DIVERSION

HEADWORKS/ BARRAGE
DESIGN
COMPONENTS
Basic Layout
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Plan of Barrage
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Guide Bund
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Introduction
“Any Hydraulic Structure which supplies water to the off-taking
canal is called a Headwork. Headwork may be divided into two
classes”;
 Storage Headwork
 Diversion Headwork
i) Storage Headwork
A Storage Headwork comprises of “the construction of a
dam across the river”. It stores water during the period of
excess supplies in the river and releases on demand.

ii) Diversion Headwork

A Diversion Headwork serves to divert the required supply
into the canal from the river. A Diversion Headwork can
further be sub divided into two principal classes;
o Temporary Spurs or Bunds
o Permanent Weirs and Barrages
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Weir
The weir is a solid obstruction put across the river to raise its
water level and divert the water into the canal. If a weir also stores
water for tiding over small periods of short supplies, it is called a
storage weir.

The main difference between a storage weir and a dam is only in

height and the duration for which the supply is stored. A dam
stores the supply for a comparatively longer duration compared to
Diversion Headworks

Further more the Dams are high head structures, which produced
Hydropower besides Irrigation Water whereas the Headworks are
low head structures which only divert river supplies into canal for
Irrigation.
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Types of Weir
Weir may be of different types based on “materials of construction,
design features and types of soil foundation as”;

Vertical drop Weir

o Vertical drop weir without a crest gate is shown in the enclosed
figure. “A crest gate may be provided to store more water during
flood period”. At the upstream and downstream ends of
impervious floor cut off piles are provided. Launching aprons are
provided both at upstream and downstream ends of floor to
safeguard against scouring action.

o A graded filter is provided immediately at the downstream end of

impervious floor to relieve the uplift pressure. This type of weir is
suitable for any type of foundation.
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Vertical Drop Weir

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Sloping Weir of Concrete

o This type is suitable for soft sandy foundation. “It is provided
where difference in weir crest and downstream river bed is not
more than 3.0 m”. Hydraulic jump is formed when water passes
over the sloping glacis. Weir of this type is of recent origin.
Enclosed figure shows a sectional weir of this concrete sloping
weir.
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Parabolic Weir
o “A parabolic weir is almost similar to spillway section of Dam. The
weir or body wall for this weir is designed as low head dam”. A
cistern is provided at downstream as shown in figure.
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Dry Stone Sloping Weir

o It is a dry stone or rock fill weir. “It consists of body wall and
upstream and downstream dry stones are laid in the form of glacis
with some intervening core wall as shown in the figure below”.
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Barrage
 “The function of a Barrage is similar to that of weir, but the heading
up of water is controlled by the gates alone. No solid obstruction is
put across the river. “The crest level in the barrage is kept at a low
level”.

 During the floods, “the gates are raised to clear off the high flood
level”, enabling the high flood to pass downstream with maximum
afflux.

 When the flood recedes, “the gates are lowered and the flow is
obstructed”, thus raising the water level to the upstream of the
barrage.

 “Due to this multiple structural components, it is costlier than the

weirs”.
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Plan of Barrage
 BARRAGES
Comparison of Barrage Vs Weir
Barrage Weir
Low set crest. High set crest.
Ponding is done by means of Ponding is done against the raised
Gates crest or partly against crest and
partly by shutters
Gated over the entire length Shutters in part length
Gates are of greater height Shutters are of low height (2 m)
Gates are raised to pass high Shutters are dropped to pass
floods floods
Perfect control on river flow No control of river in high floods
Gates convenient to operate Operation of shutters is slow,
involve labour and time
High floods can be passed with Excessive afflux in high floods
minimum afflux
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 BARRAGES
Barrage Weir

Less silting Upstream due to low Raised crest causes silting

set crest. Upstream

Longer construction period Shorter construction period

Silt removal is done through under No means for silt disposal.

sluices.

Road and / or rail bridge can be Not possible to provide road-rail

constructed at low cost. bridge.

Costly structure. Relatively cheaper structure

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Site Selection
The following considerations should be kept in mind when deciding on
the site for a Barrage;

i) The site must have a “good command” over the area to be

irrigated and must also be not too far distant from the
command area to avoid long feeder channels.

ii) “The width of the river at the site should preferably be the
minimum with a well defined and stable river approaches”.

iii) “A good land approach to the site” will reduce the expense of
transportation and, therefore, the ultimate cost of the Barrage.

iv) “A good Catchment Area having minimum infiltration” and

appropriate gradient to generate sufficient discharge with
minimum rainfall.
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v) “Central approach of the river to the Barrage after Diversion”.

This is essential for proper silt control and erosion to avoid
river meandering and minimize the operating expansive.

vi) “The material required for construction should preferably be

available” close to the site to minimize the construction cost.

vii) “If it is intended to convert the existing inundation canals into

perennial canals”, site selection is limited by the position of
the Head Regulator and the alignment of the existing
inundation canals.

viii) “A rock foundation” is the best but in alluvial plains the bed is
invariably sandy.

ix) “Easy diversion of the river after construction”.

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Investigations for Site Selection

i. Topographic Survey
Topographical survey comprises;
o An index plan showing the entire catchment area upstream of
the proposed barrage site with position of gauge and discharge
sites, rain gauge sites, important irrigation works, road and
railway crossing, if any.

o Contour plan of the area around the proposed barrage site

extending upto 5 km on upstream and downstream sides with
contour interval 0.5 m up to an elevation of at least 2.5 m above
HF.

o Cross section of the river at 2 km intervals up to pondage effect

on upstream
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Investigations for Site Selection

o Longitudinal section of the river to indicate observed water
levels along the deep current. In the case of meandering river
the survey is to cover at least two fully developed meanders on
the upstream of the barrage axis and one meander length on
the downstream or as may be required for detailed model
studies.
o The cross levels in the river bed are spaced 10 to 30 m
depending upon the topography of the river. The cross
sections are extended on both banks up to 2.5 m above the
HFL as far as possible, otherwise to an extent such that proper
layout of guide and afflux bunds may be decided.

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Investigations for Site Selection

ii. Collection of Hydrological Data

The Hydrological data are collected to;

o Compute the Design Flood.

o Assess the available weekly or 10 daily and monthly runoff on a

more realistic basis. For these studies it is necessary to obtain
rainfall and runoff data. For the estimation of design flood the
following data are collected.

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Investigations for Site Selection

iii. Surface and Sub Surface Investigations
o Trial pits are excavated to determine the depth of overburden
comprising large size boulders. Where necessary geophysical
method may be employed to locate the rock surface.

o Observations of water table in the area adjacent to the location

of the barrage is also carried out for three-dimensional
electrical analogy studies.

o Log Chute: statistics of logs, such as their numbers, sizes and

periods in which they are handled and other relevant data are
collected.

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Investigations for Site Selection

iv. Construction Materials
o Survey of construction materials, their availability with lead for
determining the type of construction and for preparing
comparative estimates. Availability of hard stone may make
masonry preferable to concrete.

v. Diversion Requirements
o Diversion requirements are worked out in accordance with the
need of the project.

vi. Communication System

o Investigation includes dislocation of existing facilities and their
relocation and additional facilities required during construction
and operation.
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Investigations for Site Selection

vii. Other Miscellaneous Studies
o These include pond survey for the area submerged upto
normal pond level or within the afflux bunds, as acquired, and
all immovable proprieties coming within it are recorded and
valued.

viii.Environmental and Ecological

o The effect of Barrage on ecosystem especially on fish, wild life
and human inhabitants adjacent to the structure is studied.
Site selected should cause minimum environmental
disturbances.

ix. Flood Plain

o Aerial map of the flood plain indicating dominant River Course.
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Purpose of Barrage/ Headworks

Headwork serves the following purposes
i) “It raises the water level” in the river so that the commendable
area can be increased.
ii) “It regulates” the intake of water into the canal.
iii) “It controls” the silt entry into the canal.
iv) “It reduces fluctuations” in the level of supply in the river.
v) “It stores water” for tiding over small periods of short
supplies.
vi) “It facilitates the flood management” as well as smooth entry
of river supply into the off-taking canal.
vii) “It provides a road way” over the river crossing for public
facilitations.
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A) Components of Diversion Headworks (Plan)

i. Main Weir
ii. Under Sluice portion
iii. Divide Wall
iv. Fish Ladder
v. Canal Head Regulator
vi. U/S Guide Bund
vii. D/S Guide Bund
viii. Canal Head Regulator
ix. U/S Marginal Bund
x. D/S Marginal Bund
xi. River Training Works
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Plan of Barrage
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B) Components w.r.to X-Section (U/S River Bed)

i) U/S Flexible Protection
ii) U/S Sheet Pile
iii) U/S Concrete Floor
iv) Intermediate Sheet Pile
v) The Main Weir Structure
a) U/S Glacises 1:4
b) Crest
c) D/S Glacises 1:3

vi) D/S Vertical Sheet Piles

vii) Inverted Filter
viii) D/S Flexible Apron
ix) D/S River Bed
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Cross Section of Barrage