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DESIGN OF STABLE CHANNELS

1. Rigid boundary channels carrying clear water

2. Rigid boundary channels carrying sediment-laden flow

3. Alluvial channels carrying clear water

4. Alluvial channels carrying sediment-laden flow

 .
ls carrying clear water

Manning’s equation is used for the design of such channels

1
V  R 2 / 3S1 / 2
n

Section of the channels are as follow:

 
   
 

Y Y

For Q < 55 m3/s For Q > 55 m3/s

Area of flow, A = BY+Y2 (q+cotq)

Perimeter, P = B+2Y(q+cotq)
Top width, T = B+2Y cosecq
Hydraulic radius, R = A /P
 .

Side slope of the channel is fixed on the basis of the soil

Bed slope is obtained from the L-section of the ground

 Other equation/value may be provided on the basis of limiting velocity or

most economical section

Bed width of the channel may be taken as per USBR

Recommended bottom widths for lined trapezoidal canals (USBR)

Q (m3/s) 1.0 10.0 20.0 100.0

B (m) 1.2 2.4 2.9 8.0
2. Rigid Boundary Channels Carrying Sediment-laden
. Water

A minimum velocity is required to keep

sediment in suspension. The following
graph proposed by Arora (1983) can be
used to ensure no deposition of
sediment.

Cs = sediment concentration in ppm by

volume
fb = friction factor of the channel bed
D0 = Central depth of channel
T = Top width of channel
Sc = S/(Drs/r)
S = Channel bed slope
A = Flow area
w0 = fall velocity
d = size of sediment
n = kinematic viscosity of water
q=Q/T
3. Alluvial Channels Carrying Clear Water
.

Sediment particles on the side slope and bed should not move with the flowing
water. Shear stress acting on the side slope sm and bed bm due to flowing water is
shown in the following figures.

Average shear stress on bed, c = gRS

For a particle lying on the bed not to move bl a = Ws tan

For a particle lying on the side not to move (sl a)2 + (Ws sin)2= (Ws costan)2

Ws tan 2 
 sl  cos  tan  1 
a tan 2 

 sl tan 2 
k  cos  1 
 bl tan 2 

sl =kbl = 0.9kc

Ws = submerged
For stable channel (non-scouring condition) weight of the particle
a= effective contact
sm  sl area of the particle

bm  bl
Known: Q, side slope, sediment size, bed slope, angle of repose

Solve for Bed width B & depth of flow h

1. Calculate c for given size of sediment particle; bl = 0.9c = bm

2. Calculate k, sl =kbl = sm

3. Assume B/h, and read bm /ghS and sm /ghS

4. Calculate h, choose lower value of two h

5. Calculate n by Strickler equation

6. Calculate Q using Manning’s equation and compare with given Q,

if matches ok, otherwise choose another value of B/h
4. Alluvial Channels Carrying Sediment Laden Flow

4.1 Regime Methods

• Regime methods for the design of stable channels were first developed by
the British engineers working for canal irrigation in India in the nineteenth
century.

• They studied the behaviour of such stretches of the existing canals where
the bed was in a state of stable equilibrium. The stable reaches has not
required any sediment clearance for several years of the canal operation.
Such channels were called regime channels.

• These channels generally carried a sediment load smaller than 500 ppm.
Suitable relationships for the velocity of flow in regime channels were
evolved. These relationships are now known as regime equations.
 a) Kennedy’s Theory
• R.G. Kennedy – Executive Engineer, Punjab Irrigation (1895)
• Stable, non-silting, non-scouring channels.
• Upper Bari Doab canal system
• Sediment in suspension solely by the vertical component of eddies
generated by bed width
• Critical Velocity
Vo = 0.55 h0.64 (for sandy soil) Design
Known : Q, n, S, m
General equation of Kennedy
Equation : V = 0.55 h0.64
V = 0.55 m h0.64
Q = (A/n) R2/3S1/2
m = critical velocity ratio
To be fixed: b & h
Coarse sand m = 1.1 – 1.2
Fine sand m = 0.8 – 0.9

Recommended values of B/h for stable channels

Q(m3/s) 5.0 10.0 15.0 50.0 100.0 200.0 300.0
B/h 4.5 5.0 6.0 9.0 12.0 15.0
18.0
 b) Lacey’s Theory
• Gerald Lacey – Chief Engineer (Civil), UP Irrigation
• Lacey stated that the dimensions width, depth, and slope of a regime
channel to carry a given water discharge loaded with a given sediment
discharge are all fixed by nature. According to him, the fundamental
requirements for a channel to be in regime are as follows:
a) The channel flows uniformly in incoherent alluvium. Incoherent alluvium
is the loose granular material which can scour or deposit with the same
ease. The material may range from very fine sand to gravel, pebbles,
and boulders of small size.
b) The characteristics and the discharge of the sediment are constant.
c) The water discharge in the channel is constant.

• In case of rigid banks, the width is not widened but the slope becomes
steeper. Lacey termed this regime as the initial regime.
Fundamental equations
2
V  fR
5
V  10.8R 2 / 3 S 1 / 3
Af 2  140V 5
R  Hydraulic mean depth (hydraulic radius)
Derived equations

P  4.75 Q
 Qf 2 
1/ 6 Silt factor f  1.76 d
V    d  median size of sediment (mm)
 140 
f 5/ 3
S
3340Q 1 / 6
1/ 3
Q 
Scour depth R *  0.473 
f
1/ 3
 q2 
R  1.35 
*

 f 
Design Procedure

Known : Discharge Q, sediment size, d

1/ 6
 Qf 2 
V   
 140 
Q
A
V
5V2
R
2 f
P  4.75 Q
 y
A  b   y
 2
P  b  5y

Solve for bed width b, depth of flow h, and bed slope S

 4.2 Method considering sediment load as a variable

• Regime methods do not consider sediment load as a variable for the design
of stable channel. For sediment load higher than 500 ppm, it is worth
considering sediment load as variable for the design of the channel.

• Engelund and Hansen total load Equation and resistance equations are as
follow

fT  0.4 *5 / 2 (1)

(2)

Engelund and Hansen developed a chart between

They suggested

(3)
Engelund and Hansen’s chart for Stable Channel Design
From Eqs. (1) and (2), one can get

(4)

(5)

(6)

Known: Q, side slope, sediment size, sediment concentration

Solve for Bed width B & depth of flow h

1. Calculate B from Eq. (3) or Lacey Equation

2. Calculate QT from known concentration and discharge, then
calculate qT,
3. Calculate T,
4. For known T, and read S and h/d from graph; h
& S can also be calculated using Eqs. (4), (5)/(6).
5. Design can also be carried out using other transport equation
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Thanks…..