Final Examination

CEng 4602 Hydraulic Structures II

Date: June 16, 2012

MODEL ANSWER/ SOLUTION

Part I – Concept Questions

Q#1. Flood protection and control is required:

• Because internationally flood poses one of the most widely distributed natural risks to life.
• Flooding is the most damaging of all natural disasters.
• In economic terms also, floods are responsible for approximately a third of all the losses due
to natural hazards

Q#2. Possible reasons for increase in flood frequency and accompanying disaster:

o Increasing population & pressure on floodplains

o Increasing value of property in flood prone areas
o Increasing vulnerability (age) of structures
o Changes in environmental conditions
o Changing climate
Q#3. The benefits of floods include:
• Flood plain soils consist of rich deposits of sediments suitable for agricultural cultivation and
wild plant species. When the floodwaters retreat, the original soil is more fertile, because of
the organic matter and minerals in this material.
• Floods provide much of the critical habitat for many biotas such as fish, wildlife and the water
fowl. Spring pools that remain after flooding support insects and small animals which, in turn,
feed larger creatures.
• Floods carry food to ocean estuaries, which are breeding grounds for marine life,
• Percolating floodwater in floodplains is important for recharging groundwater resources
Q# 4.

• Direct damages: those damages that are attributed directly to physical contact with flood water.
o Example : damage to infrastructure and property, the loss of life, etc
• Indirect damages are results of property of services which are not directly damaged by floods but are
harmed by interruption of services due to direct damages to infrastructure.
o Example: traffic interruption due to damage to roads and bridges

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• Tangible damages: those damages on which a monetary value can be attached.
o Example: damage to infrastructure and property
• .Intangible damages: those on which it is difficult to attach a monetary value
o Example: loss of life

Q# 5.

Economic benefits from a proposed protection project over the expected useful life span of the works
or the risks averted should be equal to or greater than the compound cost of the project.

• The benefit from prevention of flood damage is the difference in expected damage throughout the life
of the project with and without flood controls and these benefits include
o Cost of replacement or repairing of damaged properties
o Cost of evacuation, relief rehabilitation of victims and emergency flood protection measure
o Losses due to disruption of business and losses due to crops or cost of replanting crops.
• Land protected from floods may be utilized for more productive purposes when not subjected to flood
hazards.
o The benefit is assessed by estimating the difference in net revenue from the property with and
without flood control.
• In evaluation of the economic benefits, only tangible and direct benefits are drawn into consideration,
o Tangible benefits are those benefits for which monetary value can be attached
o Direct benefits are those benefits accrued due to the project
ƒ reduction of physical damage to properties is a tangible direct benefit
ƒ reduction of loss of life is an intangible direct benefit
ƒ reduction of traffic disruption due to flood damage to roads and bridges is a tangible
but indirect benefit
• Overall cost of the proposed project should include all expenditures required for its completion,
operation and maintenance, interest and depreciation.

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Q#6. Flood detention dams: whole active storage available for flood detention a spillway. 

o The simplest form of a flood protection reservoir is a detention basin using flood detention
dams. In such types of dams, the dam is equipped with a generally uncontrolled bottom outlet
conduit and
o If economically justified, the best solution for such a basin is to set the elevation of the
spillway crest so as to ensure sufficient storage capacity for the maximum design flood,
without the need for overflowing the crest and causing spillway discharge.
o The flowing figure shows the attenuation of the flood peak by detention dam. Note also that
due to a reduction in the peak, the water level in the downstream channel is also reduced.

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Q# 7. Flood Abatement
o Tackles problem at source by reducing surface run-off.
o This can be achieved by:
• Afforestation or reforestation of upper catchment slopes
• Comprehensive protection of vegetation
• Terracing of farmland
• Contour ploughing
Q# 8.

a) True; because nominal floor thickness would be sufficient. The downstream floor has to be
thicker to resist the uplift pressure.
b) False; a vertical cutoff at the upstream end of the floor reduces uplift all over the floor not one on
downstream.

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Part II
Q#1. The weir profile shown in Figure 1, with cutoff piles at u/s, intermediate and d/s points, is founded
on permeable foundation having a safe hydraulic gradient 1/C = 1/8.
Using Bligh’s creep theory,
a) Calculate the average hydraulic gradient and check whether the section is safe.
b) Calculate the uplift pressures at point A and B (15 m and 25 m from u/s end of the impervious
floor, respectively) and the floor thickness required at these points.
c) Draw the subsurface hydraulic grade line
There is no tailwater on the downstream side. Take the relative density of the floor material as 2.24.
[20 Marks]

5m A B

d1 = 6 m d2 = 7.5 m
15 m d3 = 7.5 m

25 m

20 m 10 m

Figure 1. Weir profile for question no. 1

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Q#2. You are working as a consultant for an engineering company, and you have received a design of a
barrage shown in Figure 2. The designer provided the barrage with an impervious floor having a uniform
thickness of 2 m throughout with three sheet pile lines. It is required to check if the thickness provided is
sufficient to counteract the uplift pressure and the safety of the section against piping.
Hence, using Khosla’s Theory of independent variables:
a) Calculate the uplift pressure at the key points.
b) Find the uplift pressure at point A (at a distance of 25 m from upstream end of the impervious
floor) and check if the thickness provided is sufficient.
c) Check whether the section provided is safe against piping if it is founded on fine sand with
permissible exit gradient of 1/6.
Additional information:

- No tailwater on downstream side of the impervious floor,

- Relative density of floor material is 2.24
- For a slope of 1V:6H, the slope correction is 2.5%. [40 Marks]

3m
6
1

A
7.5 m 18 m 24 m
5m 5m
42 m  17 m 

60 m

Figure 2. Barrage section for question no.2

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Solution to Problems – Part II

Q#1. Given: H =5 m,
a) Total creep length, L = 30 + 2(6 + 7.5 x2) = 72 m
H
Average hydraulic gradient =

This value is < 1/8 (for the soil); therefore safe.

b) Uplift pressures at points A and B
Point A
Creep length up to point A, LA = 2 x 6 + 15 = 27 m

Residual seepage head, 1 5 1 3.125 m

A .
Floor thickness, t A 3.36 m
S .

Point B
Creep length up to point B, LB = 25 +2 (6 + 7.5) = 52 m

Residual seepage head, 1 5 1 1.39 m

B .
Floor thickness, t B 1.49 m
S .

c) Sub-surface hydraulic grade line

First calculate the head losses at the key points (at junctions with pile lines) and the residual
head then plot the sub-surface hydraulic grade line.
Pile no. 1
U/s side:
Residual head = 5 m
D/s side:
Creep length up to the point, L1 = 2 x 6 = 12 m

Residual Head, = 1 5 1 4.17 m

Pile no. 2
U/s side:
Creep length up to the point, L21 = 20 + 2 x 6 = 32 m

Residual Head, = 1 5 1 2.78 m

D/s side:

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 Creep length up to the point, L22 = 20 + 2(6 + 7.5) = 47 m

Residual Head, = 1 5 1 1.74 m

Pile no. 3
U/s side:
Creep length up to the point, L31 = 30 + 2(6 + 7.5) = 52 m

Residual Head, = 1 5 1 1.04 m

D/s side:
Residual head = 0

Sub-surface H.G.L.
4.17 m
2.78 m

1.74 m 1.04 m

Q#2. Calculation of uplift pressures at key points;

i) Pile no. 1 (u/s pile)

d = 9.5 m, b = 60 m, α = b/d = 60/9.5 = 6.316

E 1/α = d/b = 9.5/60 = 0.158

C

From Khosla’s curve ΦD = 24% → ΦD1 = 100 - ΦD = 100 – 24 = 76%

D1 
√ √ .
From equation: = 3.697

100 1 100 3.697 1

24%
3.697

→ ΦD1 = 100 - ΦD = 100 – 24 = 76%

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From curve, ΦE = 34% → ΦC1 = 100 – ΦE = 100 – 34 = 66%

.
From equation; 34.8% 35%
.

→ ΦC1 = 100 – ΦE = 100 – 35 = 65%

- Correction for floor thickness for ΦC1

C D
Correction xt x2 2.32% ve
.

- Correction of interference of pile no. 2 on pile no. 1 for ΦC1,

d = 7.5 m, b’ = 42 m, D = 7 m, b = 60 m

.
Correction, 19 19 1.87%

No slope correction

Corrected ΦC1 = 65 + 2.32 + 1.87 = 69.19 . %, and ΦD1 = 76%

ii) Pile no. 2 (intermediate pile)

d = 7 m, b = 60 m, b1 = 42.5 m, b2 = 17.5 m, α = b/d = 60/7 = 8.57

E  C 
b1/b = 42.5/60 = 0.708

D  From Khosla’s curve; ΦE2 = 100 - ΦC2 (for 1 – b1/b) = 100 - ΦC2 (for 1 – 0.708);

ΦE2 = 100 - ΦC2 (for 0.292) and α = 8.57 → ΦE2 = 100 – 54% = 46%

From equation; α1 = b1/d = 42.5/7 = 6.07, α2 = b2/d = 17.5/7 = 2.5

1 1 √1 6.07 √1 2.5
1.73
2 2

1 1 √1 6.07 √1 2.5
4.42
2 2

100 1 100 1.73 1

44.7 %
4.42

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From Khosla’s curve; ΦC2 = 30 %; ΦD2 = 38%

From equation;
100 1 100 1.73 1
28.8 %
4.42

100 100 1.73

37.2 %
4.42

Corrections

- Correction for floor thickness for ΦE2;

E D 44.7 37.2
Correction xt x2 2.14% ve
d 7

- Correction for floor thickness for ΦC2;

D C 37.2 28.8
Correction xt x2 2.4% ve
d 7

- Correction of interference of pile no. 1 on pile no. 2 for ΦE2,

d = 5 m, b’ = 42 m, D = 7.5 m, b = 60 m

. ,
Correction, 19 19 0.78%

- Correction for slope for ΦE2

bs = 24 m

Correction = (bs/b’) x slope correction = (24/42) x 2.5 = 1.43 % (+ ve)

- Correction of interference of pile no. 3 on pile no. 2 for ΦC2,

d = 5 m, b’ = 17 m, D = 5 m, b = 60 m

Correction, 19 19 1.71%

Corrected values:

ΦE2 = 44.7 - 2.14 – 0.78 + 1.43 = 43.21%

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ΦD2 = 37.2 %

ΦC2 = 28.8 + 2.4 + 1.71 = 32.91%

iii) Pile no. 3 (d/s pile)

E  C  d = 7 m, b = 60 m, α = b/d = 60/7 = 8.57, 1/ α = d/b = 7/60 = 0.117 ≈ 0.12

√ √ .
= 4.814
D 
From Khosla’s curve: for 1/ α = 0.12

ΦE3 = 29 %, ΦD3 = 20 %

From equation:

100 2 100 4.814 2

30.1%
4.814

100 1 100 4.814 1

20.9%
4.814

Corrections

- Correction for floor thickness for ΦE3;

E D 30.1 20.9
Correction xt x2 2.63% ve
d 7

- Correction of interference of pile no. 2 on pile no. 3 for ΦE3,

d = 5 m, b’ = 17 m, D = 5 m, b = 60 m

Correction, 19 19 1.71%

- No slope correction

Corrected values:
ΦD3 = 20.9 %
ΦE3 = 30.1 - 2.63 – 1.71 = 25.76% ≈ 25.8%

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Summary

H=3+4=7m

ΦE1  ΦD1  ΦC1  ΦE2 ΦD2 ΦC2 ΦE3 ΦD3  ΦC3 

P (%) 100 76 69.2 43.2 37.2 32.9 25.8 20.9 0.0
P (m) 7 5.32 4.84 3.02 2.60 2.30 1.81 1.46 0.0

b) To find the uplift pressure at point A (at a distance of 25 m from upstream end of the impervious floor), assume
a linear uplift pressure variation between key points C1 and E2.

42 m

24.5 m 

PE2 = 3.02
PA
PC1 =4.84

4.84 3.02
42 24.5 42 24.5 3.02 3.778 m
42 42

Floor thickness at point A;

4 4 3.778
4.06
3 1 3 2.24 1

Therefore, the floor thickness provided is not sufficient.

C) Exit Gradient

√ √ .
H = 7 m, d = 7 m, b = 60 m, α = b/d = 60/7 = 8.57, = 4.814

1 7 1 1 1
Safe against piping
√ 7 √4.814 6.89 6

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