4/10/2021

Irrigation
Enineering
6th Semester
Ch-08- River Engineering & River training

Course Contents
• 8.1 Classification of River
• 8.2 Meandering and its causes
• 8.3 General features of meandering
• 8.4 River training and its necessity
• 8.5 Types of River training
• 8.6 Design of Guide bunds and launching apron
• 8.7 Design of Spurs (layout, length, spacing and cross section)

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Classification of River
On the basis of topography, rivers can be classified into following three types;
1) River in Hills (upper reaches)
2) Rivers in alluvial plains (lower reaches)
3) Tidal rivers

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Classification of River
• 8.1 Classification of River
• 8.2 Meandering and its causes
• 8.3 General features of meandering
• 8.4 River training and its necessity
• 8.5 Types of River training
• 8.6 Design of Guide bunds and launching apron
• 8.7 Design of Spurs (layout, length, spacing and cross section)

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Classification of River
1. Rivers in Hills
• They take off from mountains and flow through the hilly region
a. Incised or rocky river stage : flow channel formed by erosion of bed rock, highly steep, formation
of rapids
b. Boulder river stage : The river bed is a mixture of boulders, gravels and sand deposit. River flows
through wide shallow beds with a straighter course

2. Rivers in alluvial plains

• Rivers follow a zig-zag pattern called meandering.
• Meander freely
• Carry sediment similar to bed material
• Constant erosion on concave side and deposition
on convex side

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Classification of River
2. Rivers in alluvial plains (continued…)
• Further classified into 5 categories
a. Aggrading
• Bed slope increases with sedimentation

b. Degrading
• River bed is constantly eroding

c. Stable
• This river does not change its alignment, slope and
regime

d. Braided
• River flows into two or more channels around islands

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Classification of River
2. Rivers in alluvial plains (continued…)
e. Deltaic
• River gets branched before merging into sea.
• Formation of a delta

3. Tidal rivers

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Classification of River
3. Tidal rivers
• The tail reaches of rivers adjoining oceans are affected by the tides
• The ocean water enters the rivers during high tides and back to the ocean during low tides.
• The river undergoes periodical rise and fall in water levels.

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Meandering of River
• Formation of successive bends of reverse order in a river (due to its own characteristics or
impressed external forces) leads to formation of a complete S curve.
• This shape is called meander and the process is known as meandering.

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Meandering of River
Causes of Meandering
• As per latest and widely accepted theory, meandering is caused due to the extra turbulence
generated by excess river sediment load during floods.
• When the sediment content is higher than that
required for the stability, the sediment starts
depositing and river reach becomes aggrading.
• Increase in slope tends to attack the banks
And one bank gets affected more than the other
Causing deviation in flow.
This process is repeated to form a Meandering
River.
Major causes being Sediment, bed slope,
Bed roughness.

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Meandering of River
Process of Meandering

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Meandering of River
Features of Meandering
• Point bar/alluvial deposits: Deposition of sediments in the inner bank (convex bank)of a bend
• Natural levee: Natural banks on the
concave bank
• Oxbow Lake: Formed when a growing meanders
Intersect each other and form a meander loop.
These oxbow lakes tend to dry-up over a period of time.

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Meandering of River
Formation of Oxbow lake

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River training and its necessity

River training is the process of guiding river flow into a channel with artificial constructions or
natural means.

Why river training? (Objectives/necessity)

• To prevent the outflanking of structures such as bridge, weir, aqueduct
• To prevent the flooding in the surrounding areas
• To protect the degradation/scouring of river banks
• To ensure disposal of sediment load
• To provide minimum flow depth for navigation
purposes

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Types of River training

1. Levee or Marginal embankment
• Constructed in one or both sides of the river running parallel to it for required length
• Generally earthen structure
• They retain flood and prevent it from spreading into nearby lands

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Types of River training

2. Guide banks (Bell’s bund)
• Constructed in both sides of the river u/s and d/s of an engineering structure such as weir,
barrage, bridge, etc
• To ensure permanent waterway near the structure
• Generally earthen structure with
pitching/protection in the river side

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Types of River training

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)
• constructed transverse to the river flow extending from the bank into the river.
• For training the river along the desired course
• to reduce the concentration of flow at the point of attack,
• protecting the bank by keeping the flow away from it.
• For silting at required locations
Spurs can further be classified on the basis
Of
i) alignment,
ii) Permeability
iii) Submergence
iv) Shape

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)
i) Alignment
a. Normal spur
• It is aligned perpendicular to the flow
• It helps in sedimentation

b. Repelling spur
• It points in the u/s direction
• It helps in deflecting the flow away from the bank
it is projected from

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)
i) Alignment
c. Attracting spur
• It points towards d/s of the flow
• It attracts the flow towards the bank it is
projected form

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)
ii) Permeability
a. Permeable spur
• It allows through flow
• Low cost
• Temporary structure
• Rapid installation
• Gabion, bamboo & stones, etc

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)
ii) Permeability
b. Impermeable spur
• Does not allow through flow
• High cost
• Relatively slow installation
• Stone masonry, RCC, earthen embankment with stone pitching, etc

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Types of River training

3. Spurs (Groynes or transverse dykes)
iii) Submergence
a. Submerged spur
b. Non-submerged spur

iii) Shape
a. T-headed spur
b. Burma/hockey spur

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Guide banks/bunds in Koshi river

At Koshi Barrage

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

i) Top level of guide bank
Top level of Guide bank = HFL+ Afflux + Velocity head + free board
Free board = 1.1 to 1.5m

ii) Waterway
Guided by Lacey’s regime perimeter;

x = 20% (approx.)
L = distance between abutments

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

iii) Shape of guide bank in plan
generally parallel, diverging u/s in some cases
Provided in pair and are symmetrical

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

iv) Length (recommended by Gale)
u/s length = 1.25L ; Q < 20,000 cumecs
= 1.5L ; for higher discharges
d/s length = 0.25L (L from step ii)

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

v) Radius of curve head (recommended by Spring)
u/s radius (R)= 0.45L
u/s angle = 1200 to 1400
d/s radius (R1) = R/2
d/s angle = 450 to 600

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

vi) Shank portion
Straight part of the guide bank
Top width > 4m
Side slope 2:1

Section of shank

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

vi) Stone pitching & Launching apron
Thickness of pitching (t) = 0.06𝑄 / in m
Pitching extended upto 1m above HFL
Length of un-launched apron, L = 1.5 * scour depth below ground level (D)
 D = x*R – flow depth (y)

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

vi) Stone pitching & Launching apron
Thickness of launched apron, = 1.25t
Thickness of unlaunched apron = 1.9t
Assumed slope of launched apron = 2H:1V
Total scour depth = x*Lacey’s scour depth = x*R

x = 2.25 ; for guide bank nose

= 1.5 ; transition from nose
to straight part
= 1.25 ; straight part

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Practice question: Following data pertains to bridge site of a river,
High flood discharge = 6000 cumecs
HFL = 104.00 m
River bed level = 100.0 m
Average diameter of river bed material = 0.1mm
Design and sketch Bell’s bund including the launching apron to train the river.

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Solution:

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Solution:

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Solution:

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Solution:

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Solution:

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Design of Guide Bunds & Launching Apron

Solution:

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Design of Spur
i) Layout
Attracting spur : 450 to 600 to d/s bank
 Deflecting spur : 600 to 800 to u/s bank
 Normal spur : perpendicular to the bank

ii) Length
No any particular formulation
Generally start with a short length and gradually extend it upon silting

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Design of Spur
iii) Spacing
Generally 2 to 2.5 times the length
Farther on convex bend than on concave bend
Farther for wide river than narrow one for same discharge
Impermeable spurs are spaced closer than permeable ones

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Design of Spur
iv) Section
Depends upon the material used for construction

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