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13 Contour and Graded Bund
13 Contour and Graded Bund
13 Contour and Graded Bund
13 ‐ SOIL EROSION CONTROL ‐ MECHANICAL MEASURES
Mechanical measures play a vital role in controlling and preventing soil erosion on
agricultural lands. They are adopted to supplement the agricultural practices (biological
methods). The mechanical measures include contour bund, graded bund, terracing and
contour stonewall etc.
Bunding is construction of small embankments or bunds across the slope. The
bunds are referred to as contour bunds when they are constructed on the contour, and
graded bunds where a grade of 0.1% to 0.3% is provided to them.
Contour bunding
Contour bunding is the construction of small bund across the slope of the land
on a contour so that the long slope is cut into a series of small ones and each contour
bund acts as a barrier to the flow of water, thus making the water to walk rather than
run, at the same time impounding a greater part of it against it for increasing soil
moisture. Contour bunds divide the length of the slope; reduce the volume of runoff
water, and thus preventing or minimizing the soil erosion.
Contour bunds are constructed in relatively low rainfall areas, having an annual rainfall
or less than 600 mm, particularly in areas having light textured soils. For rolling and
flater lands having slopes from 2 to 6% contour bunding is practiced, in red soils.
Design of contour bunds
For high rainfall areas, the design of bunds depends upon the depth of water
impounded. The water slope is given below. The specification of most suitable bund
found for low rainfall areas, i.e. below 75 cm is given in the following table.
Bunds should be provided with a suitable outlet. This may be a natural field
drainage way or constructed one designed to carry the water at the safe velocity. On
soils where it is difficult to establish vegetation, it may be desirable to build the outlet
before the construction of bunds.
Contour bunds are useful in low rainfall areas. They retain most of the rainfall
and also control erosion. In areas of medium and high rainfall, graded bunds are used.
Lecture 13 – Erosion control – Mechanical measures
Graded bunds are suitable for clay soils, and contour bunds for red soil areas. They help
in controlling soil erosion and give longer time for rain water to infiltrate into the soil.
The choice of contour bund or graded bunds and the grade to be given to the
bunds depends upon the rainfall, soil conditions and the type of the outlets. In low
rainfall areas (500 mm), where moisture is the limiting factor, bunds on a strict contour
may be adopted. In heavy and medium rainfall areas, the grade of the bunds may be
0.2% ‐ 0.35% towards the outlets.
Spacing of Bunds
In spacing bunds, the principles to be adopted are:
1. The seepage zones below the upper bund meet the saturation zone of the lower
bund.
2. The bunds should check the water at a point when the water attains erosive
velocity, and
3. The bund should not inconvenience agricultural and forestry operations.
The spacing of the bunds is determined by:
V.I. = S/a + b
Where V.I. = Vertical interval between consecutive bunds (cms)
S = Land slope (%)
a and b = Constants – depend on soil and rainfall.
In medium and heavy rainfall zones, the formula to be adopted is:
V.I. = ( 30S/3) + 60
Top width of bund = 50 cm
In low rainfall zones,
V.I. = (30S/2) + 60
Top width of bund = 45 cm.
Note: The horizontal length is measured on the land slope itself.
Height of the bund
• h = depth
h of impounding
• Re = effecctive rainfall
• Height of bund = h + d
depth of flow
w over outleet + free boaard as 25 % o
of h
Lenggth of contou
ur bund
Earth
h work excavvation = lenggth of contou
ur bund x c//s area
Graded Bunds
Graded bunds arre constructeed in mediu
um to high raainfall area having an annual rainfaall
of 60
00 mm and above and
d in soils haaving poor permeability or those having crusst
forming tendency (black soils), and in th
he lands having slopes b
between 2 an
nd 6%. Thesse
bund
ds are provid
ded with a channel if necessary.
n U
Uniformly graded bundss are suitablle
wherre the length
h of bund is less and thee discharge behind the b
bund or in the channel is
not much.
m Variab
ble grades are
a provided
d in differen
nt sections of
o the bund.. For uniform
m
gradeed bund, a grade from 0.1% to a maximum of
o 0.4% is adopted
a and
d for variablle
e grade will vary with th
gradeed bund the he length off the bund. The required capacity o
of
the channel can b
be determin
ned by using the rationall method.