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Increase in discharge after lining the bed

Short answer

Lining the bed reduces the equivalent roughness from 0.030 to 0.02163. The discharge increases by about 39%, i.e., ΔQ = 44.8 √S₀ m³/s, independent of slope.

A 3.6 m wide rectangular channel had badly damaged surfaces and had a Manning's n = 0.030. As a first phase of repair, its bed was lined with concrete with n = 0.015. If the depth of flow remains the same at 1.2 m before and after the repair, what is the increase of discharge obtained as result of repair?

The channel slope is not given. Discharge is Q=1nAR2/3S0Q=\frac{1}{n}AR^{2/3}\sqrt{S_0}, so the percentage increase in discharge does not depend on the slope. Results are given as Q=kS0Q=k\sqrt{S_0}.

Given data

b=3.6b=3.6 m, y=1.2y=1.2 m. Before repair n=0.030n=0.030 everywhere. After repair the bed has n=0.015n=0.015 and the two side walls remain at 0.0300.030.

Geometry (same before and after)

A=3.6×1.2=4.32 m2,P=3.6+2×1.2=6.00 m,R=AP=0.72 mA=3.6\times1.2=4.32\ \text{m}^2,\quad P=3.6+2\times1.2=6.00\ \text{m},\quad R=\frac AP=0.72\ \text{m} AR2/3=4.32×0.722/3=3.4703AR^{2/3}=4.32\times0.72^{2/3}=3.4703

Before repair

Q1=10.030(3.4703)S0=115.68S0Q_1=\frac{1}{0.030}(3.4703)\sqrt{S_0}=115.68\sqrt{S_0}

After repair: equivalent roughness (Horton-Einstein)

ne=[∑Pini3/2P]2/3=[3.6(0.015)1.5+2.4(0.030)1.56.0]2/3=[0.0190846.0]2/3=0.02163n_e=\left[\frac{\sum P_in_i^{3/2}}{P}\right]^{2/3}=\left[\frac{3.6(0.015)^{1.5}+2.4(0.030)^{1.5}}{6.0}\right]^{2/3}=\left[\frac{0.019084}{6.0}\right]^{2/3}=0.02163 Q2=10.02163(3.4703)S0=160.46S0Q_2=\frac{1}{0.02163}(3.4703)\sqrt{S_0}=160.46\sqrt{S_0}

Increase in discharge

ΔQ=(160.46−115.68)S0=44.78S0\Delta Q=(160.46-115.68)\sqrt{S_0}=44.78\sqrt{S_0} ΔQQ1=160.46115.68−1=38.7%\frac{\Delta Q}{Q_1}=\frac{160.46}{115.68}-1=38.7\%

Example: for S0=1/1000S_0=1/1000 (S0=0.03162\sqrt{S_0}=0.03162), Q1=3.66Q_1=3.66 m³/s, Q2=5.07Q_2=5.07 m³/s, so the increase is 1.42 m³/s.

Answer: discharge increases by about 39% (ΔQ = 44.8 √S₀ m³/s).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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