Chapter 4

Diversion Structures
Definition:

WATER SOURCE Utilization point

Hydraulic Structures

Head works
Network of canals
Control Structures
Definition:
 Diversion structures – permanent regulatory/headwork structures
constructed across a river to divert a regulated silt free water
towards off-taking canal.

 Objective:
 To take care of irregularities in river flow condition.
 To enable diversion of water from the river into the canal

 The objectives can be achieved by constructing either of the

following structures.
 Weir
 Barrage
 Dam
Definition:
 Dam … a barrier structure constructed at the lower point of a
watershed to collect water.
 Usually constructed if the supply of water is less than the
demand.

 Weir and Barrage… common river regulatory structures constructed

across a river at the canal entrance or at the take-off point.

 The Purpose is:

 To obstruct and divert the river flow into the canal

 To raise the water level in the river locally at the canal take-off
point and helps in maintaining gravity flow
 Thus, reduces excessive cutting of the canal in the head ditch.

 To reduce the fluctuation in the water level of the river

 To enable diversion of silt-free water into the canal system

 Weir and Barrage:
pond
Crest Level = pond level level Shutter
P2=0 P2 Crest Level

P=P1 P
P1

P1 >> P2
a) Without shutter b) With shutter
Weir
pond pond
level level Shutter
Shutter
P =P2 P2
P Crest Level
P1
P1=0
P1 << P2
a) Without crest b) With crest

Barrage

Key: P = total ponding ; P1= Ponding by crest; P2= Ponding by shutter

Weir and Barrage:

Weir Barrage (shuttered weir)

 Most of the ponding of water is
by a raised crest
 Has a small shutter or none
 The afflux during high flood is
high
 Less control of river flow at times
of flood.
 Not possible to construct road
way
 Relatively expensive
 Most of the ponding is by gates
 Has a small crest or none
 The afflux during high flood is nil
or minimum
 A better control of river flow by
manipulating gates
 a road way can be constructed
 Relatively expensive
 Cheaper to construct
Diversion Headwork -Components

A typical diversion weir consists of:

 Weir proper
 Under sluices Main components
 Divide wall
 River training works –marginal bunds, guide banks, etc.
 Fish ladder
 Canal head regulator
 Ancillary works – gates/shutters, etc.
 Silt regulation works
Diversion Head Work - Components

Typical Layout of a diversion head work

Definition:
Small weir

Small barrage
Diversion Head Work - Components
 Divide wall …
 a long solid wall which divides the river water into two portions –
the weir proper and the under sluice portion.
 Divide wall constructed of stone masonry or concrete.
 Top width usually varies from 1.5 to 2m
 Extends from the weir body to a little beyond the length of the
head regulator
Diversion Head Work - Components
 Under sluice portion…
 a portion from which the main canal takes off water
 helps to reduce turbulence of flow near the canal head regulator.
 crest of the under sluice is made lower than the crest of the canal
head regulator to divert silt free water.
 sluices controlled by gate to remove silt deposited in front of the
head regulator.

 Head Regulator…
 a structure constructed at the entrance of the canal take off.
 used as a meter for measuring discharge.
 regulates and prevents excessive silt entry.

 Fish ladder…
 a structure provided for allowing free passage to the fishes, if
present in the river.
Diversion Head Work - Design
 It is essential to know various parts of a weir before actually
designing it.

Typical structural components of a weir

Diversion Head Work - Design
 Weir Design: The data required for design are:
 Maximum flood discharge in the river.
 stage-discharge curve
 Cross-section of the river
 Soil properties at the bed of the river
 Pond level

 Design considerations:
 Piping or undermining …hollow formation due to excessive
percolation of water below the foundation.

 Failure due to uplift…failure/rupture of apron, if not strong when

the percolated water exerts excessive upward pressure
Diversion Head Work - Design
 Design Methods (Seepage Theories)
1. Bligh’s Creep theory
2. Lane’s creep theory
3. Khosla’s creep theory

1. Bligh’s Creep theory … It states that

 The percolating water follows the outline of the foundation of
the structure …. creep length, L.
 No distinction between horizontal and vertical creep.
 The loss of head is proportional to the length of the creep
…the hydraulic gradient, G.

Creep length, L … the total length covered by the percolating water till
it emerges out at the downstream end.
Diversion Head Work - Design

 Creep length, L = b + 2d1+2d2+2d3

 Head loss per unit length or hydraulic gradient, G = HL/L
 Head losses equal to (HL/L)2d1, (HL/L)2d2 and (HL/L)2d3 will occur
respectively in the planes of three vertical cutoffs.
Diversion Head Work - Design
 In the design the structure is checked for
 Safety against piping
 Safety against undermining

1. Safety Against Piping ….

 According to Bligh, safety against piping is ensured by providing
sufficient creep length to the structure. i.e.
L  CHL
Where,
L = creep length or path of percolation;
C = Bligh’s creep coefficient for soil;
HL = head of water against the weir

 In other words, HL/L  1/C. i.e. the hydraulic gradient must be kept
under a safe limit.
Diversion Head Work - Design
2. Safety against uplift pressure…
 The ordinates of the H.G.L above the bottom of the floor represent
the residual uplift water head at each point.
 If h’ is this ordinate, then water pressure equal to h’ meters has to be
counterbalanced by the weight of the floor of thickness say t.
 Therefore,
Diversion Head Work - Design
 Uplift pressure = w * h’

Where,
w = specific weight of water;
h’ = the ordinate between hydraulic gradient line and bottom of the
apron floor

 Downward pressure exerted by the material in the apron is given by:

= (w * S) t

Where,
t = thickness of the apron floor
S = sp. gravity of the material used in the apron

 The stable condition is attained when at least:

w h’ = (w S) t
Diversion Head Work - Design

h’= t S --- (1)

(h’- t) = (t S - t)
h = t (S -1)

Therefore, t = h/(S -1) --- (2)

If h, that is the ordinate of the HGL above the top of the floor
is known, t can be known.

Adding a factor of safety of 4/3 to equation 2,

t = 4/3h/(S -1)

Note: For economy, provide greater apron length on the u/s side which
requires minimum practical thickness, and minimum length of apron for
d/s side.
Diversion Head Work - Design
 Lane’s Creep theory …
 The horizontal creep is less effective in reducing uplift (or in
causing loss of head) than the vertical creep.
 He suggested a weightage factor of 1/3 for the horizontal
creep against the vertical creep. i.e.
L = 2d1 + 1/3L1+2d2+1/3L2+2d3
 It is an improvement over Beligh’s but not rationalized. Not
used anywhere.
 For safety against piping, L should not be less than C1H,
where C1 is Lane’s coefficient.
 Khosla’s Creep theory….
The seeping water does not creep along the bottom contour of the
floor but moves along stream lines which is represented for
steady seepage in homogenous soil by the Laplace equation as:

d 2 d 2 Where,  = flow potential =Kh; K= permeability

2
 2 0 and h=residual head
dx dy
Diversion Head Work - Design
Diversion Head Work - Design
Diversion Head Work - Design
Example: Design a weir on a soil made up of coarse grained sand
using Bligh’s theory. The necessary data are as follows:

 Height of weir body wall, H =2.50m

 Height of falling shutters fixed on the crest of the weir = 1.0m
 Bligh’s creep coefficient, C = 12
 Depth attained over the crest during maximum flow, h = 2.00m
 Afflux caused at the obstruction = 0.75m
 Sp. gravity of the material, S = 2.25
 The u/s face of the weir is kept vertical
Diversion Head Work - Design
 The base width of body wall is given by formula:
B = (H + d)/S (Note: d = h + Afflux)
= [2.50+(2.00+0.75)]/ 2.25
= 3.50m
 The crest width is given by:
a = 0.552 (H + d)
= 0.552 (2.5 + 2.75)
= 1.79m
 Creep length is given by:
L = C*HL (Note: HL = H+ height of shutter)
= 12*(2.50+1.00)
= 42m
 Length of apron on the d/s side is given by:
L2 = 2.208C HL/13
= 2.208*12* 3.5/13
= 13.75m
Diversion Head Work - Design
 Length of apron on the u/s side is:
L1 = L – (B+L2)
= 42 – (3.50+13.75)
= 24.75m
Thickness of u/s apron may be kept 0.3m.
Thickness of d/s apron is given by:
t = 4/3h/(S -1)
h is the residual head. Creep length covered by the water up to this
point is: 24.75 + 3.50 = 28.25m
Therefore, h = (3.5/42)(13.75) = 1.145m
Thus, t = (4/3)* 1.145/(2.25 -1) = 1.22m

1.22m thickness of d/s apron is more. To reduce it, the creep length
should be increased by providing sheet piles.
Diversion Head Work - Design
One Sheet pile of 5m depth can be provided at the u/s apron. One
more sheet pile of 6m depth at the u/s end of the weir body wall. Now,
L = 5x2 + 24.75 + 6x2 + 3.50 + 13.75 = 64m
With this arrangement, residual head at the d/s end of the weir body
wall is:
h = (3.5/64)* (13.75) = 0.752m
Therefore, t = (4/3)* 0.752/(2.25-1) = 0.802m say, 0.80m.
The designed weir section is as follows.

1m

2.5m
0.30m
0.80m

5m 6m

24.75m 3.50m 13.75m

Diversion Head Work - Design
Exercise: A weir with a vertical drop is proposed to be constructed
having the following information:
 Nature of bed: Coarse sand (Bligh’s C = 12)
 Flood discharge, Q = 300m3/s
 Height of weir body, H = 2m
 Height of falling shutter = 0.60m
 Afflux = 0.50m
 Specific gravity of material = 2.40
Design the length and thickness of aprons and draw the cross-sections
of the weir. Reasonably assume any missing data.
additional data you may require. [Hint: Q=1.70Lh3/2]
THANK YOU