Step Back Water Calculation

Background Information and Analysis Tool Usage

This spreadsheet provides an approximate method for calculating the backwater profile for a new or modified culvert to in order to confirm whether or not the tail water normal depth of the upstream culvert is impacted.
Cells highlighted in yellow represent the independent variables required to be input by the user in order to complete the computations.
Q represents the design-basis storm flood flow (such as a 10 year flow) and Hw = y d represents the head water depth just upstream of the proposed culvert.
An appropriate composite value for Manning's roughness coefficient (n) should be selected for the channel in question.
S0 represents the longitudinal slope of the channel bottom
Alpha represents the kinetic energy correction factor for the flow in the channel. A typical and reasonable value to assume (if not computed) is 1.1
The example analysis shown below is for a proposed culvert with a 10 year flow of 450 cfs located 500 ft. downstream of an existing tailwater controlled culvert. The head water depth (H w) has been determined elsewhere to be 7.0 ft.

Direct Step Method

Q= 450 cfs S4
n= 0.06
S0 = 0.01 ft/ft S3
α = 1.1 y
Hw = yd = 7.0 ft (starting water depth upstream of proposed culvert measured from stream bottom) D2
D1 y
S1 y S2
Channel Geometry Inputs
yd = 7.0 ft O1 D2S2 O2
B
B= 10 ft
D1 = 3 ft
D1S1
D2 = 4 ft
Computed Hydraulic
Computed Wetted Mean
Area (A) Perimeter (P) Radius (R)
S1 = 2 (ft H / ft V) (ft )
2 (ft) (ft)
S2 = 2 (ft H / ft V) For y < D1 out of range out of range out of range
O1 = 5 ft For D1 £ y < D2 out of range out of range out of range
O2 = 6.5 ft For y (= yd) ≥ D2 205.25 51.51 3.985
S3 = 2 (ft H / ft V) Note: The formulas for area, wetted perimeter, and hydraulic mean radius listed above are applicable for a range of values of "y" up to the maximum depth
S4 = 1.5 (ft H / ft V)
Note: Carry out backwater analysis until y is equal to 1.01 times y n
Channel Water
Bottom Surface NDL
Elevation Elevation y A P R R4/3 V α V2/2g y + α V2/2g Delta E Sf Avg Sf S0 - Avg Sf delta x x Elevation
693.0 700.000 7.0 205.25 51.5050747 3.985044 6.3179695181 2.19244823 0.0821042265 7.0821 ….. 1.239E-03 0 697.623
693.562 700.062 6.5 181.6875 49.4856529 3.671519 5.6640575821 2.47678019 0.104780809 6.6048 0.4773 1.764E-03 0.00150179 0.008498209 56.167530911 56.17 698.185
694.160 700.160 6 159 47.4662311 3.34975 5.0120627606 2.83018868 0.1368162229 6.1368 0.4680 2.603E-03 0.00218377 0.0078162295 59.870886238 116.0384 698.783
694.417 700.217 5.8 150.17 46.6584623 3.218494 4.751933396 2.99660385 0.1533788523 5.9534 0.1834 3.078E-03 0.00284076 0.0071592431 25.622453232 141.6609 699.040
694.689 700.289 5.6 141.48 45.8506936 3.085668 4.4922665956 3.18066158 0.1727992062 5.7728 0.1806 3.668E-03 0.00337332 0.0066266815 27.250388692 168.9113 699.312
694.986 700.386 5.4 132.93 45.0429249 2.951185 4.2331328131 3.38524035 0.1957428178 5.5957 0.1771 4.410E-03 0.00403916 0.0059608446 29.703238332 198.6145 699.609
695.323 700.523 5.2 124.52 44.2351562 2.814956 3.9746180122 3.61387729 0.223076397 5.4231 0.1727 5.353E-03 0.00488122 0.0051187765 33.731971029 232.3465 699.946
695.737 700.737 5 116.25 43.4273874 2.676882 3.7168269752 3.87096774 0.2559445712 5.2559 0.1671 6.567E-03 0.00595986 0.0040401441 41.367788696 273.7143 700.360
696.002 700.902 4.9 112.1675 43.0235031 2.607122 3.5882417541 4.01185727 0.2749145746 5.1749 0.0810 7.307E-03 0.00693691 0.0030630897 26.453680268 300.1679 700.625
696.350 701.150 4.8 108.12 42.6196187 2.53686 3.4598874328 4.16204218 0.295882835 5.0959 0.0790 8.156E-03 0.00773118 0.0022688154 34.833922147 335.0019 700.973
696.917 701.617 4.7 104.1075 42.2157344 2.466083 3.3317844152 4.32245515 0.3191301307 5.0191 0.0768 9.135E-03 0.0086452 0.0013547999 56.652428793 391.6543 701.540
697.237 701.907 4.67 102.9106 42.094569 2.444747 3.2934058267 4.37272846 0.3265967328 4.9966 0.0225 9.457E-03 0.00929603 0.0007039688 32.009086702 423.6634 701.860
698.503 703.126 4.623 101.0417 41.9047434 2.411224 3.2333304542 4.45360564 0.3387898066 4.9618 0.0348 9.993E-03 0.00972504 0.00027496 126.58907209 550.2524 703.126

Conclusion: In the above example analysis, the backwater up to the limiting depth of y = 1.01 x y n = 4.67 ft. is extending upstream a distance x = 424 ft. and is not impacting the tailwater level of upstream culvert located at x = 500ft.

Solution for Normal Depth (yn) Q = 1.486/n x AR2/3 x S0.5 Solution for Critical Depth (yc) Q / g0.5 = A x D0.5
Trial and Error AR2/3 = Q x n/ 1.486 x S0.5 = 181.6958 Q = g0.5 x A x D0.5

y (trial) A P R R2/3 AR2/3 Remarks y (trial) Q A D0.5 g0.5 x A x D0.5

3.00 48 28.41641 1.689 1.41834334 68.0805 y too small 3 450 48 1.47709789 402.33
3.50 62 30.65248 2.023 1.59937666 99.1614 y too small 3.2 450 53.48 1.38698991 420.91
4.00 77 32.88854 2.341 1.76318299 135.7651 y too small 3.25 450 54.875 1.39993622 435.92
4.20 84.57 40.19631 2.104 1.64192536 138.8576 y too small 3.27 450 55.4358 1.40506562 441.99
4.50 96.1875 41.40797 2.323 1.75397404 168.7104 y too small 3.296 450 56.167232 1.41169279 449.94
4.55 98.154375 41.60991 2.359 1.77204715 173.9342 y too small 3.3 450 56.28 1.41270828 451.16
4.60 100.13 41.81185 2.395 1.78995957 179.2287 y too small
4.61 100.526175 41.85224 2.402 1.79352311 180.2960 y too small yc = 3.30
4.62 100.9227 41.89263 2.409 1.79708042 181.3662 y too small
4.623 101.041726 41.90474 2.411 1.79814639 181.6878 y matches
4.64 101.7168 41.9734 2.423 1.80417641 183.5151 y too large

yn = 4.623
For backwater surface profile analysis, the limiting depth y = 1.01 x y n = 4.67 ft.
 Water Surface Profile
704.000

702.000

700.000

698.000
Elevation (ft)

696.000

694.000

692.000

690.000

688.000

686.000
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Distance Upstream (ft)

Water Surface Normal Depth Channel Bottom