Irrigation Engineering (BEG363CI)

River Training

Morgan Engineering College Prepared By: Subash Dhakal

River Training and its Necessity

 River Morphology comprises the structure and form of rivers including

 plan-forms,
 bed forms,
 channel geometry, and
 profile characteristics

 The morphology of river is subjected to considerable changes due to natural causes.

 The changing nature of river might render many man-made structures unusable.
 Necessity to contain or harness the changing nature of river.
 River training: Various measures adopted or activities for controlling and
regulating river flow and river configuration

 River training in its wider aspects covers all those engineering works, which are
constructed on river so as to guide and confine the flow to the river channel.

 This training works are used to control and regulate the river bed configuration
ensuring safe and effective disposal of floods and sediment loads.

 Stabilizing and training the river along a certain alignment with suitable waterway is
therefore the first and foremost aim of river training. 2
Necessity of River Training
The necessities of river training are :

 To prevent the river from changing its course and to avoid outflanking of
structures like bridges, weirs aqueducts, etc.
 To prevent flooding of the surrounding countries by providing a safe passage for
the flood waters with out overtopping the banks.
 To protect the river banks by deflecting the river away from the attacked banks.
 To ensure effective disposal of sediment load.
 To provide minimum water depth required for navigation.

River training works can be classified on following based on necessity;

1. High water training or training for discharge: Pass the flood discharge quickly.

2. Mean water training or training for sediment: Transport sediment load effectively
so as to ensure their effective disposal.

3. Low water training or training for depth: Sustain water depth up to a minimum
draft required for the navigation purpose. 3
Stages of river

 The river generally takes off from mountain and flow through the hilly region before
traversing the plain.
 On river formation, the river goes through 3 stages, Youthful, mature and Old Age.
 A river one with a gradient raised by the tectonic movement can be old age river that
returns to a youthful state, which repeats the cycle of stages once again.

Rivers can be classified as following Stages of River:

1. Youthful stage
2. Mature Stage
3. Old Stage

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Stages of river

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Stages of River: Classification of river

1. Based on variation of Perennial River:

discharge in river as: • Carry significant flow throughout the
a) Perennial River year.
b) Non-perennial river
• Aside from rain, they obtain water
c) Flashy river
d) Virgin River from melting snow.
Non-perennial river:
2. Based on stability of river: • Do not carry water throughout the
a) Stable rivers year.
b) Aggrading river • They are generally rain-fed rather
c) Degrading river than snow.
Flashy river:
3. Based on location of reach of river: • Have rise and fall of river stage in a
a) Mountainous river (upper reaches)
very short period (of one or two
b) Rivers in flood plain (lower reaches)
c) Delta Rivers days) due to steep hydrograph.
d) Tidal rivers Virgin River:
4. Based on the plan-form of river: • Dry up before joining another river
a) Straight rivers or sea.
b) Meandering river
c) Braided river. 6
Classification of River

Based on stability of river:

Stable Rivers:
 Have relatively stable alignment, slope and regime are stable rivers.
 The river may shift within its permanent banks but overall variation is quite little.

Figure: Typical cross-section of river in flood plains (Source: Asawa)

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Based on stability of river:
Aggrading river: Degrading river:

 Sediment load entering is greater than exiting.  Sediment load exiting is greater
 Deposition of sediment in river bed. than entering.
 Observed upstream of reservoir.  Erosion of materials from river
 Increase in bed slope. bed.
 Caused by increase in sediment load without  Observed downstream of
 change in discharge and sediment size reservoir.
 Decrease in bed slope.

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Based on location of reach of river:
a) Mountainous river (upper reaches):
1. Incised or rocky stage
• Bed and bank composed of rocks and very large boulder.
• Less susceptible to erosion
• Rivers have steep bed slope and high velocity of flow.
• Sediment comes from catchment
• soil erosion
2. Boulder river
• Bed and sides consist of a mixture of boulder, gravel, shingle, and sand.
• Relatively mild bed slope and low velocity of flow.
• Usually well-defined cross section.
• High permeability of bed material
b) Rivers in flood plain (lower reaches)
• River enters alluvial plains after the boulder stage.
• Silt and sand constitute bed and bank materials.
• Less bed slope and the velocity of flow than that of boulder rivers
 Aggrading
 Degrading
 Stable
 Braided

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Based on location of reach of river:
c) Delta rivers:
 Stage before tidal stage
 River splits into number of branches due to very flat bed slopes.

d) Tidal Rivers:
The tides of the sea change the water level in the river reach just upstream of sea.
Based on the plan-form of river:
a) Straight rivers:
 Alluvial rivers usually run straight thorough a distance less than ten times
the river width.

b) Braided river.
 When a river flows in two or more channels around alluvial islands, it is
called a braided river.

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 Figure; Braided river.

c) Meandering River
• Bends in plan form of river.
• Straight reaches connecting successive curves are called ‘crossing’.
• Meandering increases the length of the river and decreases the bed slope of the river.

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Meandering Process:
 Rivers flowing over gently sloping ground begin to curve back and forth across the
landscape. Those rivers tends to develop bends with slight asymmetry in flow .

 The outer curve of each meander bend and deposit it on an inner curve further down
stream.
 This causes individual meanders to grow larger and larger over time.
 The continued action of secondary developed around the river causes further erosion
and deposition of the sediment .

 Scour and erosion of sediment of the concave (i.e. outer) bank and deposition of
sediment on the convex (i.e. inner) bank.

Figure: Movement of water in bend.

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 According to Inglis, “Meandering is nature’s way of damping out excess energy during a
wide range of varying flow conditions, the pattern depending on the grade
of material, the relation between discharge and charge (sediment load), and the rates of
change of discharge and charge”.

 According to other engineers,

excess of total sediment load
during flood is primary cause of
meandering process.

 More silt→ aggradation →

erosion of bank → slight
asymmetry and bend →
secondary flow

Figure: A river Bend 13

Methods of river training
1. Levees (Marginal bund, embankment or
dike)
2. Guide Bund/Bank (Bell bund)
3. Spurs (Groynes)
4. Artificial Cut-off
5. Bank protection and pitched island
6. Sills

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Figure: Typical River Training Layout (Source: Nptel)
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Levees (Marginal bund, embankment or dike)
• Embankments that run parallel (or nearly parallel) to the the river, at some suitable
distance from it.
• One side or both side.
• Mainly used for flood control by river control rather than river training

Figure; Embankment construction,Jalad river janakpur 16

Levees (Marginal bund, embankment or dike)
Design Consideration of levees:
1. Top width of the levee is 3 to 8 m or more depending upon the levee height.
2. The height of the levee should be such that it is able to contain a flood of
reasonable period (say about 500 years)
4. A free board of 1 to 2 m is added to the flood stage to obtain top height of levee
5. While determining levee height probable settlement should be considered.
6. Side slope vary from 2H : 1V to 6H : 1V.
7. Levees may be accompanied by slope pitching and berms are provided on land side
on high levees.

Figure: Typical section of levee.

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Guide Bund/Bank (Bell bund)

 Guide bunds (guide banks)

are artificial embankment
that guide the flow of the
river past the structures
(like bridges, weirs,
barrages) without causing
damage to such structures
and approaches.
 Generally, provided on both
sides
 Constructed upstream and
downstream.

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Spurs (groynes, spur dikes, or transverse dikes)
 Embankment like structures constructed in a river transverse to the river flow,
 extending from the bank into the river.
 Guide the flow of the river, promote scour and deposition of sediment where
 desired, and trap sediment load to build up new river banks.
 Generally made from locally available earth.
 They serve following purposes in river regulation:
• Training a river along the desired course by attracting, deflecting or repelling the
flow in the river channel,
• Protecting river bank by keeping flow away from it,
• Creating a slack flow with the object of silting up the area in the vicinity of spur, and
• Contracting a wide river channel for the improvement of depth for navigation.

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Spurs (groynes, spur dikes, or transverse dikes)
The deign of spurs depends on the
following: 2. Based on the height of the spur with
1. River discharge,
2. Angle of attack, respect to high flood level.
3. Sediment load, a) Submerged, and
4. Meander length,
5. Curvature of river, b) Non-submerged
6. Upstream and downstream river
training measures.
3. Based on the functions
a) Attracting,
b) Deflecting,
Spurs can be classified as
c) Repelling, and
1. Based on method and material of
d) Sedimenting
construction
a) Permeable, and
b) Impermeable

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Figure: Spurs based on function and shape
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Artificial cut-off

 Meandering rivers are induced to flow in a straight path by constructing the artificial
cutoffs.
 A pilot cut is excavated in case of a river in an erodible bed & the flood water gradually
enlarges the pilot cut while shifting its path.
 A suitable pilot cut (or pilot channel) of small cross-section is initially made such that it
carries 8 to 10% of flood discharge.

Bank Protection
The river banks are protected by stone pitching, brick laying, vegetative growth, etc. at
the bank of the river. In order to protect the toe of the river bank, the launching apron is
extended from the toe of the bank into the river bed. 22
Bank Protection

 Bank protection measures can be

 Direct
 Indirect
 Indirect measures such as spurs are not constructed directly on the bank.
 Direct bank protection measures, such as revetments, riprap, etc. are constructed on the
bank itself.
 Revetments are structures aligned parallel to the current and used to protect
 eroding.

Figure :Bank Protection Works 23

Pitched island and Sills

These are the artificial islands constructed at the river bed. It consists of a sand core
protected by stone pitching. It obstructs the flow of the river & turbulence is created around
it. Due to the turbulence generated, the river bed gets deepened at the vicinity of the island
& holds the flow permanently thus attracting the flow away from the attacked bank.

Sills:
Submerged dikes used as river training method.

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Design of guide bund and launching apron

1. Layout of bund:
The layout of the bund could be:
• Divergent upstream,
• Convergent upstream, or
• Parallel to the stream.
In general, bunds diverging upstream are longer than the straight or converging.

2. Length of waterway:
A reasonable estimate of clear waterway to be provided can be estimated using Lacey’s
regime perimeter.
L = P = 4.75 Q where, Q is discharge in m3/s.

This length of waterway may be increased by 20% (10% to 50%) to accommodate piers.
3. Length of bund:
Based on recommendations of Gale:

Upstream Length = 1.25 L (Q upto 20, 000 cumec)

= 1.50 L (Q > 20, 000 cumec)

Downstream Length = 0.25 L 25

Design of guide bund and launching apron

Figure: Guide bund

4. Radius of curved head

Upstream Curved Portion
Radius, 𝑅1 = 0.45 𝐿 (𝑜𝑟 2.2 𝑄)
Sweep angle θ = 120° 𝑡𝑜 145°
Downstream Curved Portion
𝑅
Radius, 𝑅2 = 21 𝑜𝑟 1.1 𝑄 == 0.225 𝐿
Sweep angle 𝜃 = 45° 𝑡𝑜 60°. 26
Design of guide bund and launching apron

5. Shank portion and selection of bund

 Minimum width 4 m. Generally, 6 to 9 m.
 1.5H : 1V to 2.5H : 1V side slope.
 Generally, flatter than 2.5H : 1V.
 Freeboard of 1.2 to 1.5 m (1.5 to 2.4 m to high flood level of 100-year-flood)

6. Slope Pitching
Generally, angular and graded stones having ability to interlock and weighing
between 450 and 1500 N are used for slope protection.
The minimum size of stones of specific gravity 2.65 required for slope protection
can be estimated as
T = 0.06 × 𝑄1/3 where
Q = Discharge in 𝑚3 /s
7. Launching Apron
Launching apron is generally provided in width equal to 1.5 times the depth of scour
(D) below original bed level.
The total scour depth is taken as xR, where R is Lacey’s normal scour depth given by:
1/3
𝑄
𝑅 = 0.47
𝑓
where,
f = silt factor= 1.76 𝑑𝑚𝑚 27
 Figure: Guide bund

The scour depth below original bed level (D) can be obtained as:
D = xR − y

where, y = depth of flow

Table below shows mean values of x for different portion of guide bund.

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Generally scour slope of 2H : 1V is adopted.

The thickness of pitching in launched portion, shown by dotted line in the figure, is
assumed to be 1.25t.

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Numerical
Design and sketch a guide bund and launching apron for straight portion for following
data:
Maximum discharge: 5000 𝑚3 /s
Highest Flood level: 104 m
River bed level: 100 m
Average diameter of river bed material: 0.1 mm
[PU 2015]

Solution: 1. Length of water way:

Given, Lacey’s regime perimeter
Discharge, Q = 5000 𝑚3 /s 𝑃 = 4.75 𝑄
Particle size, 𝑑𝑚𝑚 = 0.1 mm = 4.75 5000
Highest Flood level: 104 m = 336 m
River bed level: 100 m

Allowing 20% extra for piers, etc., the length

of waterway between two guide banks is:
L = 1.2 × 336
= 403.2 m
≅404 m

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2. Length of guide bank
The length of guide bank Upstream of the structure
= 1.25 × L (Q < 20000)
= 505 m.

Downstream of the structure

= 0.25 × L
= 101 m

3. Radius of curved head

Upstream curved portion Radius, 𝑅1 = 0.45 L
= 0.45 × 404
= 181.8 m
Sweep angle, 𝜃= 135°
Downstream curved portion Radius, 𝑅2 = 𝑅1 /2
= 181.8/2
= 90.9 m
Sweep angle, , 𝜃= 50°

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4. Cross-section of guide bank:
Top width of the guide bank = 4 m (assume)
Side slope = 2H : 1V (assume)
Freeboard = 1.5 m (assume)

Neglecting afflux and velocity head

Top level of guide bank = 104 + 1.5

= 105.5 m.

River bed level = 100 m

Height of bund above bed = 105.5 − 100 = 5.5 m

5. Slope Protection:
Thickness of stone pitching on side slopes of the guide bank is given by:
T = 0.06× Q1/3
= 0.06 × 50001/3 = 1.0259 m ≅ 1.05 m

Volume of stone required for pitching per meter length

Volume = 5 × 5.5 × 1.05
= 12.91 𝑚3 /m =13𝑚3 /m

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6. Launching Apron
Lacey’s scour regime depth;
𝑄 1/3
R =0.47 𝑓
where,

f = 1.76 𝑑𝑚𝑚 = 1.76 0.1 = 0.5566

5000 1/3
Now, R =0.47 =9.77≈ 9.8 𝑚
0.5566

Depth of water above bed level, y = 4 m

Design of launching apron in three sections

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Design of spurs (layout geometry, length, spacing and cross-section)
1. Permeability: Spur may be permeable or impermeable.
Impermeable spurs built of local soil, gravel, stones and rocks and gibbon while
permeable spurs generally consist of timber ,bamboo etc.
2. Spur Length:
• Usually restricted to less than 20% of river width to avoid adverse effects on the
opposite bank.
• Kept longer than 1.5 to 2 times the flow depth.
• Length of permeable spur should be limited to 25% of river width.

3. Spurs height; Spurs may be submerged or non-submerged.

The height of non submerged spurs should not exceed the bank height.
1 1
Submerged spurs should have height between 3 𝑡𝑜 2 of water depth.

4. Spur Spacing:
• Spacing between adjacent spurs is generally 2 to 2.5 times the spur length.
• Spacing between spurs is larger in a wide river than in narrower river for similar
conditions.
• A smaller spacing is preferable in concave banks and a larger spacing is satisfactory in
convex bank.
• For concave bank, spacing is kept equal to length of spur.
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5. Cross-section
• Side slope on nose and shank should be 2H : 1V.
• Side slope on downstream face may be 1.5H : 1V to 2H : 1V.
• The top width of spur is generally kept at 3 to 6 m.
• A freeboard of 1 to 1.5 m is adopted for non-submerged spurs.

6. Miscellaneous
• Stone pitching on the slopes of a spur is placed.
• A graded filter 20 to 30 cm in thickness, satisfying the standard filter criteria, should
be provided below the pitching.
• To protect the stone pitching, a launching apron should also be provided.

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Effects of degradation on the hydraulic structures:
Ill-effects of degradation on hydraulic structures
Lowering of the bed
• might necessitate frequent modifications in stilling basins.
• may make navigation locks inoperable in navigable river.

Lowering of the bed and water level might

• may shift the hydraulic jump downstream of the apron endangering its safety.
• effective head on dams on pervious foundation.
Lowering of the water level at the intakes may make diversion of irrigation difficult.

Beneficial effects of degradation on hydraulic structures

• Increase in effective head which would cause an increase in hydro-electric power

generation.
• Degradation increases the river capacity to carry the flood flow.

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