Skip to main content

Vertical drop design, Q 2.1 m3/s

Short answer

Crest length equals bed width 1.50 m; crest level is 275.31 m with head 0.83 m. Impervious floor total length 6.92 m, thickness 0.48 m under cistern near wall tapering to 0.30 m.

Design crest, length and thickness of impervious floor of a vertical drop structure for the following data: Discharge = 2.1 m³/sec; Side slope of the channel = 1:1; FSL U/S = 276.10 m; Bed level U/S = 275.15 m; Bed level D/S = 274.45 m; Bed width U/S and D/S = 1.5 m; Top width of crest = 0.55 m (for initial assumption); For rectangular crest Cd = 0.415; Sp. Gr. of masonry drop structure = 2.25; Bligh's coefficient = 6.0.

Given data and assumptions

  • Q=2.1Q = 2.1 m³/s, bed width B=1.5B = 1.5 m, side slope 1:1, u/s FSL =276.10= 276.10 m, u/s bed =275.15= 275.15 m, d/s bed =274.45= 274.45 m.
  • Full supply depth u/s Du=0.950D_u = 0.950 m, d/s Dd=0.950D_d = 0.950 m (d/s FSL =275.400= 275.400 m); drop in water level HL=0.700H_L = 0.700 m.
  • Bligh's coefficient C=6C = 6; specific gravity of masonry/concrete G=2.25G = 2.25.

1. Upstream flow conditions

A=(B+mDu)Du=(1.5+1×0.950)(0.950)=2.328 m2v=Q/A=0.902 m/s,ha=v22g=0.041 m\begin{aligned} A &= (B + mD_u)D_u = (1.5 + 1\times0.950)(0.950) = 2.328\ \text{m}^2 \\ v &= Q/A = 0.902\ \text{m/s}, \qquad h_a = \frac{v^2}{2g} = 0.041\ \text{m} \end{aligned}

2. Crest length, head and crest level

Discharge over a rectangular crest: Q=Cd2g L H3/2Q = C_d\sqrt{2g}\,L\,H^{3/2} with Cd2g=1.838C_d\sqrt{2g} = 1.838, where HH is the total head over the crest (including hah_a). Take crest length equal to the bed width, L=BL = B:

H=(Q1.838 L)2/3=(2.11.838×1.5)2/3=0.834 mH = \left(\frac{Q}{1.838\,L}\right)^{2/3} = \left(\frac{2.1}{1.838\times1.5}\right)^{2/3} = 0.834\ \text{m} Crest level=FSLu+ha−H=276.100+0.041−0.834=275.31 m\text{Crest level} = FSL_u + h_a - H = 276.100 + 0.041 - 0.834 = 275.31\ \text{m}

Height of crest above d/s bed dc=275.31−274.45=0.86d_c = 275.31 - 274.45 = 0.86 m.

3. Cistern (energy dissipation)

Discharge per metre length of crest q=Q/L=1.400q = Q/L = 1.400 m²/s. Energy available above the d/s bed E1=FSLu+ha−d/s bed=1.691E_1 = FSL_u + h_a - \text{d/s bed} = 1.691 m. For a cistern of depth XX below the d/s bed, the jump must form with the conjugate depth y2y_2 equal to the tail water over the cistern, y2=Dd+Xy_2 = D_d + X. Solving with E1+X=y1+q2/(2gy12)E_1 + X = y_1 + q^2/(2gy_1^2) and y2=y12(1+8F12−1)y_2 = \frac{y_1}{2}(\sqrt{1+8F_1^2} - 1):

  • Required X=0.208X = 0.208 m. Provide X=0.25X = 0.25 m (cistern floor level =274.20= 274.20 m).
  • With this XX: y1=0.242y_1 = 0.242 m, F1=3.74F_1 = 3.74, y2=1.168y_2 = 1.168 m.

Length of cistern (hydraulic jump length) Lc=5(y2−y1)=5(1.168−0.242)=4.63L_c = 5(y_2 - y_1) = 5(1.168 - 0.242) = 4.63 m.

4. Crest (drop) wall

Top width (assumed) T=0.55T = 0.55 m. Height of wall from cistern floor to crest Hw=275.31−274.20=1.11H_w = 275.31 - 274.20 = 1.11 m. Bottom width for a gravity masonry wall:

Bw=Hw+HG=1.11+0.832.25=1.29 mB_w = \frac{H_w + H}{\sqrt{G}} = \frac{1.11 + 0.83}{\sqrt{2.25}} = 1.29\ \text{m}

Adopt bottom width Bw=1.29B_w = 1.29 m (not less than the top width), with the d/s face vertical or slightly battered.

5. Length of impervious floor (Bligh's theory)

Total creep length required L=C HL=6×0.700=4.20L = C\,H_L = 6\times0.700 = 4.20 m. Cut-offs: u/s d1=0.6d_1 = 0.6 m, d/s d2=0.9d_2 = 0.9 m. Downstream floor length (Bligh) with qq in m²/s:

Ld=2.21 CHLq/75=2.21×60.7001.400/75=4.10 mL_d = 2.21\,C\sqrt{H_L\sqrt{q/75}} = 2.21\times6\sqrt{0.700\sqrt{1.400/75}} = 4.10\ \text{m}

The d/s floor (measured from the toe of the wall) must also contain the cistern, so adopt Ld=4.63L_d = 4.63 m. Creep already provided by cut-offs and wall =2(d1+d2)+Bw=4.29= 2(d_1 + d_2) + B_w = 4.29 m, so the u/s floor needed is

bu=L−[2(d1+d2)+Bw+Ld]=−4.72 mb_u = L - [2(d_1+d_2) + B_w + L_d] = -4.72\ \text{m}

Bligh's creep is already satisfied, so a nominal u/s floor of 1.0 m is provided. Actual creep =9.92= 9.92 m ≥4.20\ge 4.20 m, safe. Total floor length =bu+Bw+Ld=6.92= b_u + B_w + L_d = 6.92 m.

6. Thickness of the floor

Pressure head at the toe of the wall: creep to that point =3.49= 3.49 m, so residual head h1=HL Lact−3.49Lact=0.453h_1 = H_L\,\dfrac{L_{act} - 3.49}{L_{act}} = 0.453 m. At the end of the cistern the creep is 8.12 m and h2=0.127h_2 = 0.127 m.

t1=43h1G−1=43×0.4531.25=0.48 mt_1 = \frac{4}{3}\frac{h_1}{G-1} = \frac{4}{3}\times\frac{0.453}{1.25} = 0.48\ \text{m}

Adopt floor thickness 0.48 m under the cistern near the wall, tapering to 0.30 m at the end of the floor (minimum 0.30 m).

Summary

ComponentValue
Crest level275.31 m
Crest length / head HH1.50 m / 0.83 m
Crest wall top / bottom width0.55 m / 1.29 m
Cistern depth / length0.25 m / 4.63 m
Floor: u/s 1.0 m, d/s 4.63 m, cut-offs 0.6 / 0.9 mtotal creep 9.92 m
Floor thickness0.48 m (taper to 0.30 m)

Answer: crest level 275.31 m, crest length 1.50 m, crest wall 0.55 m top and 1.29 m bottom width, cistern depth 0.25 m and length 4.63 m, floor length 6.92 m, floor thickness 0.48 m.

Sketch:

 FSL u/s ~~~~~~~~~~~|
                    |  crest
 u/s bed ___________|__          FSL d/s ~~~~
        |  u/s floor |  \  drop        ~~~~~
     d1 |            |   \_____cistern________ d/s bed
        |            |<-Lc->|   d/s floor   | d2
                     |____ floor thickness __|

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

All Irrigation and Drainage Engineering chapter 7 questions →