DESIGN OF IRRIGATION

UNDER TUNNEL

TOPICS COVERED:
Introduction of

aqueducts
Basic data required for design of UT.

DESIGN CONSIDERATION:
Shape
Materials
Type

of UT
Layout
Barrel
Drainage wings
Carrier channel section and its fluming
Transitions
Joints
Limiting velocity and loss of head

SHAPE:
Precast RCC pipes are economical for syphoning small drainage discharges.
For large drainage discharges, circular, square, rectangular or horse shaped

barrels are suitable.

MATERIALS:
For the construction of the syphon barrels, prestressed concrete, RCC or masonry

or a combination of these may be used depending upon the availability of

materials, labour and relative economy.

Type of UT:
In barrel type of UT, the entire carrier channel portion is taken as it is over the
barrel or it may be flumed to rectangular or trapezoidal section to reduce the
length of barrels.
In trough type, carrier channel water is taken across drainage channel through a
trough supported on abutments raised from drainage.
LAYOUT:
The layout of UT shall be so fixed that the drainage channel crosses the carrier

channel preferably at right angles.

BARREL:
At the outlet end of the UT, the top of the barrel may be kept slightly depressed
below the normal downstream flood level in the drainage channel.
The amount of this depression may be equal to the difference In the velocity head at
the exit end of the barrel and that In the drainage channel on the downstream side.
In case of barrel of RCC box type or RCC slab with masonry walls, a minimum
cushion of 300mm may be provided with the precaution that heavy vehicles do not
ply over the barrels unless the cover is suitably increased and the structure is
properly designed.
In case of RCC pipes and circular barrels, a minimum cushion of 900 mm should be
provided. This Will protect the pipes and barrels against damage by the movement
of construction equipment over them and also permits any future regarding of the
carrier.

 At the site, the drainage bed is generally depressed and provided With PUCCA

floor On the upstream Side, the drainage bed is joined to the PUCCA floor by a
vertical drop (when drop is of the order of 1 m or less) or by a glacis of 3:1(when
drop is more then 1m).The downstream rising slope should not be steeper than
5:1.
The barrels under the carrier channel bed portion are generally lower than the
barrels at the entry and exit. This difference is negotiated with the provision of
sloping length of barrels under carrier channel banks.

DRAINAGE WINGS:
The wings shall be provided straight or in a smooth curve giving a minimum
splay of 2:1 on upstream and 3:1 on downstream.
The wing wall sections are checked for carrier channel full and drainage
channel dry condition, considering backfill as saturated.
If the foundation wing wall requires to be taken deeper than 15m from
consideration of scour, a concrete cut-off of required depth is provided along the
upstream face of it.

CARRIER CHANNEL SECTION:

It should have adequate provisions to minimize the seepage.
The outer slope of bank should have a clear cover of 600 to 900 mm over the
designed phreatic line.
High banks (>6m height) should be checked for slope stability.
FLUMING:
The Contraction in the waterway of the canal will reduce the length of barrels or the
width of the aqueduct. This is to produce economy in many cases. The fluming of
canal is not done when the canal section is in earthen banks.
The width at mid depth of canal is taken as 100% for the calculation of fluming ratio
Fluming ratio should not be less than 70%.

TRANSITIONS:
The flumed portion is joined with the normal section with proper transitions to

minimize the head loss at entry and exit.

The transition should corresponds to a minimum splay of 2:1 on upstream side
and 3:1 on downstream side. It should be ensured that the flow follows the
boundaries of the wings.
JOINTS:
In case of RCC barrels, joints with water stops are provided across and along

the barrel length.

The maximum spacing of these joints in either direction is 20m.
In case of multi barrel syphons, units of 3 or 4 barrels can be adopted side by
side with longitudinal joints between the units having water stops all around.

LIMITING VELOCITY:
The vertical slope on approaches should not be steeper than 1 in 3 on the entry

side and 1 in 4 on the exit side.

Maximum permissible velocities
S.NO

TYPE OF FLOORS

MAXIMUM PEMISSIBLE
VELOCITY in m/sec

Metals face(steel & cast iron lined)

10

Face of concrete grade M30& above

-grade below M30

Stone masonry face with cement pointing

Stone masonry face with cement plaster

Brick masonry face with cement plaster

2.5

Brick masonry face with cement pointing

Hard rock

murum

15.2

Soil silt

7.1

LOSS OF HEAD:

The total loss of head H = h1+h2+h3+h4

where,
h1= losses at the inlet & outlet (for syphon),
h2= losses at elbows or bends (for barrel),
h3= losses due to transitions (other than syphon),
h4= losses due to skin friction (for barrel & trough).