School of Civil & Environmental Engineering

University of the Witwatersrand

Course: CIVN4010 Hydraulic Engineering

Exercises: No. 1
1. A head of 0.4m is observed upstream of a sharp-crested rectangular weir 1.2m
wide and 0.9m high. Using a discharge coefficient of 0.62,
(a) Calculate the flow and approach velocity. Is it correct to assume that the
approach velocity is negligible?
(b) For the same flow as in (a), what will be the upstream head for a weir height of
0.3m. Can the approach velocity still be considered negligible?

2. What depth of water that should exist behind a rectangular sharp-crested weir
1.5m wide and 1.2m high, when a flow of 0.28m 3/s passes over it? What is the
velocity of approach? (Take cd=0.61)

3. Treating the upper edge of the pipe in Fig. Q3 as a sharp weir crest, estimate the
flow rate when the water depth in the basin is 0.75m. Assume that the weir
coefficient is 0.55.

Fig. Q3

4. Calibrate the 1.2m wide rectangular sharp-crested weir with the field
measurements in Table Q4. What is the discharge coefficient using the standard
weir equation?

Table Q4
h (m) Q (m3/s)
0.3 0.40
0.45 0.71
0.55 0.99
0.65 1.25
0.75 1.56
0.9 2.06
1.1 2.76
1.2 3.16

5. A rectangular channel 2m wide carries a flow of 0.4m 3/s. A sharp-crested weir is

to be installed over the entire width of the channel near the end of the channel to
create a depth of 0.5m above the bottom of the channel at a section upstream of
 the weir. Calculate the necessary weir height and assume a weir coefficient of
0.61.

6. Derive the theoretical discharge for a V-notch weir.

7. Calculate the approximate flow rate to be expected through the sharp-edged

opening in Figure Q7. Neglect approach velocity.

Figure Q7

8. Estimate the discharge through the sharp-crested weir in Figure Q8, assuming a
discharge coefficient of 0.62 and negligible approach velocity head.

Figure Q8

9. Estimate the discharge over a 0.6m high, 1.8m wide broad-crested weir when an
upstream head of 0.45m above the weir crest is observed upstream. Take the
discharge coefficient to be 0.7. Should the approach velocity head be neglected?