Chapter 3.

Hydrological investigation
Collection of hydro-meteorological data from DHM
The meteorological data is obtained for the site from the Department of Hydrology and
Meteorology located in Kathmandu. The meteorological data of Jhapa located in Damak
is relevant for the bridge site. So, the meteorological data from year 1995 to 2016 is
obtained for the site. From the obtained data, only those year data which contains
rainfall data of more than 300 days are used for the analysis.
Index
No. 406
Year Max
24
Hours
Value
1995 111.4
1996 295.1
1997 150.1
1998 160.5
1999 225.1
2000 280.2
2001 109.9
2002 160.7
2003 172
2004 179.2
2005 204.1
2006 116.1
2007 123
2008 111.5
2009 245
2010 175.2
2011 130
2012 101.5
2013 204.5
2014 87
2015 90.7
2016 174.5
Averag 163.9
e 7
Analysis for max 24 hours’ rainfall using Gumbel 's Type I Extreme Distribution Function

Average 163.96
1) mm
8
2) Standard Deviation 57.91

Retur Reduc Max 24

n ed Hrs
Perio Rainfal
ds Variate l (mm)
(T) (y) (R24)
2 0.367 155.28
5 1.500 215.69
10 2.250 255.69
20 2.970 294.05
50 3.902 343.72
100 4.600 380.93

Calculation of Discharge and Linear Waterway

WECS/ DHM study method
Catchment area (A) = 22 km2
Q2 = 1.8767(A+1)0.8783
Q2 = 29.471376 m3/sec
Q100 = 14.63(A+1)0.7342
Q100 = 146.2261 m3/sec
Where, subscript 2 and 100 stand for the return periods in number of years.

The flood flows for any return period R is governed by

QR= exp (InQ2+Ss)

Where,
s = In(Q100/Q2)/2.326 is the standard deviation of the natural logarithms of
annual floods

σ = In(Q100/Q2)/2.326= 0.6886
S= standardized normal variable for a particular return period R.
 Table 2.3: Return Period

Return
2 5 10 20 50 100 200
Period
S 0 0.842 1.202 1.645 2.054 2.326 2.58

Q50 = exp (InQ2+S σ) = 121.24932 m3/sec

Rational method

The flood discharge Q= 0.28*c*Ic*A

Where,
Q= Peak discharge m3/sec
C= Run off coefficient depend upon the catchments characteristics
Ic= Critical intensity of rainfall in mm/hr
A= Catchments area in sq. Km =
Ic = 2Io/ (Tc+1)
Where,
Io= intensity of rainfall for particular return period
Tc= Time of concentration
Tc= (0.87*L3/H)0.385 Highest Elevation = 107
Bridge Axis Elevation = 93

Where,
L= length of the stream in Km = 7Km
H = fall between the two end levels of L in meter = 14m
Io=F(T+1)/2T

Where,
F= total rainfall in mm
T = time in hours

For Q50
Io= 179.0192 mm/hr
C= 0.2
Tc= 3.247
Ic= 84.295
 Q50 = 103.85107 m3 /sec

For Q100
Io= 198.4021 mm/hr
C= 0.2
Tc= 3.247
Ic= 93.422
Q100 = 115.09534 m3 /sec

Regional Flood Frequency Method

Q = bAc
Where,
Q = mean annual peak daily discharge in m3/s
A= Catchments area below elevation 3000m in km 2 =
B and C = coefficients, depending upon the basin
Chandu Khola . So the value of b and c are given below
b= 1.27
c= 0.864
Q= 18.351
The flood discharge of particular period would be as follows
QR= KQ
Where,
K = factor depend on regional of basin
K for Q50 = 2.2
K for Q100 = 2.5
Q50 = 40.371938 m3 /sec
Q100 = 45.877202 m3 /sec

Medium Hydro Study Project Approach

Q = KAn
Where,
K and n are coefficients depending upon Return Period
A is Catchments area in KM2 = 22

Return
K n
Period
5 1.6762 0.966
20 3.2303 0.9281
50 4.609 0.9071
 100 5.9865 0.8888
3
Q50 = 76.088377 m /sec
Q100 = 93.393847 m3 /sec

Slope Area Method

This is the most common method used to determine the river discharge by energy
gradient calculation. This method provides reliable result for uniform flow. In this method
Manning's equation is used involving channel characteristics, water surface profile and
roughness coefficient. Here the longitudinal section and river cross sections have been
used to determine the exact river slope and sectional area of discharge flow. In this
method generally Manning's equation is used.

Q= (AR2/3S1/2)/n
Where,
Q= discharge in m3/sec
n= roughness coefficient
A= cross sectional Area
R= Hydraulic radius in m
S= slope of the river
N = 0.035
S = 0.002
The flood discharge is calculated at the bridge axis where both banks are defined and
marked as HFL by local people.
Data from autocad drawing
A= 40.23 m2
R= 0.95786 m
P= 42.0
Q= 49.949462 m3 /sec
V= 1.242 m2 /sec

Design Discharge
Since the bridge is medium type and the catchments are quite big the discharge for
return period of 100 years is recommended for design discharge. The maximum
discharge using above methods for return period of 100 years are summarized below in
Table 2.5
Table 2.5: Summary of Flood Discharge
Method Discharge Discharge
m3/s for m3/s for
50 yrs 100 yrs

WECS/DHM method 121.249 146.226

Rational Method 103.851 115.095
 Regional Flood Frequency 40.372 45.877
Method
Medium Hydro Study 76.088 93.394
Approach
Slope Area method 49.949 49.949

The table above shows that the discharge calculated by Rational method is maximum
and discharge calculated by Regional Flood Frequency Method is minimum. The
discharge calculated from Slope Area Method is according to the highest flood mark
noted and interviewed with old persons in the vicinity of the area that had occurred in
past years. So, the discharge calculated by the Slope Area Method has been adopted.

So the design discharge is adopted = 49.949 m3 / sec.

Calculation of linear Waterway

According to Kellerhal’s Method for gravel bed channels, mean channel width is given
by
B= 3.26 Q 0.5 for Sand Bed channels

Where,
B= mean channel length required for given discharge
Q = design discharge m3/sec= 49.949 m3/sec
B= 23.040

According to Lacey’s formula, mean channel width is given by

B = 4.75 Q 0.5 for alluvium channels
Where,
B = mean channel length required for given discharge
Q = design discharge m3/sec
B= 33.5705933

Actual linear waterway at site according to HFL 94m at bridge axis is 40 m. The
waterway calculated by the above two formulae is for gravel bed and alluvial soil bed
respectively. Therefore, the water way considered will be as per the width at the HFL
level at site i.e. 40 m. According to the site condition the bridge length can be provided
as 40 m with two abutments and one pier.