Construction Issues

Lots of ways to build a flume

Foundation treatment/seepage cutoff
Downstream erosion protection
Stilling wells
Construction tolerances
Off-season drainage

Dont start the water too soon!

Improving Measurability of
Upstream Water Level

Erosion Protection in Earth Channels

Protect with riprap over a length:
Not less than four times the maximum depth in the
tailwater channel;
Nor less than the earth transition between the structure
and the channel;
Nor less than 1.5 m (5 ft)

Large structures or large head drops require more

detailed analysis

Energy Dissipation
Some head drop always occurs through a
flume, and energy must be dissipated in a
hydraulic jump
Energy dissipation may be greater concern
at moderate flows than at maximum flow

70% of Design
Flow

70% of Design Flow

Stilling Wells
Improve accuracy of water level
measurement
Staff gage should be installed as a backup
Well size depends on sensor
Intake pipe area < 1% of well area

Stilling Well for Staff Gage

Stilling Well with Flush Tank

Construction Tolerances
1% Change in Dimension

Resulting Flow Measurement Error

Converging transition length

0.01%

Sill height (*)

0.03%

Control section length

0.10%

Bottom width
Wetted flow area

Up to 1%
1%

* (assumes head measurement is properly referenced to actual sill elevation)

1 Change in Slope
Cross-slope of sill

Resulting Flow Measurement Error

0.1%

Sill slope in direction of flow

Up to 3%

Slope of control section side

walls

0.5%

Off-season drainage
For most irrigation-system flumes, flow
through a 2-inch or smaller pipe is
negligible compared to flow over structure
Larger drain pipes can be plugged with rags
or closed with valves on the downstream
side while operating

Approximate flow through flume drain pipe

Assumes drain pipe length is 50 times diameter
10

6 inches

Drain discharge, cfs

4 inches
1

3 inches
2.5 inches
2 inches
1.5 inches
1.25 inches

0.1

1 inches
0.75 inches

0.01
0

0.5

1.5

Head loss across structure, ft

2.5