Design of Contour and

Graded Bunds
 Design of Contour Bunds
◼ Design a contour bund of trapezoidal section for a 1 ha
hillslope plot in high rainfall area with the following
details: Slope of the land is 4%, Permissible side slope
for the bund soil is 0.5 : 1, slope of seepage line is 4 : 1
and the maximum depth of runoff water to be stored is
10 cm.
◼ Solution:
◼ For high rainfall area, vertical interval = 10×4+60 = 100 cm = 1 m
◼ Horizontal spacing = 1×100/4 = 25 m
◼ Distance between bunds along the slope = (252 + 12)0.5 = 25.02 m
◼ Required length of bund for 1 ha = 104/25.02 = 400 m
◼ Minimum required height of the bund = h’ = (4×10×25.02/5000)0.5
= 0.45 m
◼ Calculation of bund dimensions:

◼ Minimum bund height = h’

h'

◼ Actual height of bund = h

◼ Freeboard = f = 20%

◼ h = h’ + f = h’ + 0.2 h’

= 0.45 + 0.2×0.45

= 0.54 m

◼ Base width = B = zh’ + z’h’ = 0.5×0.45 + 4×0.45 = 2.025 m

◼ Top width = T = B – 2zh = 2.025 - 2×0.5×0.54 = 1.485 m

 Design of Contour Bunds
◼ Design a contour bund for a land having 3% slope and
loam soil. The distance between two bunds is 60 m.
Maximum expected rainfall is 12 cm out of which 30%
is lost to infiltration and other losses. Assume bund side
slope as 1.5 : 1 and seepage line slope as 4 : 1.
◼ Solution:
◼ Give: z = 1.5, z’ = 4, s = 3%
◼ Rainfall lost = 12×30/100 = 3.6 cm
◼ Therefore, depth of runoff water to be stored = (12-3.6)
= 8.4 cm
◼ Volume of water to be stored per unit length of the bund
= (8.4/100) × 60 × 1 = 5.04 m3
◼ Stored water volume = (a1+a2) × 1
◼ Ponded area a1 = 0.5 × h’ × zh’ = 0.5 × h’ × 1.5 h’
◼ Ponded area a2 = 0.5 × h’ × (100 × h’/s)
= 0.5 × h’ × (100 × h’/3)
◼ Now, (a1+a2) × 1 = 5.04 m3
◼ Or, (0.5 × h’ × 1.5 h’) + [0.5 × h’ × (100 × h’/3)] = 5.04
◼ Or, 17.42 h’2 = 5.04
◼ Or, h’ = 0.54 m
 h'

◼ Taking freeboard of 20% bund height is:

h = h’ + 0.2 h’
= 0.54 + 0.2 × 0.54 = 0.65 m
◼ Base width (B) = 1.5h’ + 4h’ = 1.5 × 0.54 + 4 × 0.54
= 2.97 m
◼ Top width (T) = B – 2zh = 2.97 – (2 × 1.5 × 0.65)
= 1.02 m
Design of Graded Bunds
◼ In these bunds a grade or slope is provided along the
length
◼ In steep slopes a channel may be provided
◼ But, on less steep slopes channels are not provided

◼ Recommended bund dimensions:

◼ Height : more than or equal to 45 cm
◼ Top width: depends on height and side slope (30-90 cm)
◼ Bund grade: depends on safe velocity of flow
◼ Side slope: depends on type of soil
Design Standards
◼ Recommended side slope & seepage line slopes

Soil Type Side Slope Seepage Line Slope

Clay 1:1 3:1

Loam 1.5 : 1 5:1

Sandy 2:1 6:1

Estimation of Peak Rate of Runoff

◼ Rational Formula:

Qp = C I A
◼ Where, Qp is peak rate of runoff (m3/s)

◼ A is the area of the plot (m2)

◼ I is the rainfall intensity for a duration equal to the

time of concentration of the area (m/s)

◼ C is the runoff coefficient as the ratio of runoff depth

to rainfall depth
Time of Concentration
◼ Time of Concentration (tc)
◼ It is the time of travel to the waterched outlet from the
most remote point along the longest flow path
◼ Kirpich Equation:
0.77
𝐿
𝑡𝑐 = 0.01947
𝑆
◼ Where, tc is the time of concentration (min)
L = maximum length of travel (m)
S = average slope along the length of travel (fraction)
Estimation of Flow Velocity
◼ Manning’s Equation:

v = (1/n) R2/3 S1/2

◼ Where, v = average flow velocity (m/s)

R = hydraulic radius (m) = (A/P)
A = cross sectional area of flow (m2)
P = wetted perimeter of flow (m)
S = slope along flow length (fraction)
n = Manning’s roughness coefficient that
depends on type of soil surface, vegetation etc.
Example: How to calculate A and P?

◼ Cross sectional area = A = b × d

◼ Wetted perimeter = P = b + 2d

◼ Hydraulic Radius = R = [bd/(b + 2d)]

Design Steps
◼ First determine horizontal and vertical spacing
◼ Adopt a suitable bund grade based on safe velocity
◼ Estimate time of concentration (tc) of the plot area
◼ Compute rainfall intensity for duration of tc
◼ Peak rate of runoff along the bund is estimated from
Rational Formula
◼ Estimate runoff velocity from Manning’s equation
◼ Check if the velocity is safe or non-erosive
◼ Take a freeboard of 20%
◼ Compute the bund dimensions
Design of Graded Bunds
◼ A 350 m long graded bund is to be designed for a
cultivated land with slope of 4%. The bund channel is
to be formed by embankment only. Distance between
the bunds is 50 m. Runoff coefficient is 0.3 and
Manning’s roughness coefficient is 0.04. The grade
along the bund length is 0.2% and maximum
permissible flow velocity is 0.4 m/s. Relationship
between rainfall duration and intensity for the area is
given as: I = 0.925 D1.12, where I is rainfall intensity
(cm/h) and D is rainfall duration (min). The side
slope of bund is 1.5:1 and seepage line slope is 5:1
Solution…
◼ Area of the plot = 50×350 = 17500 m2

50 m

4%
◼ Length of runoff (L) = bund spacing + length of bund
= 50 + 350 = 400 m
◼ Drop of elevation along the land slope = (4×50/100) = 2 m
◼ Drop of elevation along bund length = (0.2×350/100) = 0.7 m
◼ Total drop (H) = (2+0.7) = 2.7 m
◼ Average slope = S = (H/L) = (2.7/400) = 0.00675
0.77
400
◼ Time of concentration 𝑡𝑐 = 0.01947 = 13.45 min
0.00675
◼ Relationship between rainfall duration and intensity:

I = 0.925 D1.12

◼ Here, D = 13.45 min, therefore, I = 0.925×(13.45)1.12= 17 cm/h

◼ Now from Rational Formula:

Qp = C I A = 0.3 × 17/(100×3600) × 17500

= 0.25 m3/s

◼ Let, the minimum required bund height = h’ = 0.3 m

◼ s1 = [(0.3)2 + (100×0.3/4)2]1/2 = 7.506 m
◼ s2 = [(1.5×0.3)2 + (0.3)2]1/2 = 0.541 m
◼ Wetted perimeter = P = s1 + s2 = (7.506+0.541) = 8.047 m
◼ a1 = 0.5 × (1.5×0.3) × 0.3 = 0.0675 m2
◼ a2 = 0.5 × (100×0.3/4) × 0.3 = 1.125 m2
◼ Cross sectional area=A= a1+a2=(0.0675+1.125) = 1.1925 m2
◼ Hydraulic radius = R = (A/P) = (1.1925/8.047) = 0.1482 m
◼ Slope along flow length = 0.2% = 0.002
◼ Flow velocity from Manning’s equation:
v = (1/n) R2/3 S1/2 = (1/0.04) × (0.1482)2/3 (0.002)1/2
= 0.313 m/s
◼ The velocity should be less than or equal to maximum
permissible velocity
◼ This velocity is less than the maximum permissible velocity of
0.4 m/s
◼ Carrying capacity of the bund = Q = A × v = 1.1925 × 0.313
= 0.373 m3/s
◼ This capacity (Q) should be greater than or equal to the
calculated peak rate of runoff (Qp) from Rational formula
◼ The carrying capacity is well above the peak discharge 0.25 m3/s
◼ In case, any of these two conditions are not satisfied, we have to
reassume the value of h’ and repeat the steps
 h'

◼ Calculation of bund dimensions:

◼ Base width = B = zh’ + z’h’ = (1.5×0.3 + 5×0.3) = 1.95 m

◼ Height of bund = h = h’ + 0.2h’ = 0.3+0.2×0.3 = 0.36 m
◼ This height is less than the minimum height of bund (45 cm)
◼ Therefore, minimum bund height is taken as h; h = 0.45 m
◼ Top width = T = B – 2zh = 1.95 - 2 × 1.5 × 0.45 = 0.6 m
Implements used for Bunding
◼ Ridger: A-frame type or disc type
Implements used for Bunding
◼ Scrapers: Buck scrapers and Carrying type scrappers