Planning and layout of diversion head works

A diversion head work called weir is constructed across a river to raise water level so that
the required amount of water on irrigation field can be diverted to the off taking canal
sufficiently. Diversion head work is some times known as canal head work. The
difference between diversion head work and Dam is that; a dam is constructed for the
purpose of creating large storage reservoir. Where as diversion head work is for the
purpose of mainly head maintenance with less storage capacity. The are two types of
diversion head works;-
i) Non gated or Weir; Weir are simple over flow type diversion structures. The pond
level up stream of the structure rises to a maximum of the weir crest level.
ii) Gated or Barrage; this type of head works are same as weir but provided with series
of gates on the crest of the diversion structures. The gates are helpful the increase or
decrease the pond level of the water upstream.

If the storage on the upstream of a diversion head works is significant, it is called

storage weir. If diversion head work is constructed on the down stream of a dam for a
purpose of diverting water released from the u/s dam in to the off take canals, it is called
pick up weir.
A diversion head works serves the following function
1. It raises water level on its up stream side.
2. It regulates the supply of water in to canals.
3. It controls the entry of silt in to canals
4. It creates temporary storage u/s of the weir.

Location of diversion weir

Diversion head work is generally located in boulder stage or trough stage of a river at a
site near to the command area. In diversion head work selection cost is governing
parameter for appropriate decision. There are basically four stages of a river up on which
diversion head work can be constructed. Following are the merits and demerits of
selecting weir site at different stages of a river.

I). Mountainous stage:-

Disadvantages
It is considered as generally not suitable for location of diversion head work because of
the following reasons.
1. The discharge in the river is low because of small catchments.
2. The land on mountainous area is not suitable for irrigation land and irrigation may be
not as such important.\
3. The weir site will be far away from the command area and thus incur higher
investment cost.
4. The ground will be steep slope and thus a number of drop structures may be required.
5. The river is usually flashy and there is a sudden rise and fall of water level.
6. The number of cross drainage works may be very large.
Advantages
1. A sound rocky foundation is usually available.
2. High head at the site can be used for small scale hydropower generation.

II) Delta Stage

The deleta srtage is also not suitable for diversion head work because the river cross
section is excessively wide and the river has shifting tendency. More over there is no
suitable compact command area.

III) Boulder stage

The diversion head work at boulder stage has the following advantage over the trough
stage.
Advantage
1. The width of the river is small and the river has well defined boundaries.
2. Because the banks are high the cost of river training works are low.
3. Construction materials (stone,gravel,boulders) are locally available.
4. As the size the bed material is higher the silt factor, f shall be less which in turn result
for less cost of protection works.
5. The silt load is less and as a result there is less silt problem.

Disadvantages
1. There a large loss of stored water due to sub soil flows.
2. At the head reaches of the canal there are high seepage losses.
3. As the diversion head work is far from the command area, there is higher canal
length requirement and large number of cross drainage works.

IV) Trough stage or alluvial stage

The diversion structure located on trough stage has the following advantage over the
boulder stage.
Advantages
1. The site is near command area as a result less canal length and cross drainage
work is required.
2. Seepage loss is less in canals.
3. The land is fertile
4. The subsoil flow at a site is low.
5. The water contains silt which has mannural value.
Disadvantages
1. The river section is quite wide and hence the length of the weir structure is large.
2. Because of meandering tendency of the river, extensive river training works are
required.
3. The size of the particle is low and as the result the cost of protection works and
cutt of wall is high.
4. Construction materials are to constructed from long distance.
5. Large quantities of silt may be supplied to the canal and reduce the capacity and
efficiency of the canal which in turn result for reduction of irrigable land.
6. The construction cost is high because of poor foundation.

An ideal site for diversion head work should have the following characteristics;
 1. The river section at the site should be narrow and well defined.
2. The river should have high, well defined inerodable and nnoon submersible banks
so that the cost of river training works is minimum.
3. The canals taking off from diversion works should be economical and should
have large command area.
4. There should be suitable arrangement for diversion of river during construction.
5. The site should be such the diversion head work can be aligned at right angles to
the river flow direction.
6. There should be suitable location for under sluices, head regulator and other
components of the diversion head works.
7. The diversion head works should not submerge costly land and property on its up
stream.
8. Good foundation should be available at the site.
9. The required materials of construction should be available at the site.
10. There should be easy accessible by road or rail.
11. The overall cost project should be minimum.

Lay out of diversion head works

A diversion head work usually consists of the following components;

1. Weir or Barrage
2. under sluices
3. Divide wall
4. Fish ladder
5. Canal head regulator
6. Silt excluder
7. Guide banks
8. Marginal bands

Figure Components of diversion head work

1) Weir or Barrage
It is a raised concrete or masonry crest wall constructed across the river. In case weir
ponding is created by the solid wall and during high floods the entire discharge of the
river has to pass over the crest, there is considerable afflux on the up stream due to high
solid wall.
A barrage has low crest wall, with high gates .As the height of the crest above the river
bed is low, and most of the ponding is done by gates. During a flood the gates are opened
and therefore the afflux is very small.
Types of weir
Weirs may be divided in to the following types.
1. Vertical drop weirs
2. Rock fill weirs
3. Concrete glacis or sloping weirs.
1) Vertical drop weirs
A vertical drop weir consists of a masonry wall with a vertical or nearly vertical down
stream face and horizontal concrete floor. Vertical drop weirs are preferred for small
diversions. Vertical drop weir is suitable for hard clay foundation as well as consolidated
gravel foundations. The weir floor is designed as a gravity section. The section consists
of pitching, block protection and concrete floor on up stream face as well as on down
stream of the crest wall.

Figure Vertical drop weir

2. Rock fill weir

In rock fill type weir in addition to the main weir wall there are a number of core walls.
the space between core walls is filled with fragments of rock called rock fill with a usual
slope of 4:1 on u/s and 20:1 on d/s.Rock fill weir is economical only when huge quantity
of rock is easily available near weir site. It is suitable for fine and sand foundation.

Figure Rock fill weir

3. Concrete sloping weir
In concrete sloping weir the crest has glacis (sloping floor) on up stream as well as down
stream face. There are sheet piles or cut off walls driven up to the maximum scour depth
at the up stream and down stream end of the concrete floor. Sometimes an intermediate
pile is also driven at the beginning of u/s glacis or at the end of the d/s glacis. There is a
concrete block protection in the continuation of the concrete floor both at the u/s and d/s
ends. On the up stream of the up stream concrete block protection as well as on the d/s of
the down stream block protection there is stone talus (pitching or rip rap).The main
advantage of a sloping weir over the vertical drop weir is that a hydraulic jump is formed
on the d/s glacis for the dissipation of energy. There fore the sloping weir is quite suitable
for large drops. The weir floor is generally designed as a gravity section so that the weir
of the concrete is sufficient to resist the up lift pressure caused by seeping water below
the weir. Some times the weir floor is designed as a noon gravity section in which case
the bending strength o concrete slab is also utilized to resist the up lift pressure.In the
later case the thickness of the floor is less as compared to that in the gravity section,but
the cost of reinforcement adds to the over all cost.

Figure Concrete sloping weir

2. Under sluices
The weir proper constructed in the middle portion of the diversion head works. At the
ends the under sluice section are provided adjacent to the canal head regulators. If the
canal takes off only in one direction the under sluice is provided near that end only. There
is a divide wall between the weir proper and the under sluice section to separate the two
portions and to avoid cross flows. Under sluice section is similar to a sloping weir
section, but its crest is at lower level, usually at river bed.

Figure Under sluices.

Functions of under sluice

1. To maintain well defined river channel near the canal head regulator
2. To scour away the silt deposited n front of the head regulator.
3. To pass small floods to the down stream, with out dropping the shutters of the
main weir.
4. To pass portion of flood about 10% to 20% of design flood during rainy season.
5. To quickly lower the u/s high flood level because the discharge intensity over the
sluice portion is greater than that in the weir portion.
6. To minimize the effect of Main River water current.

3. Divide wall