Basics

Water conveyance
 B1.3 Water conveyance
Topics

• Inlet arrangements
– Diversion structures, settling, dealing with flood

• Water transport
– Limitations of canals

• Getting around obstacles

– Flumes, culverts, syphons, Inverted syphons,
 B1.3.1 Water conveyance
Inlet arrangements: Considerations

• How much of the flow to divert

– Total flow needs weirs which are expensive and
may cause problems
– Some fraction may be cheaper

• Dealing with abnormal flow

– Drought (low flow) – lack of performance (may not
work at all)
– Flood (high flow) – things break!!!!

• Dealing with sediment

• Blocking of the inlet
B1.3.1 Water conveyance
Water transport: Intakes

Direct Inlet Side Inlet

B1.3.1 Water conveyance
Water transport: Intakes: Pros and cons

Direct Side
• Better transport of silt • Easier to construct
into the headrace
• Self cleaning
• More difficult to
construct
• Needs special grill to
self clean
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Water transport: Intakes: Rate of inlet

over-top
weir crest

Normal water level (hr)

Headrace water level (hh)
Intake area (A)

v2
Q  ACd  2 g  hr  hh  
12
From Bernoulli hnet 
2g

Cd = 0.6-0.8
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Water transport: Intakes: Rate of inlet

over-top
weir crest

23
 Q 
hovertop  
 w 
C b
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Water transport: Intakes: Rate of inlet:
Weir coefficients
Shape coefficient

Broad; sharp edges 1.5

Broad; round edges 1.6

rounded 2.1

Sharp 1.9

Roof shaped 2.3

B1.3.2 Water conveyance
Water transport: Soil and side slopes

Soil type Slope

Sandy loam 2
Loam 1.5
Clay loam 1
Clay 0.58
Concrete 0.58
B1.3.2 Water conveyance
Water transport: Maximum and minimum
speeds
Maximum speeds Clear Sedimented
Fine sand 0.45 0.45
Silt loam 0.60 0.60
Fine gravel 0.75 1.00
Stiff clay 1.2 0.90
Coarse gravel 1.2 1.8
Shale, hardpan 1.8 1.5
Steel - 2.4
Timber 6.0 3.0
concrete 12.0 3.6

Minimum speeds 0.1 0.31

B1.3.2 Water conveyance
Water transport: making channels
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Obstacles: Flume
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Obstacles: Flume
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Obstacles: Pipe bridge
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Obstacles: Pipe bridge
B1.3.3 Water conveyance
Obstacles: part full pipes
 B1.3 Water conveyance
Summary
• Intakes should be carefully sited to avoid silting or damage. They
should also be self-cleaning
• Water conveyance structures should be designed for both high and
low flow conditions. A number of methods are available to do this
such as weirs, spillways and sluice gates
• The height of the flow is predictable using Bernoulli and manning
formulas
• Channel cross sections should take account limitations placed by
the soil. Stepping the channels can be used to slow the flow and
avoid hydraulic jump
• A number of methods can be used to overcome obstacles such as
flumes, pipes bridges, culverts and inverted syphons
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