Design of Canals

Lined and Unlined Canal Design

Important Terms

Alluvial Soil

Non-Alluvial Soils

Silt Factor

Silt Factor

Coefficient of Rugosity (n)

Coefficient of Rugosity (n)

Mean Velocity

Critical Velocity

Critical Velocity Ratio (C.V.R)

Regime Channel

Hydraulic mean depth/ratio

Full Supply Discharge

Economical Section

Irrigation Canals

Irrigation canals are of two types

Lined canals
Unlined canals
In Pakistan many of the canals are unlined
in nature.
In designing of both of the canals there are
some concepts common to both and will
be discussed first.

Irrigation canals
Both the types of canals are designed for
uniform steady flow.
Mannings or Chezys equation describe
such a flow i.e.
Mannings Equation
V = (1.49/n)R2/3S1/2
(fps units)
V = (1/n)R2/3S1/2
(S.I. units)

Irrigation Canals
The Chezys formula is given as
V= C(RS)1/2
Where
V is velocity
R is Hydraulic mean radius (A/P)
A is Area of cross section
P is wetted perimeter
S is the longitudinal energy line slope, in case of
uniform flow it is equal to bed slope
n is Mannings constant
C is Chezys coefficient

Irrigation canals
The equation describes that the discharge
Q=(AV) in uniform flow is a function of
Section factor AR2/3 in case of Mannings
equation and
Section factor AR1/2 in case of Chezys
formula
Longitudinal Slope (S)

Best Hydraulic Cross Section

The best hydraulic cross section is one
having minimum parameter for a given
area i.e. this will give maximum discharge
for a given area.
Among all the cross sections, the best
hydraulic cross section is a semi circle.
The proportions of best hydraulic section
in case of rectangular, trapezoidal and
triangular channel are given

Best Hydraulic Section

Cross
Section

Area (A)

Wetted
Perimeter
(P)

H.M.R (R)

Top Width

Depth

Rectangular

2.0y2

4y

0.40y

2y

Trapezoidal

1.73y2

3.46y

0.50y

2.31y

0.75y

Triangular

y2

2.83y

2.345y

2y

0.50y

Non Silting-Non Scouring Velocity and

Permissible Velocity
The term minimum permissible velocity
means a lowest velocity which will prevent
silting and vegetation growth. Normally
average of 2-3 ft/sec (0.61-0.91 m/s) will
prevent silting.
The term non silting - non scouring
velocity refers to a velocity which will be
high enough to prevent silting and low
enough to prevent scouring in case of
unlined channels.

Free Board
A minimum free board for unlined canals
varies between 1 ft or 0.3 m for small
distributaries to 4 ft or 1.2 m for main
canals carrying 3000cfs (85 m3/sec)
discharge.
For irrigation canals with discharge of
10,000cfs (283 m3/sec) or more it is 5.5 ft
(1.65 m)

Free Board
For determination of free board the increase in
the discharge is on log scale and the increase
in the free board is on arithmetic scale. The
equation is
F= (Cy)1/2
where
F is free board in ft
y is the design depth of flow in ft and
C is coefficient which varies from 1.5 at
Q=20cfs (0.57m3/s) to 2.5 for Q=3000cfs or
more.

Free Board
The curvature is important in lined canals as the
rise in water levels on outer side of the curve
affects the free board.
h = v2b/gR
Where
h is change in water surface elevation across
channel
b is the width of channel
R is the distance from the centre of the curve to
centre of channel
v is the subcritical average velocity

Design of Lined Canals

The design of lined canals is very simple
as long as there are no constraints of
selecting higher or lower values of
velocities.
As long as Mannings n or Chezys C is
estimated correctly. For the given lining
material, the canal would work as per
design.

Line Canal Design Procedure

1. Estimate C or n for given lining
material
2. Compute as per Mannings., section
factor
AR2/3=[nQ/(S)1/2]
is 1.49 in fps and 1 in metric units.
3. Assume the shape of the channel to be
trapezoidal section with suitable side
slopes of 1:2 (vertical : horizontal) and bed
width b.

Line Canal Design Procedure

Using dimensionless curves Fig 4.1 (book
Iqbal Ali) between AR2/3 / b8/3 and y/b, the
value of y can be determined.
4. For the best hydraulic cross-section,
channel parameters can be used as given
in table 4.1. otherwise use normal
relations for A etc to compute the channel
parameters using y from step 3.

Curves for Determining Normal Depth of Flow

Figure 4.1 from Iqbal Ali Book (Page 120)

Line Canal Design Procedure

5. Check for
Minimum permissible velocity if water carries
sediments
Froude number to be less than 1

6. Estimate free board, and the height of

lining to be 50% of the free board, above
the maximum water level.
7. Make a sketch providing all the
dimensions.

Example 4.1
A lined canal is to be designed to carry
1000cfs. The concrete lining is smooth
and the general ground slope is 0.001.
Design the canal.

Assignment
A lined canal is to be designed to carry
1000+(Regd. #)cfs (e.g. Regd. Number 40
will get the value of discharge as 1000+40
= 1040cfs). The concrete lining is smooth
and the general ground slope is
0.001+(Regd. # / 10000), (e.g. Regd. # 40
will use slope as (40/10000) = 0.004,
hence final answer will be (0.001+0.004) =
0.005. Design the canal.

Assignment
Also with the above information given in
example 4.1 repeat the design for the
triangular shaped, circular shaped and
rectangular shaped canal