Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa Institute of Technology

Civil Engineering Department
Hydraulic Structure II (CEng 4602 ) Year: June, 2011
Final Examination Semester II
Allowed time: 3:00hrs

 Attempt all questions

Part I (5 marks for each question, total of 40%)
1. Discuss briefly why flood protection and control are needed?
2. Frequency of floods and accompanying disasters are increasing every year. List some of the possible
reasons.
3. Discuss three benefits of floods.
4. Floods damages are classified in terms of form as direct and indirect and in terms of measurements as
tangible and intangible. Describe by citing examples these forms and measurements of damages.
5. Benefits cost analysis is used to fix the design discharge for a flood protection measure> Discuss
briefly how quantitatively the benefits and the costs are estimated.
6. A large river is passing by close a major city. A flood detention dam is envisaged to protect the city
against flood hazard. Describe quantitatively how you go about sizing the flood detention dam for
flood protection.
7. What is flood abatment measure? List some of measures that can be carried out for this purpose.
8. Say True or False and give reason for your answer:
a) According to Bligh’s Theory, the design will be economical if the greater part of the creep
length (i.e. of the impervious floor) is provided upstream of the weir.
b) According to Bligh’s Theory a vertical cutoff at the downstream end of the impervious floor is
more useful than the one on upstream end of the floor in reducing the uplift pressure.
Part II (total of 60%)
1. The weir profile shown in Figure 1, with cutoff piles at u/s, intermediate and d/s points, is founded
on permeable foundation having a safe hydraulic gradient 1/C = 1/8.
Using Bligh’s creep theory,
a) Calculate the average hydraulic gradient and check whether the section is safe.
b) Calculate the uplift pressures at point A and B (15 m and 25 m from u/s end of the impervious
floor, respectively) and the floor thickness required at these points.
c) Draw the subsurface hydraulic grade line
There is no tailwater on the downstream side. Take the relative density of the floor material as 2.24.[20
Marks]
Figure 1. Weir profile for question no. 1
5m A B

d1 = 6 m d2 = 7.5 m
15 m d3 = 7.5 m

25 m

20 m 10 m
2. You are working as a consultant for an engineering company, and you have received a design of a
barrage shown in Figure 2. The designer provided the barrage with an impervious floor having a
uniform thickness of 2 m throughout with three sheet pile lines. It is required to check if the thickness
provided is sufficient to counteract the uplift pressure and the safety of the section against piping.
Hence, using Khosla’s Theory of independent variables:
a) Calculate the uplift pressure at the key points.
b) Find the uplift pressure at point A (at a distance of 25 m from upstream end of the impervious
floor) and check if the thickness provided is sufficient.
c) Check whether the section provided is safe against piping if it is founded on fine sand with
permissible exit gradient of 1/6.
Additional information:

- No tailwater on downstream side of the impervious floor,

- Relative density of floor material is 2.24
- For a slope of 1V:6H, the slope correction is 2.5%. [40 Marks]

3m
6
1

A
7.5 m 18 m 24 m
m 5m 5m
42 m 17 m
m

60 m

Figure 2. Barrage section for question no.2

You may use the following equations, where necessary;

Correction for Mutual interference of piles

Correction for slope of the floor

Impervious floor thickness

a) Sheet pile not at end (INTERMIDIATE PILE)
(b) Sheet pile at the end and depressed floor

(c) Exit Gradient