2

celling out z1 , we obtain

1
E2 − E1 = So (x2 − x1 ) − (Sf 1 + Sf 2 )(x2 − x1 ) (6 − 16)
2
This equation may be written as
E2 − E1
x2 = x1 + (6 − 17)
So − 12 (Sf 1 + Sf 2 )
Now, the location of section 2 is known. This is the starting value for the next
step. Then, by successively increasing or decreasing the flow depth and deter-
mining where these depths will occur, the water-surface profile in the desired
channel length may be computed. In Eq. 6-17, the direction of computations
is automatically taken care of if proper sign for the numerator and for the
denominator is used. Note that both the numerator and the denominator are
very small and extreme care should be excercised in using the proper number
of significant digits in the computations and rounding off the values.
There are two, main disadvantages of this method. (1) The flow depth is
not computed at the predetermined locations. Therefore, interpolations may
become necessary if the flow depths are required at specified locations. Simi-
larly, the cross-sectional information has to be estimated if such information
is available only at the given locations. This may not yield accurate results
in addition to requiring additional effort. (2) It is cumbersome to apply to
nonprismatic channels.
The following example should help in understanding this computational
procedure.

Example 6-1
A trapezoidal channel having a bottom slope of 0.001 is carrying a flow of 30
m3 /s. The bottom width is 10.0 m and the side slopes are 2H to 1V. A control
structure is built at the downstream end which raises the water depth at the
downstream end to 5.0 m. Compute the water surface profile. Manning n for
the flow surfaces is 0.013 and α = 1.

Given:
Bottom slope, So = 0.001
Discharge, Q = 30 m3 /s
Channel width, Bo = 10.0 m
Manning n = 0.013
Depth at the downstream end (i.e., at x = 0) = 5.0 m
α=1
Solution:

The normal depth, yn , for this channel was computed in Example 4-1 as 1.16
m. The flow depth approaches the normal depth asymptotically at an infinite
distance. Therefore, the computation of the surface profile may be stopped
when the flow depth is within about five per cent of the normal depth. We
will continue the calculations in this example until y = 1.05yn = 1.05 × 1.16
= 1.21, say 1.20 m.
We start the computations with a known depth of 5.0 m at the control
structure and proceed in the upstream direction. Let us call the location at
the control structure as x = 0. Since we are considering the distance in the
downstream flow direction as positive, the values of x we determine from Eq.
6-17 are negative.
The calculations are done in a systematic manner as shown in Table 6-
1. The following explanatory remarks should be helpful to understand these
calculations. In this discussion, the depth for the step under consideration is
the current depth and the depth for the previous step as the previous depth.

Column 1, y

We first use large increments of change in y, i.e., 0.5 m and then decrease
their size, i.e., 0.1 m, as the rate of variation of y with x becomes small.

Column 2, A

This is the flow area for the depth of column 1.

Column 3, R

Hydraulic radius, R = A/P , where P = wetted perimeter for the flow depth
of column 1.

Coulmn 4, V
Flow velocity, V is computed by dividing the specified rate of discharge, Q,
by the flow area, A, of column 2.

Column 5, Sf

By using the specified value of Manning n, and the computed values of V of

column 4 and R of column 3, this column is computed from the equation,
Sf = n2 V 2 /(Co2 R1.33 ).
when we start the computations. To indicate that this is an average slope, we
list it between the lines corresponding to the current and the previous depths.

Column 7, So − S̄f

This is obtained by subtracting S̄f of column 6 from the specified value of So .

Column 8, E

The specific energy, E, is computed for the selected value of y of column 1

and corresponding computed value of V of column 4, i.e., E = y + αV 2 /(2g).

Column 9, ΔE = E2 − E1

This column is obtained by subtracting E for the current depth from E for
the previous depth. Again, since this column is the difference of E values
corresponding to the current and the previous depths, we list its value between
the lines for these depths.

Column 10, Δx = x2 − x1

The distance increment is computed from the equation, Δx = (E2 −E1 )/(So −
S̄f ), i.e., dividing column 9 by column 7.

Column 11, x2

This is the distance where depth y will occur. It is obtained by algebraically

adding Δx of column 10 to the x2 value for the previous depth.

6-4 Standard Step Method

The procedure described in the previous section is not suitable if we want

to determine the flow depth at specified locations or if the channel is non-
prismatic (i.e., channel cross section and/or bottom slope vary with distance)
and the channel cross sections are available only at some specified locations.
In such cases, the procedure described in this section may be used. Following
Chow [1959], we will call this method as the standard step method since this
name has been widely used. A very popular computer program HEC-RAS
 y A R V Sf S̄f So − S̄f E ΔE Δx x2
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11)

5.00 100.0 3.09 0.30 0.000003 5.00459 0.0

0.000004 0.000996 -0.49831 -500.5
4.50 85.5 2.84 0.35 0.000005 4.50627 -500.5
0.000007 0.000993 -0.49743 -500.8
4.00 72.0 2.58 0.42 0.000008 4.00885 -1001.3
0.000010 0.000990 -0.33743 -340.8
3.66 63.4 2.40 0.47 0.000012 3.67142 -1342.1
0.000014 0.000986 -0.32651 -331.3
3.33 55.5 2.23 0.54 0.000017 3.34490 -1673.4
0.000021 0.000979 -0.32499 -332.0
3.00 48.0 2.05 0.63 0.000025 3.01991 -2005.4
0.000030 0.000970 -0.24466 -252.3
2.75 42.6 1.91 0.70 0.000035 2.77525 -2257.7
0.000043 0.000957 -0.24263 -253.5
2.50 37.5 1.77 0.80 0.000050 2.53262 -2511.2
0.000063 0.000937 -0.23952 -255.5
2.25 32.6 1.63 0.92 0.000075 2.29310 -2766.7
0.000095 0.000905 -0.23459 -259.5
2.00 28.0 1.48 1.07 0.000115 2.05851 -3025.9
0.000142 0.000858 -0.18196 -212.1
1.80 24.5 1.36 1.23 0.000169 1.87655 -3238.0
0.000214 0.000786 -0.17371 -220.9
1.60 21.1 1.23 1.42 0.000258 1.70284 -3459.0
0.000337 0.000663 -0.15999 -241.4
1.40 17.9 1.10 1.67 0.000416 1.54285 -3700.4
0.000479 0.000521 -0.07188 -137.8
1.30 16.4 1.04 1.83 0.000541 1.47097 -3838.2
0.000629 0.000371 -0.06379 -171.9
1.20 14.9 0.97 2.02 0.000717 1.40718 -4010.2

(Originally called HEC-2), developed by the Hydrologic Engineering Center,

U. S. Army Corps of Engineers [1982], is based on this method.
Referring to Fig. 6-3, the flow depth, y1 , for a specified discharge, Q, in a
given channel at section 1 (distance x1 ) is known; and we want to determine
the flow depth at distance, x2 (section 2). Let us assume that the values of the
velocity-head coefficient, α, at section 1 and 2 are either known or we have
determined their values as discussed in Sections 1-5 and 4-7. Since y1 is known,