Mariana University - Faculty of Engineering - Department of Civil Engineering

HYDROTECHNICS LABORATORY

PRACTICE N. º 13

SECTION-SLOPE METHOD

Pasto, November 2019

 Mariana University
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Hydrotechnics Laboratory

Practice N. º 13 – Section-Slope Method

Objective
Learn a method for estimating the maximum flow that drains through a natural stream, when the
available data is not enough to justify using more common techniques.

Introduction – Theoretical Framework

When a natural, fleeting or intermittent course is to be measured, and there are no data available that
allow an indirect method to be applied to calculate the flowrate, the slope-section or slope-area
method usually provides adequate results. The application of this method in some cases is possible
and/or necessary to analyze these flows with the concepts of permanent uniform flow, therefore, the
use of the section-slope approach is justified when changes in the form factor are less than 30%.
To apply the section-slope method, the following information is required:
• A section of channel long enough, where there are no tributaries or effluents.
• The change in water elevation across the section (longitudinal slope of the water).
• Estimation of the roughness coefficient of the section.
The length of the section must fulfill the following guidelines:
a) The length must be at least 75 times the average depth of the first localized cross section.
b) The drop in the water surface must be equal to or greater than the second velocity charge.

Equipment:
• Measuring tape or rule.
• Chronometer.
Procedure:
1. Measure volumetric flowrate.
2. Choose two cross sections of the channel and calculate for each of them:
• Flow depth.
• Hydraulic area.
• Wet perimeter.
• Roughness.
3. Calculate the slope of the free water surface between the two cross sections (F).
4. Calculate the conductivity coefficients (K) for each section:

1 ⁄
𝐾𝑖 = 𝐴 ⋅ 𝑅ℎ2 3 (1)
𝜂

2
 Mariana University
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Hydrotechnics Laboratory

5. Calculate the section average conductivity as the geometric mean:

𝐾 = √𝐾1 ⋅ 𝐾2 (2)
6. When assuming a velocity height equal to zero, the energy slope is equal to the fall ‘F’ of the
water surface in the longitudinal section divided by the length L of the longitudinal section:

𝐹
𝑆= (3)
𝐿
7. Then the flowrate can be calculated from the following equation:

𝑄 = 𝐾√𝑆 (4)
which gives a first approximation for the flowrate.

8. If the flowrate is equal to the first approach, the velocity heights in the upstream and
downstream sections are calculated (𝛼1 𝑉12 ⁄2𝑔 y 𝛼2 𝑉22 ⁄2𝑔), therefore, the energy slope will
be equal to:

ℎ𝑓
𝑆= (5)
𝐿
Where:

𝑉12 𝑉22
ℎ𝑓 = 𝐹 + 𝑘 (𝛼1 − 𝛼2 ) (6)
2𝑔 2𝑔
and ‘k’ is a correction factor. When the section is contracting (𝑉1 < 𝑉2 ), k = 1.0. When the
section is expanding (𝑉1 > 𝑉2 ), k = 0.5. The corresponding flowrate is calculated by equation
(4) using the revised slope obtained by equations (5) and (6). This gives the second flowrate
approximation.

9. The previous step is repeated until:

𝑄𝑖+1 ≈ 𝑄𝑖 (7)

10. It is considered appropriate to average the estimated flows for several longitudinal sections.
11. Compare with step 1.