Component of Diversions Headwork

1. Weir or Barrage

2. Divide wall

3. Fish Ladder

4. Scouring Sluices

5. Silt Prevention Devices

6. Canal Head Regulator

7. River Training Work ( Marginal bunds and Guide banks)

Weir

❑ Weir: Its Primary Objective is to raise the water level and divert the supply from the rivers or streams into
the canals

Types of Weir

Depending upon the criteria of the design of their Floor, Weirs are classified as:

1. Gravity Weir

2. Non- Gravity Weir

❑ A gravity weir is one which forces the acting on it (Mainly the uplift pressure due to water seeping below the
ground) entirely by the weight of its own floor

❑ A non Gravity Weir resist the uplift pressure by bending action of the RCC floors and thus its thickness will be
relatively less
Another classification of weir is based on the Design consideration and material used for construction:

1. Vertical Drop Weir

2. Sloping Glacis weir

3. Rockfill/ Masonry Weir

 Vertical Drop Weir :

❑ A concrete or masonry structure is provided with vertical or nearly vertical downstream face

❑ This wall is provided on horizontal concrete floor

❑ Crest shutter are optional (may or may not be provided)

❑ A Cut off pile are provided at the upstream and downstream end

❑ Suitable for any type of foundation

❑ Most widely used Weir

 Sloping Glacis Weir :

❑ Concrete floor is not provided horizontally but with a slope. The upstream slope is raised up to the top of the
crest wall

❑ It is then joined with the Downstream floor with the help of downstream slope called D/S Glacis so there is
no need of providing a vertical wall

❑ Thus here the vertical wall is avoided. The water is raised because of the sloping glacis

❑ Glacis is a termed for sloping Floor

❑ U/s and d/s pile are provided. Sometime intermediate piles are also provided

❑ Suitable for soft sandy foundation

❑ Commonly used nowadays

❑ Made of concrete or masonry

 Rockfill / Masonry Weir

❑ It consist of main masonry wall and many core walls

❑ The space between the core walls are filled with rock fragments called rockfill

❑ Rockfill is slope as 1:4 in the u/s and 1:20 in the d/s

❑ Requires a lot of stone for rockfill

Component of vertical Drop Weir or Weir
Weir Wall, Pond Level

❑ The Trapezoidal section in the figure is the Weir Wall

❑ Sometime on top of the Weir Wall crest shutter is provided (small size). It can be remove also

❑ Most of the storage of water is due to weir wall and a small storage can be increase using a crest shutter

❑ The maximum water stored by Weir and Shutter on the upstream is called as Pond Level

❑ This water can be then diverted to off taking canal

 Impervious Floor, U/s & D/s Pile

❑ The weir wall should not rest on the loose granular bed of the river . It has to be rested on a solid impervious
platform called impervious floor.

❑ The impervious floor has some thickness on the u/s , maximum thickness below the wall and its thickness
decrease towards the d/s which is calculated base on the uplift pressure.

❑ Along with this floor we have upstream and downstream sheet pile. This sheet piles increase the length of passage
of the seeping water which will lead to more head loss. By increasing head loss, the exit gradient pressure is
reduced, which can help prevent erosion downstream of the weir.
 Block Protection
❑ This is a structure typically installed on the upstream (u/s) side of the weir.

❑ It consists of closely placed concrete blocks without any gaps between them.

❑ These blocks are not bonded with mortar or any binding material but are placed tightly or closely together.

❑ Block protection rests on a sandy or gravelly foundation, providing stability and preventing displacement due
to water flow.
 Inverted Filter
❑ The inverted filter is similar to block protection but is typically installed on the downstream side of the weir.

❑ It also consists of concrete blocks, but with some gaps between them to allow water to pass through.

❑ The gaps are filled with coarser aggregate material, creating a graded filter that helps to prevent fine
sediment from being washed away while allowing water to flow freely.
 Why Block Protection and Inverted Filter ?
❑ River has a loose granular bed. Now the concrete floor is non erodible in nature

❑ Thus Block protection and inverted filter are provided so that the flow will not cause sudden changes in the bed
characteristics

❑ If there is sudden changes, at the interfaces there will be vortices formed which will remove the sediment
which will create a depression at the interface.

❑ If this process continue or scour depth increase, the concrete floor will become as the hanging wall and will
crack eventually

❑ That is why we are not binding the blocks. Otherwise they will become concrete floor
3 D Visualization of Vertical Drop Weir
Launching Apron
❑ It is the scour protection provided in the form of stacked of loosely packed stone

❑ It is provided in the formed of loosed pack stone on the upstream and downstream of the structure
Launching Apron
❑ Protection During Floods: The primary function of the launching apron is to protect the structure during flood
events by preventing scouring and erosion of the sediment around the base of the structure. Without the apron,
floodwaters would likely erode the sediment both upstream and downstream, potentially undermining the stability
of the structure.

❑ Self-Launching Mechanism: As floodwaters erode the sediment around the structure, the launching apron
effectively "launches" itself by forming a sloped bed or apron at a slope of 2H:1V (two horizontal units to one
vertical unit). This sloped configuration helps dissipate the energy of the flowing water and reduces the erosive
force acting on the structure.

❑ Loose Stone Construction: The launching apron is constructed using loose stones without the use of mortar or
binding materials. This loose arrangement allows the apron to flex and adjust to changes in water flow and
sediment dynamics during flood events, enhancing its effectiveness in protecting the structure.

❑ Permanent Installation: Once the launching apron is formed during a flood event, it remains in place permanently.
Even after floodwaters recede, the apron does not revert to its original state but remains as a protective sloped
feature around the structure.

❑ Maintenance and Replacement: Over time, the loose stones of the launching apron may become dislodged or
displaced due to erosion and sediment movement. In such cases, additional apron material may need to be
provided to maintain effective protection for the structure.
 Launching Apron as Laid
HFL

1.5 D Y

t=1.5 m

D
D

2D

𝐿𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑦 ′ 𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ, 𝑅 = 𝑄/𝑓 1/3 𝑓 = 1.75 𝑑50 Volume of stone per unit width
𝑅 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐻𝐹𝐿 of channel
Type equation=2.25D
here. × 1m ×1m
= 1.5D × t × 1m
𝑀𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙, 𝐷 = 𝑥𝑅 − 𝑌 t=1.5 m
𝑥 = 1.25 𝑡𝑜 2.0 , 𝑌 = 𝐻𝐹𝐿 − 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙 = 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑑
Launching Apron

Let us consider the d/s of the launching apron

❑ It is made of Loosely Packed Stones

❑ Its function is to protect the impervious floor and sheet piles from damage due to excessive Scouring

❑ Its design depend upon the velocity of flow, scour depth and slope of Launched apron

❑ Size of the stone is determined from the velocity consideration:

𝑉 = 4.915 𝑑1/2

𝑉 = 𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑛 𝑚/𝑠

𝑑 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚

In actual practice, stone of 0.4 to 0.5 KN (40 to 50 kg) which are possible to procure and handle should be use .
These stones are called One Man Stones.