2.

River training

• River training – all engineering works constructed on a river to

guide and confine the flow to the river channel and to control
and regulate the river bed configuration for effective and safe
movement of floods and river sediment.
• River training aims at controlling and stabilizing a river along a
desired course for one or more of the following purposes.
 flood protection/ training for discharge
 Maintaining a safe and good navigable channel/training for
depth
 Sediment control/ training for sediment
 Stabilizing the river channel for prevention of bank erosion.
 Directing the flow in a defined stretch of the river. E.g.
guide banks
• Most rivers show, in their natural state, a condition of
equilibrium characterized by the stability of their alignment
and slopes, as well as regime. The regime may change within a
year but shows little variation from year to year.

• In river training the chief aim is to attain this stability with the
aid of training measures.

• On the contrary, aggrading and degrading types of rivers are

not equally amenable to river training on account of their
inherent instability. Thus, for stability complementary
measures are undertaken.
• For example, on aggrading river, bank protection works may
either be destroyed by severe erosion or get buried under
deposition.

• Soil conservation on the upper reaches supplemented with

checkdams on the tributaries are probably the mose effective
answer to problems of training and control of aggrading rivers.

• Training works on degrading rivers on the other hand may be

destroyed by undermining due to bed scour.

• Gradient control by building dams and weirs is a prerequisite

to attempting any other modifications in the river.
• Training measures should be planned with due regard to the
limitations imposed by the type of river, therefore.

• Training measures are so diverse and serve equally diverse

purposes that laying down rigid rules is impracticable.

• Usually river training is contemplated where the alignment of

the river section is abnormal. i.e. splitting of the river into
several branches, dev’t of sharp bends, and formation of wide
and shallow shoals.

• It may also be necessary for specific purposes; guiding the flow

through a weir by constructing guide banks, diversion of flow
by groynes to avoid bank erosion, etc.
• Closing of river branches may be effected by constructing
embankments across them at their upper ends;
• Sills may be used for preventing erosion; etc.

Note:
 The planning and design of training works is done largely by
emperical methods and reliance has to be placed on the
intuition and judgment of experienced engineers.

 However, in a majority of river training problems, the effect

of the training is undergone tests on small scale physical
models, otherwise based on only a mathematical analysis is
not reliable.
What are River Training Structures?
River training structures are manmade or naturally occurring
structures that are placed or developed in a river reach to
modify the hydraulic flow and sediment response of the river.
• Guide bank system
• Groynes or spurs
• Levees or embankments
• dikes, etc.
• Dikes: Dikes are wall-like structures placed in a river,
extending from one bank into, but not across a river.
• They are built at a depth that is normally covered by the
water, but may be exposed at extremely low stages.
• Uses: Dikes are used to divert the flow of water and to manage
sediment distribution, usually to improve a navigation channel.
• Levee: Structures that run roughly parallel to a river, that
restrict the river from expanding onto the flood plain during
flooding, or an increase in river elevation or stage to the point
where it rises above and outside its normal high water bank.
• This is expensive and is normally only done where land values
dictate this as a more cost-effective way.

• Uses: levees prevent flood waters

from inundating valuable
agricultural land, residential and
business property as well as
infrastructure.
Thank you