 0

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Irrigation Assistant Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

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