Wiers

in Rivers and Canals

2020
Weirs

Content
❖Introduction
❖Functions of Weirs in Irrigation Works
❖Different Types of Weirs
❖Hydraulic Design of different Types of Weir
❖Theoretical Analysis
❖Condition of Stability

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Function of Weirs in Irrigation Works
 Weirs for diversion works
When water level in main canal is low, a weir is constructed
across the main canal to raise the normal water level in order
to feed the branch channels with demand levels.

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Function of Weirs in Irrigation Works
 For sudden drop in water levels
A weir may be constructed across a waterway, where a sudden
drop in water surface level exists to suit a drop in land levels.
These weirs are called “canal falls”

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Function of Weirs in Irrigation Works
for decreasing water slope in steep lands.

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Function of Weirs in Irrigation Works
Weirs for measuring the
discharge
The discharge is measured by using a
clear over fall weir, by indicating the
water depth over the crest. This simple
case for the clear-over fall type of weir
which affords for measuring the
discharge than submerged weir.
U.S.W.L clear over fall weir
U.S.W.L and D.S.W.L

submerged weir

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Function of Weirs in Irrigation Works
Reduce the head on existing structure
To maintain the D.S water level at the required stage., a weir built
downstream of the hydraulic structure will then supply a possible solution
to the problem.

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Function of Weirs in Irrigation Works
 For escaping excess discharges of canals
 For distributing of water among branch canals

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Hydraulic and structural Design:
Three types of classical formulae are practically popular with irrigation engineers:
1. Clear over fall elementary case
Q = 2/3 cb 2g H3/ 2
2. Clear over fall taking into account the velocity of approach

Q = 2/3 cb 2g ( H + Ha )3 / 2
(Ha = va 2 / 2 g )
3. Drowned (Submerged) over fall

Q = 2/3 cb 2g h 3/2
2 + cb h
1 2 gh2
Where: Q = Total Discharge in m3/sec.
b = breadth of weir in m.
h1 = the depth of water above the sill level in m.
h2= the depth of water D.S the weir in m.
C = Discharge Coefficient = 0.62
2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga 9
Classification of Weirs :
There are three types of weirs with respect of building
materials, these types are :
❖ Rigid weirs
❖ Flexible weirs
❖ Rubber weirs

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

1. Rigid Weirs:
This type of weirs are always built using rocks, gravel, sand, cement and ashlar
stones, In this type it is not easy to change the crest level, the width, and the
upstream & downstream faces. It is a rigid structure provided some times with
gates.

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Types of Rigid Weirs
 The Fayum Weir ( in EGYPT)
This type of weir is a famous type in fayoum province in which the agriculture lands
have a very steep slope. The weir has a vertical upstream face a flat sill 0.5-m to 0.75
m wide and a sloping downstream face with a gradient 1:2

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Types of Rigid Weirs
 The Standing Wave Weir
This type of weir has a vertical side (US & D.S) and a slope
sill with a gradient 5:1

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

The Ogee spillway weir
The usual form of this type has a vertical upstream face and round crest with an ogee
type in the downstream as shown, its shape is approximately similar to the profile of
the under-nappe surface of flow over a sharp crested weir. The shape of such a
profile depends upon the head and the height of the weir above the floor.

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Sharp Crested Weirs
Sharp crested weirs are used only as a means of measuring the flow of water in
physical models in Laboratory tests. There are 2 main types of this weirs:

1 Rectangular weirs
a weirs extending over the full width of the channel L/b=1
b weirs with end contraction L/b<1

Q = 2/3 Cd L. 2g . H 3/2
Cd = 0.62
Where:
Q = discharge of water in m3/sec.
H = the water head above the sill
L= effective length of weir crest in m.
Cd = flow coefficient of the clear overfall weir.

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

 2 V – notch weirs

The V-notch weirs present distinct advantages where low discharges are included in
the range to be measured.

8 
Q = Cd. 2g tan . H 5 / 2
15 2
always Cd = .585 and  = 90O

then tan =1
2

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

Hydraulics of Weirs
1 Clear over fall including velocity of approach

Q = 2/3 C. b 2g (H + Ha )  3/ 2
− H3/2
a 
Where:
Q = total discharge in m3/sec
b = the breadth of the weir
H = the depth of water over the sill
C = the coefficient of discharge
Ha = Vs2/2g
Vs = the mean velocity of approach

2020 Lecturer: Ir. Joseph Hahirwabasenga

2 Clear over fall neglecting velocity of approach

Q = 2/3 c.b 2g H3/2

3 The Standing – wave weir the discharge is

Q = 2.05 b.H1.6
The equation is valid for h/H < 0.85
Theoretical Analysis
Considering water pressure and uplift on masonry
The three forces are :
1 Water pressure p = w h2 /2
2 Weight of masonry w = m hb /2
3 Uplift U = w hb /2
Since the resultant must pass with downstream edge of the middle third then
1
b p
 w h 2

= = 2
h (w − u ) 1  h.b − 1  h.b
m w
2 2
For w = 1 ton/m3
b2 1 b 1
 2= or =
h  m −1 h  m −1
Forces acting on the theoretical profile of a
weir (Triangular theory)
Note : From practical point of view the
crest width of the weir ranges from 0.5 m
to 0.75 m

Stability conditions:
The weir must be safe against sliding, over turning and over stressing. The structure
must have a sufficient length of floor to ensure the safety against :
• Seepage or percolation
• Scour at the downstream
When a weir is built on rock foundation it does not need a long apron but it needs a
sufficient base width for load distribution within the safe allowable stresses.
In designing the apron, attention must be paid to the force of uplift due to the
pressure of water percolating in the pervious soil beneath the floor.
The percolation length (seepage) for the weir foundation can be determined by
using the following methods:
1. Blight’s method
2. Lane’s method
 H

1 Blight’s Method :
The path of percolation along the base of the
structure is called line of creep .The length of
the line of creep includes the vertical distances
along both sides of cutoff walls or curtain of
sheet piling (if any), as well as horizontal
distance along the apron .The thickness of the
apron is also included, then the percolation
length accordingly .

L B = CB H

Where LB =The percolation length

CB =Percolation coefficient
H =maximum head

Uplift Diagram
2 Lane’s Method :
Lane concluded that vertical portion of
line of creep are more effective in resisting
piping than horizontal portions, then

L L = CL H
Where
LL =Vertical creep distances + 1/3
Horizontal creep distances

LL = Lv + 1/3 Lh

The following table shows the different

values of coefficients of Blight and Lane

Effect of Location of sheet Piling

on uplift diagram
The following table shows the different values of coefficients of blight and
Lane

Foundation material CB CL

Very fine sand or silt 18 8.5

Fine sand 15 7
Medium sand 0 6
Course sand 12 5
Gravel & sand 9 0
Soft clay 9 3
Medium clay 0 2
Hard clay 5 1.8
Very hard clay 0 1.6
Floor Thickness :
The thickness of the floor can be indicated by the following formula
h\
t = x 1.3 h \ = vertical ordinates between U. S.L and tail watr face
 m −1
Since:
W + w hd = w h

m . t + w - hd = w (h\ + hd + t)

t (m - w ) = w h\

h\
t = taking 1 - 3 as a tactor of satety
m −1

h\
t = x 1.3 h \ = vertical ordinates between U.S.L and tail watr tace
m −1
FLEXIBLE WEIRS
General
Flexible weirs are some weirs, which it is possible to change their crest level and
their width, if it is needed .
These weirs may be constructed of concrete blocks; such as Naga Hammadi Weir.
Or Gabions units which are widely used for river training, reservoirs formation and
for water diversion.
The concrete blocks or Gabion units are arranged horizontally and vertically
according to the hydraulic design .
Gabion Weirs
principal Formations of Gabion Weirs
Gabion weirs are classified in 3 principal formations according to the shape of
their downstream at the center of the flow, these 3 formations are:
•vertical downstream face
•stepped downstream face
•sloped downstream face
Vertical downstream weirs are simplest formation often used for small structures .
The weir netting over the crest must be fully protected, and protection also must be
given against scour at the toe of the foundation.
Stepped downstream weirs differ form vertical downstream weirs because the
water flowing over the weirs dissipates part of its energy at each step of the weir
face .This structure is suitable only if the unit discharge is small, and no heavy bed
Load is carried by the river.
Sloped downstream weirs
offer greater guarantee from the static and hydraulic point of view, their use is
preferred for large weirs designed to train reaches of rivers having large discharges,
light bed loads, and soils with a poor bearing capacity .
Design Criteria For Vertical & Stepped Weirs
The design is carried out as follows :

hydraulic calculation including:

Crest level, width of crest, stilling pool, and seepage
Static Calculation Concerning:
Over turning, uplift, and horizontal sliding
A- Hydraulic calculation:
Rectangular crest can be designed according to the general equation mentioned
before which it is:

Where: Q = C b 2g H 3/ 2
Q = discharge in m3/sec
C = discharge coefficient from 0. 4 to 0.6
g = acceleration due to gravity m/sec
b = width of the crest in m
H = head of water over the crest in m
B .Static Calculation :
The static calculation consists of :

Check the stability against over

turning and horizontal sliding.
Check the stability against uplift on
the apron of stilling basin, if any.
Check the resistance of the
foundation soil.

With regard to hydraulic behavior

two types of vertical weirs may be
identified:

1 Gabion weirs with a counter

weir, the nape eroded the soil to
form a pool deep enough to
dissipate the energy of the water .
2 Gabion weir with protection of
the stilling pool built at the same
level as the river bed.

The following formula can be used

for design the rectangular crest wier

Q = C b 2 g (Z 0 − f g ) 3/ 2

In which :
Q = discharge in m3/sec
C = discharge coefficient (varies
from 0.4 to 0.6
g = acceleration due to gravity
m/sec2
b = width of the crest
Z0 = elevation of the water surface
upstream the weir
Fg = elevation of the crest
Seepage Control and Prevention
The difference in height caused by the presence of the weir caused a seepage under
and around the structure which might remove the fine particles of the foundation
soil .For the preliminary design of weir in order to prevent seepage it is necessary
to check the total path “L” of seepage flow under and around structure complies
with:
L>ch
In which:
L = total path of seepage
C = coefficient depending on the type of soil
h = different between upstream and downstream water levels
Coefficient C (Particles Size (mm Type of Soil
20 0.01-0.05 Mud & Silt
18 0.06-0.1 Silt & Very fine sand
15 0.12-0.25 Fine sand
12 0.30-0.50 Medium sand
12 0.6-1.0 Coarse sand
9-4 2.0 Fine to coarse gravel
6-3 0.0 Stiff to very hard clay
Check the Stability of the Section under the Crest :
Gabion weirs may be considered as a mass gravity structures .The forces to be
considered are :
A Weights

• Weight of water above the crest (w = 1000 kg/m3)

• Weight of gabions [G =  r (1-n)]
Where G = gabion unit weight
 r = rock unit weight
n = rock porosity≈0.3

Rock Type (Unit Weight (kg/m3

Basalt 2900
Granite 2600
Hard Limestone 2600
Tracheae 2500
Sandstone 2300
Soft Limestone 2200
Tuff 1700
B Thrust forces
Hydraulic pressure: the resultant of hydraulic pressures “Hwm” on the upstream face
and “Hwv” on the downstream face.
Soil pressure: the active pressure of the upstream soil.

Stability Against Overturning:

Stability is ensured if the moment of the stability forces around point “F” greater
than the moment of the overturning forces.
The Stability Forces are :

Dead weight of the structure Pg

Weight of water on the crest Pw1
Weight of water Pw2 and weight of soil P1
Horizontal thrust Hww and HEv
The overturning forces are :

Horizontal thrusts Hwm

Hydraulic uplift Sw
Occasional forces, if any (Frost, seismic forces,,…..etc.

If Mr is the moment of overturning forces and Ms is the moment of stabilizing forces,

then the factor of safety against overturning
must be greater then 1.0 . Ms
Sr
Mr
Stability Against Sliding:
Stability against sliding is checked when horizontal forces are balanced by friction
and cohesion forces acting on the foundation .If Ss is the coefficient of stability
against sliding, it is necessary that :

Ss =  (V x tan  ) / ( H)  1.3
Where  is the friction angle of the foundation soil.
)for  =35 tan  =0.75)
Bearing Capacity of the foundation soil
It is necessary to compute the intensity and the trend of the resultant “R” of the
acting forces and the center of pressure “X” Assuming that the center of pressure is
within the middle third MN the maximum pressure is

VxM
B = 6 2
100 x AB
Where V = vertical component of R ,  B in kg/cm 2 , and XM , and AB in Cm.

If the center of pressure is coincident with the extreme end N

V
B = 2
100 x AB
If the center of pressure is external the middle third, then
V
B = 2
3 x AB x 100
The check is satisfactory of B < Kt
where Kt is the bearing capacity of
the soil.
Rubber Weirs :
a- Different approach to water management:
b- Rubber Weir Application
Rubber Weirs in Comparison with others:
1. Simple and flexible:
• Reliable Inflations deflation mechanism is simple in structure, with a
minimum in moving parts.
• High Resistance to Sedimentation
• Flexibility
2. Easy and Economical
Variable side slope Light Foundation
Longer Span Less Maintenance
Discharge formula :

Q = C.B 2 g h 3/ 2

Q =discharge in m3/s . C =discharge coefficient

B =width of rubber in m . h =water depth in m.

H =actual height of Rubber weir

=1.77h/H + 1.05 m

H ( H − 1.05)
Or h = m.
1.77
Example
The discharge of a main canal C is to be distributed its 2
branches: canal C1 and canal C2
According to the data given below. A standing wave weir
is constructed at the intake of each branch
Data
For main canal C
Max./Min. discharge = 24.0/16.5 m3/s
Corresponding water levels = 10 m / 9.8 m
For branch canal C1
Max./Min. discharge = 14.0/10 m3/s
Corresponding water levels = 9.7 m / 9.55 m
Discharge equation Q= 2BH1.5
It is required to:
i) Find the sill level and length of each of the 2 weirs.
ii) Determine the submergence ratio for each 2 Weirs
iii) Sketch the cross section for the Weir, bed level at site = 7 m