V.V.P.

Engineering College
Department of Civil Engineering
Div: 7th Sem Civil

Sub: Irrigation Engineering

3170609
Module-II
Chapter: Diversion Headworks
Part-1
Faculty: Prof. Jignesh Shah
Diversion Headworks
➢ A hydraulic structure constructed across the river for the purpose
of storage or diversion of water are known as head work

➢ Headwork may be divided into two parts

➢ A)Storage headworks

B)Diversion head work

Storage Head works
 Diversion Headworks

➢ A diversion head works is a structure constructed across a river for the

purpose of raising water level in the river so that it can be diverted into
the off taking canals.

➢Diversion headworks are generally constructed on the perennial rivers

which have adequate flow throughout the year and, therefore, there is
no necessity of creating a storage reservoir.
 Diversion Headworks

➢Diversion head works differs from a storage work or a dam.

➢Dam is constructed on the river for the purpose of creating a large storage
(reservoir).

➢The storage works are required to store the water on a non-perennial river or
on a river with inadequate flow throughout the year.

➢On the other hand, in a diversion head works, there is very little storage.
 Diversion Headworks
➢If the storage on the upstream of a diversion head works is significant, it is
called a storage weir.

➢If a diversion headworks is constructed on the downstream of a dam for

the purpose of diverting water released from the u/s dam into the off
taking canals, it is called a pickup weir.

➢Pickup weir is constructed near the commanded area of the river.

 Diversion Headworks

TOPICS:
➢ WEIR AND BARRAGES

➢ VARIOUS PARTS OF A WEIR AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

➢ LAYOUT OF DIVERSION HEAD WORKS AND COMPONENTS

➢EXIT GRADIENT

➢PRINCIPLES OF WEIR DESIGN ON PERMEABLE FORMATIONS -BLIGH’S CREEP

THEORY AND KHOSLA’S THEORY

Diversion Headworks
Diversion Head-Works
Diversion Head-Works
Diversion Head-Works
 Objectives of Diversion Head Works

➢ To Raise the water level at the head of canal.

➢To control the entry of silt into the canal and to control the
deposition of silt at the head of canal.

➢ To control the fluctuation of water level in the river during different

seasons.
 Selection of Site for Diversion Head Works
The following points should be considered

➢The river should be straight and narrow at the site

➢The elevation of site should be higher than the area to be irrigated for
gravity flow.

➢River banks at site should be stable.

➢Valuable land on upstream side should not be submerged.

 Selection of Site for Diversion Head Works

➢Material of construction should be locally available.

➢Roads or railway communication to the site is essential to carry the

material of construction.

➢Site should be close to the crop land to minimize loss of water from canal.

➢The site should provide a good foundation for construction of weir or

barrage.
 Components of Diversion Headworks
1) Weir or barrage

2) Divide Wall

3) Canal head regulator

4) Approach Channel

5) Fish Ladder

6) Scouring Sluices Under sluices

7) Silt excluder

8) Silt ejector.

9) Marginal embankment or dikes

10) Guide bank

Components of Diversion Headworks
Components of Diversion Headworks
 Weir and Barrage
➢ Weir is a solid obstruction placed across the river. Its main function is to raise the
water level on u/s side so that water can be diverted by canal

➢ Barrage is practically a low weir with an adjustable gate over this low weir.
Heading up of water is affected by gate.
Weir and Barrage
Weir
Weir
Barrage / Canal Head Regulator
Barrage
Comparison Between Weir & Barrage
 Types of Weir
As per shape of crest

a) Sharp Crested weir

b) Broad Crested bottom sill

c) Ogee-type weir

d) Broad Crested weir

 TYPES OF WEIR
as per construction method
➢VERTICAL DROP WEIRS.

➢ROCKFILL WEIRS.

➢CONCRETE GLACIS OR SLOPING WEIRS.

VERTICAL DROP WEIRS
 VERTICAL DROP WEIRS
➢Wall type structure on a horizontal concrete floor.

➢Shutters are provided at the crest, which are dropped during floods so as to
reduce afflux.

➢Water is ponded up to the top of the shutters during the rest of the period.

➢Vertical drop weirs were quite common in early diversion headworks, but these
are now becoming more or less obsolete.
ROCKFILL WEIRS
 ROCKFILL WEIRS
➢ In a rockfill type weir, there are a number of core walls. The space between the
core walls is filled with the fragments of rock.

➢ A rockfill weir requires a lot of rock fragments and is economical only when a
huge quantity of rock fill is easily available near the weir site.

➢ It is suitable for fine sand foundation. The old Okhla Weir across the Yamuna
river is a rockfill weir.

➢ Such weirs are also more or less obsolete these days.

CONCRETE GLACIS OR SLOPING WEIRS
 CONCRETE GLACIS OR SLOPING WEIRS
➢This type is suitable for soft sandy foundation.

➢ It is used where difference in weir crest and downstream riverbed is not more than
3 m.

➢Hydraulic jump is formed when water passes over the sloping glacis. Weir of this
type is of recent origin.
 CONCRETE GLACIS OR SLOPING WEIRS
➢ Concrete sloping weirs (or glacis weirs) are of relatively recent origin.
➢ The crest has glacis (sloping floors) on u/s as well as d/s. There are sheet piles
driven up to the maximum scour depth at the u/s and d/s ends of the
concrete floor.
➢ Sometimes an intermediate pile is also driven at the beginning of the u/s glacis
or at the end of d/s glacis.
➢ 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.
➢ Therefore, the sloping weir is quite suitable for large drops
hydraulic jump
 Barrage

➢When the water level on the upstream side of the weir is required to be
raised to different levels at different time, then the barrage is
constructed.

➢ Practically a barrage is an arrangement of adjustable gates or shutters

over the weir. The water level can be adjusted by the opening of gates.
 Barrage

Gate
Open

Closed
 Divide Wall
➢A divide wall is constructed parallel to the direction of flow of river to separate
the weir section and the under sluices section to avoid cross flows.

➢The Divide Wall is a long wall constructed at right angle to the weir or barrage, it
may be constructed with stone masonry or cement concrete.

➢On the upstream side, the wall is extended just to cover the canal regulator
and on the down stream side, it is extended up to the launching apron.
Divide Wall
 Function of Divide Wall

(a)To form a still water pocket in front of the canal head so that the suspended silt
can be settled down which can be cleared through the scouring sluices from
time to time.

(b) It controls the eddy current or cross current in front of the canal head.

(c) It provides a straight approach in front of the canal head.

Divide Wall
Fish Ladder
 Fish Ladder
➢Due to construction of weir or barrage, the movement of fish gets obstructed,
and is unfavorable to the fishes.

➢For the movement of the fishes along the river, the fish ladder is essential.

➢In the fish ladder, the baffle walls are constructed in the zigzag manner and the
velocities of flow within the ladder does not exceed 3 m/s.

➢The width, length, and height of the fish ladder depends on the nature of the
river and the type of the weir or barrage.
 Fish Ladder
➢The Fish Ladder is provided just by the side of the divide wall for the movement
of fishes(from U/S to D/S and D/S to U/S).

➢ Rivers are important source of fishes.

➢In general, the tendency of fish is to move from upstream to downstream in

winters and from downstream to upstream in monsoons. This movement is
essential for their survival.
Fish Ladder
Fish Ladder
Fish Ladder
 Scouring Sluices or Under Sluices
➢The Scouring sluices are the openings provided at the base of the weir or
barrage. These openings are provided with adjustable gates.

➢Normally, the gates are kept closed.

➢The suspended silt goes on the depositing in front of the canal head regulator.
When the silt deposition becomes appreciable the gates are opened and silt
and muddy water flows towards the downstream side through the scouring
sluices.

➢Then the gates are closed.

➢The period of flood, the gates are kept opened.

Scouring Sluices or Under Sluices
Scouring Sluices
Scouring Sluices or Under Sluices
 Canal Head Regulator
➢A structure which is constructed at the head of the canal to regulate the flow
of water is known as canal head regulator.

➢It consists of a number of piers which divide the total width of the canal into a
number of spans which are known as bays.

➢ Between these piers the adjustable gates are placed.

➢The gates are operated from the top by suitable mechanical device.

➢A platform is produced on the top of the piers for the facility of operating the
gates. Again, some piers are constructed on the downstream side of the canal
head to support the roadway.
Canal Head Regulator
Canal Head Regulator
l
Canal Head Regulator
Canal Head Regulator
Canal Head Regulator
 Silt Excluder
➢When still pocket is formed in front of the canal head by constructing the

divide wall, then it is found that the lower layer of water contains heavy silt

and the upper layer contains very fine silt.

➢The fine silt is very fertile, and it may be allowed to enter into the canal. But

the heavy silt causes sedimentation in the pocket..

➢To eliminate the suspended heavy silt, the silt excluder is provided. It consists

of a series of tunnels starting from the side of the head regulator up to the

divide wall.
 Silt Excluder
➢Silt excluders are constructed on the bed of the river.

➢…..and upstream of the head regulator.

➢The clearer water enters the head regulator and silted water enters the silt
excluder.

➢So the silt is therefore removed from the water before in enters the canal.
Silt Ejector Silt Excluder
Silt Excluder
Silt Excluder
Silt Excluder
 Silt Ejectors

➢Silt ejectors, also called silt extractors, are those devices which extract

the silt from the canal water after the silted water has traveled a

certain distance in the off-take canal.

➢These works are, therefore, constructed on the bed of the canal, and

little distance downstream from the head regulator.

Silt Ejectors
Silt Ejectors
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation
(i) Failure due to subsurface flow

a) By piping or undermining

b) By uplift pressure

(ii) Failure by Surface Flow

Weir floor and its foundation
a)By Hydraulic jump

b) By Scouring During floods

The combined effect of surface flow and sub-surface flow may cause the
failure of the weir or barrage.
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation

(i) Failure due to subsurface flow

(a) By piping or undermining:

➢The water from the u/s continuously percolates through the bottom of
the foundation and emerges at the d/s end of the weir or barrage
floor.

➢The force of percolating water removes the soil particles by scouring

at the point of emergence.
 Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation
(i) Failure due to subsurface flow
(a) By piping or undermining:
➢As the process of removal of soil particles goes on continuously, a
depression is formed which extends backwards towards the u/s through
the bottom of the foundation.

➢A hollow pipe like formation develops under the foundation due to hich
the weir or barrage may fail by subsiding. This phenomenon is known as
failure by piping or undermining.
➢When hydraulic gradient or exit gradient exceeds the critical value of
soil, surface soil at down end starts boiling first and is washed away by
percolating water.

➢ This process of removal or washing out of soil continuous and

eventually a channel in the form of pipe is formed by seepage water.

➢ This is called piping which may cause the failure of foundation.

Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable
foundation
(i) Failure due to subsurface flow
a) By Piping or Undermining

U/S D/S

U/S D/S
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable
foundation
(i) Failure due to subsurface flow
a) By Piping or Undermining

U/S D/S
U/S D/S
 Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation

(i) Failure due to subsurface flow

(b) By Uplift Pressure:

➢The percolating water exerts an upward pressure on the foundation of

the weir or barrage.

➢If this uplift is not counterbalanced by the self weight of the structure, it
may fail by rapture.
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation

(i) Failure due to subsurface flow

(b) By uplift Pressure:

U/S D/S
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation
(i) Failure due to subsurface flow
(b) By uplift Pressure:
 Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable
foundation
(II) Failure by Surface Flow:

(a) By Hydraulic Jump:

➢When the water flows with a very high velocity over the crest of the weir or over
the gates of the barrage, then hydraulic jump develops.

➢This hydraulic jump causes negative pressure on the d/s side which acts in the
direction of uplift pressure.

➢If the thickness of the impervious floor is not sufficient, then the structure fails by
rupture.
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation

(II) Failure by Surface Flow:

(a) By Hydraulic Jump:
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation
(II) Failure by Surface Flow:
(a) By Hydraulic Jump:

Negative
U/S D/S Pressure
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation
(II) Failure by Surface Flow:

(b) By Scouring During floods:

➢The gates of the barrage are kept open and the water flows with high velocity.

➢The water may also flow with very high velocity over the crest of the weir.

➢Both the cases can result in scouring effect on the d/s and on the u/s side of the
structure.

➢Due to scouring effect on the d/s and on the u/s side of the structure, its stability
gets endangered by shearing.
Causes of Failure of weir or barrage on permeable foundation
(II) Failure by Surface Flow:
(b) By Scouring During floods:

Scouring Spot Scouring Spot

 Remedies
The main remedies against failure are:

➢Path of percolation or creep length of seepage water should be increased by

providing sheet piles at upstream, downstream or at intermediate point to reduce
the hydraulic gradient so that the uplift pressure is considerable reduced.

➢Floor thickness should be increased to increase itself weight to counterbalance the

uplift force.

➢Sheet piles should be provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of
the impervious floor to increase to the length of percolating water.

➢As the length increases…the hydraulic gradient and exit gradient decreases.
 Increase floor thickness

u/s pile inter pile

Uplift pressure

Increase Creep Length d/s pile

 Precautions Against Failure

➢ Energy dissipater blocks like friction blocks, impact blocks, should be

provided.

➢ Inverted filter should be provided with concrete blocks on the top so that
the percolating water does not wash out the soil particles.
Precautions Against Failure
Energy Dissipater Blocks