Design of Irrigation Structures

Any hydraulic structure should be checked and designed for: 1.Hydrostatic pressure 2.Sub-soil flow conditions 3.Surface flow conditions

1.

Hydrostatic pressure p=wh Sub-soil flow conditions (i) Uplift pressure pressure exerted by seeping water tries to lift up the body of structure floor is ruptured effective length is reduced (ii) Piping / Undermining seeping water takes away the soil particles from the d/s end. erosion progress to u/s forms a channel or pipe underneath.

2.

3.

Surface flow conditions for dynamic pressures two types, viz. (i) vertical drop type and (ii) hydraulic jump type

Blighs Creep Theory -- For design of impervious floor considering

sub-surface flow According to Bligh: percolating water creeps along the contact of the base profile of the weir with sub-soil and looses head in proportion to creep resistance. Total Creep length = AB+BC+CD++HI

Creep length up to F H Total creep length Uplift pressure at F = H Head loss up to F If Hx = residual head at x = uplift pressure at x head loss upto F =
Then Hx L Lx = H L
L or H x = H1 x L

Floor is safe against uplift if downward weight of the floor is equal to or greater than uplift. Piping occurs along the line of creep

H 1 It can be avoided if L C
H/L -- Average hydraulic gradient C Blighs constant Material Very fine silt Fine sand Coarse sand Gravel and sand Boulders, gravel and sand Vertical cutoffs are twice effective. Sukker barrage is designed as per Blighs theory. C 18 15 12 9 4 to 6

To Determine Thickness of Floor At any point x, Residual uplift pressure head = Hx Intensity of pressure = w Hx Total force due to uplift pressure on unit area = w Hx x 1 N If t = thickness of floor and w1 = specific weight of floor material Then, specific weight of floor material under water = w1 w Therefore, net downward force of floor = (w1 - w) x t x 1 ( w 1 w ) t 1 wH x 1 For safety

w1 w t Hx w

(S

1) t H x
Hx S1 1 4 Hx 3 S1 1

(S1 = w1/w)

t t=

(4/3 is factor of safety)

Example For the barrage shown in figure, find out the thickness of floor required at point F using Blighs theory.

Solution: Total creep length, L = 2(6+3+8)+10+20 = 64 m Creep length up to F, LF = 2(6+3)+10 = 28 m Hydraulic gradient = H/L = 6/64 = 1/10.7 < 1/9 Therefore, structure will be safe on gravel and sand. L L 28 Uplift pressure at F, H F = H - F H = H1 F = 61 = 3.375 m L 64 L
Thickness of floor at F, t F = 4 HF 4 3.375 = = 3.63 m 3 S1 1 3 2.24 1