WEIRS

• An artificial obstruction in any watercourse

that results in increased water surface level
upstream for some, if not all flow conditions.
• A structure in a river, stream, canal or drain
over which free-surface flow occurs.
• Used variously for control of upstream water
levels, diversion of flow, and/or measurement
of discharge.
 Principle s for Weir Construction
• In most cases weirs operate in demanding
(engineering) environments
• Therefore weir design should satisfy the following
fundamental requirements:
▪ Hydraulic performance – the weir must work in all
flow regimes.
▪ Structural integrity – the weir must be durable (resist
hydraulic and structural loads throughout its design
life).
▪ Health and safety requirements – the weir must not
pose health and safety risk during construction and
after completion.
 Weir Functions
• Water level management
✓ raise water levels relative to downstream conditions
• Flow (discharge) measurement
✓ hydrometric system providing accurate discharge information to
facilitate development planning, flood forecasting, planning and
development of flood alleviation schemes, and water resources
regulation.
• Environmental enhancement
✓ water levels weirs may offer the opportunity to create wetland and
conservation habitats as well as enhance rivers and their
surrounding areas.
• Channel stabilisation
✓ where the channel gradient is steep, and erosion potential high
impounding will reduce and regulate velocities and help control erosion
Impacts of Weirs
 Types of Weirs
• There is a wide range of weir types in shape,
form and size.
• choice of type normally driven by the
fundamental purpose of the weir
General weir types- Cross sec
Weir types –plan
 Decommissioning of Weirs
• decommissioning of weirs includes lowering
the weir crest and “notching” of the crest to
the extent that such works can have a
significant impact on the water environment.
 Weirs for Flow Measurement
• These are overflow structures built across
open channels to measure rate of water flow
• The crest of the measurement weir is usually
perpendicular to the direction of flow
• Crest-the edge which water flows over
 Advantages of F.M weir
• Can measure wide range of flows
• Provide more accurate flows or discharge
ratings than flumes
• Easy to construct
• Can be portable or adjustable
• Not usually affected by debris
 Disadvantage …
• The upstream must be kept free of sediments
and kept free of weeds and trash
 Types of weirs
• Identified by the shape of their opening or
notch.
• Notch- opening through which water flows
• The edge of the opening can be sharp or
broad crested
 Sharp crested weirs
• It has a sharp upstream corner, such that the
water flows clear of the crest
• They can be sharp –crested rectangular,
trapezoidal (cipoletti) and triangular (v-notch
weir).
 Broad crested weirs
• It has a horizontal or near horizontal crest
sufficiently long in the direction of flow.
❖Weirs can also be suppressed or contracted
 Suppressed weir
• A rectangular weir whose notch side are
coincident with the side of the approach
channel and also rectangular which extend
unchanged downstream from the weir
• It is the lateral flow contraction that is
suppressed
• The suppressed weir has a crest length equal
to the width of the channel.
Diagram…
 Contracted weir
• The sides and crest of a weir are far away from
the sides and bottom of the approach channel
Estimation of discharge through a weir
• Q = CLHm
C-coefficient dependent on the nature of the
crest and approach conditions. Found through
calibration.
L- Length of the crest
H- Head over the crest
m - exponent depending on the weir opening
 Rectangular Weirs
• Suppressed:
Q = 0.0184LH3/2
Q – discharge litressec-1
L – length of crest (cm)
H – Head over the crest (cm)
• Contracted(both ends contracted):
Q = 0.0184 (L-0.2H)H3/2
 …..
• Contracted (one side contracted):
Q = 0.0184 (L-0.1H)H3/2
• Cipoletti:
Q = 0.0186LH3/2
• V- Notch:
Q = 0.0138H5/2
Pic..
Material for Construction of weirs
….