Open Channel Design

CEIE 442/542

George Mason University

CEIE 442/542 – Open Channel Flow
Channel Design
Storm Water Design
Channel /Canal Design
Culvert Design
Gravity Sanitary Sewer Design
Hydraulics
Combine Sewers
Storm Water Design
Open Channel Design
Alignment / Bottom Slope
Shape (Cross Section)
Overall Size
Lining
Hydraulics
Storm Water Design
Design Considerations:
Selecting alignments and bottom slopes are T&E
Optimization of Maintenance
Optimization of Cost
Safety
Esthetics
Storm Water Design
Design Considerations
1. The best hydraulic section minimizes the area to
convey the required flow, (The area which must be
excavated to achieve the flow area required by the
best section may be significantly larger do to
overburden.)

2. It may not be possible to construct the “best”

hydraulic section with the available natural material.
(Try constructing a sustainable square channel in
sand.)
Storm Water Design
Design Considerations
3. The cost of excavation depends not only on the
amount of material which must be removed, but also
the ease of accessing the site and disposal of the
spoils.

4. The slope of the channel in many cases must also be

considered a variable since the topographic are
variable.
Storm Water Design
Open Channel Design - Lining (Two Categories)
Erodible
Non-erodible
Storm Water Design
Open Channel Design – Lining
Non-erodible
Examples: Concrete, Hard Rock, Asphalt
Storm Water Design
Open Channel Design - Lining
Erodible
Examples:
Sand /Silt / Soft Shale
If the channel bottom and sides are erodible, the
channel must be sized so it is not erodible….
Velocities are kept low to avoid the channel
from erosion.
Channel Design
Two methods are used to design erodible channels

Tractive Force Method

Is the erosive stress < tractive force causing the
erosion?

Permissible Velocity Method

Is the mean velocity < the permissible velocity?
Channel Design
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
In general, the mean flow velocity must be less then
the permissible velocity.
Permissible Velocity is the mean velocity at or below
which the channel bottom and side walls will not
erode.
The PVM will largely depend on the type of soils and
the size of particles you are using for the channel.
Channel Design
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Typical Values for permissible velocities...
Any given Open Channel Flow Text Book
Channel Design
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Design Steps
Perform hydrologic computations and select design flows.
Estimate soil erodibility.
Define channel slope and any restrictions on channel geometry.
Determine maximum permissible velocity of flow, for lining
material.
Define type of channel lining material desired.
Select channel geometry and channel lining suitable for the design
flows being considered.
Consider other possible factors.
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #1 Hydrologic Computations:
Waterways are normally sized to carry the runoff from
the 24-hour rainfall with a 10-year return period.
Take CEIE 340 to determine design flow…
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #2 Soil Erodibility:
Use of the design charts for maximum permissible
velocity
A soil may be identified as being highly erodible, very
erodible, moderately erodible, slightly erodible, or
erosion resistant.
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #3 Calculate:
Use the Manning's Equation to back calculate the area
(A) to obtain a velocity that is less then the permissible
velocity,
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #4 Determine if a channel liner is needed?
The lining material determines factors such as the
hydraulic and scour resistance of the waterway.
Typical Liners:
Concrete, rip rap, gabions, wood
Grass, metals, plastics
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #4 Determine if a channel liner is needed?
Choice should be based on economic considerations,
such as initial capital outlay, and the cost of labor and
machinery required for maintenance.
How much excavation ($) is needed without a liner
then with a liner?
Which ever is less expensive among other things…
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #5 Other Design Considerations:
Tile outlets. Where drainage tiles outlet into the waterway, both
the outlet portion of the tile and the bank surrounding the outlet
pipe require special consideration.

Construction and maintenance of equipment. A decision on the

final size and shape of the waterway should take into account the
type of equipment to be used. The channel design may be
widened or curved, and the side slopes may be flattened to
facilitate construction, maintenance, or both.
Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #5 Other Design Considerations:
Freeboard. Most lining materials should extend to the top of the
bank or at least 3 ft above the design water level (measured along
the slope).

Protection in bends. Extra protection from erosion is often

required at bends and corners of channels with flexible linings.
Where possible, circular curves should be used.

Protection of Contractions and Expansions

Permissible Velocity Method (PVM)
Step #5 Restrictions on Channel Geometry
It is important to identify restrictions or constraints that must be
placed on channel geometry.
the presence of roads, buildings, or established property lines
may limit the available space, and hence, restrict the
waterway width and/or side slopes.
A stable channel design of relatively narrow width and steep
side slopes can often be achieved with the use of more rigid
lining materials that incorporate some "retaining wall"
features (gabion baskets, sheet piling, concrete).
 Culvert Design
CEIE 442/542

Matthew J. Doyle, P.E.

George Mason University
CEIE 442/542 – Open Channel Flow
 Culvert Design
CEIE 442/542

The most complex

hydraulic structure you will ever design !!
Culverts
Typically a short conduit that conveys stream
flows through a roadway embankment or another
obstruction.
Typical Shapes: Circular, Box, Arch, Bottomless.
Typical Materials: Concrete, Corrugated Metal,
Plastics
Culverts
In general, bridges are defined as structures 20’
wide or greater (support to support) that transport
vehicles over streams or constructed channels.
Culverts are structures narrower than 20’ wide that
transport vehicles over streams or constructed
channels.
Culverts
Culverts seem to be simple hydraulic structures,
but in fact are among the most complicated
because of the wide variety of flow conditions that
can occur.
Flow can be gradually varied or rapidly varied,
Flow can be under pressure or open channel,
Flow can be subcritical or supercritical,
Flow profiles can have hydraulic jumps,
Inlets and/or outlets can be submerged,
Culverts
Definitions
Headwater (HW) – Depth from the culvert inlet
invert to the energy grade line (EGL).
If the approach velocity head is small then HW is
approximately the same as the upstream water depth
above the invert.

Tailwater (TW) – Depth of water on the

downstream side of the culvert.
The TW depends on the flow rate and hydraulic
conditions downstream of the culvert.
Culverts
The two most important characteristics of culvert
flow are:
1. Inlet Control: (Limited by the Inlet)
• Occurs when the culvert barrel can convey more flow than the
inlet will accept,
 For inlet control, the control section is at the upstream end of the
barrel (the inlet).
 The flow passes through critical depth near the inlet and
becomes shallow, supercritical flow in the culvert barrel.
 Depending on the tail water, a hydraulic jump may occur
downstream of the inlet.
Culverts
The two most important characteristics of culvert
flow are:
2. Outlet Control: (limited by the culvert/pipe)
• Outlet control occurs when the culvert barrel is not capable of
conveying as much flow as the inlet opening will accept, and
the downstream end of the culvert controls the flow.
 Outlet control has depth and velocity that are subcritical.
 The tail water depth is either assumed to be critical depth near
the culvert outlet or the downstream channel depth, whichever is
higher.
Culverts –Summary
Inlet Control:
Generally occurs for short steep culverts with free
outlets
• Un-submerged (Weir)
• Submerged (Orifice)

Outlet Control:
Long, rough-barreled, high tail water conditions
Culvert - Design
There are three procedures for designing culverts:
Old Fashion Formulas..
the manual use of inlet and outlet control nomographs
the use of a personal computer system such as:
• HEC-RAS
• HY8 – Culvert Analysis Computer Program.
• FishPass
• Culvert Master
• HYDrain
• HydroCAD
Culvert - Design
Typically culvert design usually is based on the
selection of a design discharge determined from a
frequency analysis (CEIE-340)
Culvert - Design
Highway culverts are typically designed for rainfall
frequency (10 or 25-yr rainfall frequency)
The culvert is sized to limit the headwater resulting
from the design (Q) to a specified value to prevent
overtopping the embankment.
Once a culvert size has been determined its
performance can be analyzed over a wide range of
discharges.
Culvert - Design

This analysis can be summarized by

a plot of the complete head-
discharge relationship called the
performance curve.
Both the inlet and outlet curves must
be plotted because the dominate
control at a given headwater is hard to
predict.
Control may shift from the inlet to the
outlet, or vice verses over a range of
flow rates.
Culvert - Design

Read line: is based on a

unsubmerged inlet control equation
Based on the Weir Equation

Blue Line: is based on a submerged

inlet controlled equation
Based on the Orifice Equation

Green Line: is based on the outlet

control equation.
Culvert - Design

Black Line: is failure…

This is when you have
overtopped the dam,
bridge, or road.
This is based on the broad
crested weir equations
Culvert - Design

If your culvert gets to the max

headwater before the required Flow
then you need to revise your design.
If it fails on Inlet Control
• Change Inlet End Treatments
• Change pipe shape

If it fails under Outlet Control

• Larger diameter
• Smoother
• Make it Shorter
• Lower tailwater
Culvert Design
I will show you the old Fashion Equation way….
In 1985 the FHWA published the Hydraulics Design of
Highway Culverts.
Now done by Computer Modeling
Culvert Design ~ Inlet (Weir)
The hydraulic behavior of the inlet is similar to
that of a weir if the inlet is unsubmerged. If the
inlet is submerged, it will perform similarly to an
orifice.
According to the FHWA the inlet will be considered
unsubmerged if:

• Q = discharge,
• A = cross-sectional area of the culvert,
• D = interior height of the culvert, and
• g = gravitational acceleration.
Culvert Design ~ Inlet (Weir)
Two forms of equations are available for
unsubmerged inlets.
Form I equation is:

Form II equation is:

ks = 0.7 for mitered inlets and -0.5 for non-mitered

inlets,
K and M are empirical constants. Which are used to
account for end treatments
Culvert Design ~ Inlet (Orifice)
The hydraulic behavior of the inlet is similar to
that of a orifice if the inlet is submerged.
According to the FHWA the inlet will be considered
submerged if:
• Q = discharge,
• A = cross-sectional area of the culvert,
• D = interior height of the culvert, and
• g = gravitational acceleration.
Culvert Design ~ Inlet (Orifice)
Only one equations is available for submerged
inlets.
where S = slope,
c and Y are empirical constants which are used to
account for end treatments (found in FHA Design
manual)
ks = 0.7 , for inlets mitered to embankment slope
ks = -0.5 for inlets not mitered to embankment slope
Culvert Design ~ Inlet
A transition from unsubmerged to submerged
condition occurs when:

A linear interpolation between the submerged and

unsubmerged inlet equations can be used for the
transition zone.
Culvert Design ~ Outlet
Only one equation is available for full flow outlet
control

This equation includes friction losses as well as

entrance and exit losses.
TW—tailwater depth
kn = 1.0 m/s = 1.49 f t/s, and
ke= entrance loss coefficient
Homework
To be posted on Blackboard