Gravity Water Supply Design

Monroe L. Weber-Shirk

School of Civil and

Environmental Engineering

Population Projection
Example

from Agua Para el Pueblo

(Honduras)
Count the houses
Assume 6 people per house
Assume linear growth for design period
N

= design period
K = growth rate
Poblacin futura ( Pf ) = Pa(1+N*K/100)
K = Tasa de crecimiento ( 3.5% )
N = Perodo de diseo ( 22 aos )

Pfuture = Ppresent (1 + NK )

Water Demand
Assume

a per capita demand (this might be

based on a governmental regulation)
Multiply per capita demand by the future
population to get design average demand
Multiply average demand by scaling factors
to get maximum day demand and maximum
hour demand

Distribution Storage Tank Size

Based

on 8 hours of storage at average

demand
These systems arent designed for fire
protection

Design Flows

Transmission Line Design flow

Perhaps based on maximum daily demand or on

maximum hourly demand

Distribution system design flows

Take peak hourly flow at the end of the system design
life
Divide that flow by the current number of houses to get
a flow per house
The flow in each pipe is calculated based on the
number of houses downstream

Pipe Diameters
How

are pipe sizes chosen?

Energy

Equation
An equation for head loss
Requirement of minimum pressure in the
system

V12
p2
V22
1
z1 h p 2
z2 ht hL

2g

2g

p1

EGL (or TEL) and HGL

EGL
pressure
head (w.r.t.
reference pressure)

V2
2g

velocity
head

elevation
head (w.r.t.
datum)

p
HGL z

downward (in
The energy grade line must always slope ___________
direction of flow) unless energy is added (pump)
The decrease in total energy represents the head loss or energy
dissipation per unit weight
EGL and HGL are coincident and lie at the free surface for water
at rest (reservoir)
If the HGL falls below the point in the system for which it is
plotted, the local pressures are _____
______
lower ____
than __________
reference pressure

Energy equation
velocity head

Energy Grade Line

Hydraulic G L

V2
2g
p
pressure

head

static head

elevation

pump
z=0

datum
p1
V
p
V
1
z1 h p 2 2
z2 ht hL

2g

2g
2
1

2
2

Transmission Line Design

8 LQ 2
hf = f 2
p g D5

EGL

Spring
box

Distribution
Tank

Air release valves

Pfuture = Ppresent (1 + NK )

HGL

Hydraulic Grade Line Minimum

Avoid

having the HGL below the point in

the system for which it is plotted (negative
pressure)
Air will accumulate at intermediate high
points in the pipeline and the air release
valve wont be able to discharge the air if
the pressure is negative

Methods to Calculate Head Loss

(Mechanical Energy Loss)
Moody

Diagram
Swamee-Jain
Hazen-Williams

Moody Diagram
0.10
0.08

D
f Cp
l 0.06

0.05
0.04
0.03

friction factor

0.05

0.02
0.015

0.04

0.01
0.008
0.006
0.004

0.03
laminar

0.002

0.02

8 LQ 2
hf = f 2
p g D5
4Q 0.01
Re
D
1E+03

0.001
0.0008
0.0004
0.0002
0.0001
0.00005
smooth

1E+04

1E+05

1E+06
Re

1E+07

1E+08

Swamee-Jain

1976
limitations

/D < 2 x 10-2
Re >3 x 103
less than 3% deviation
from results obtained
with Moody diagram

easy to program for

computer or calculator
use

f=

0.25
2

5.74
e
log
+ 0.9

3.7 D Re

Q = - 0.965D 2

gDhf e
1.784n
ln
+
L
3.7 D D gDhf

1.25 LQ
D = 0.66 e

gh
f

4.75

5.2 0.04

L
+n Q
ghf
9.4

Each equation has two terms. Why?

Pipe roughness
pipe material
glass, drawn brass, copper
commercial steel or wrought iron
asphalted cast iron
galvanized iron
cast iron
concrete
rivet steel
corrugated metal
PVC

pipe roughness (mm)

0.0015
0.045

0.12
d Must be
0.15 dimensionless!
0.26
0.18-0.6
0.9-9.0
45
0.12

Pipeline Design Steps

Find the minimum pipe diameter that will keep the

LQ
L
HGL above the pipeline
D = 0.66 e
+n Q

gh
gh

Round up to the next real pipe size

Calculate the location of the HGL given the real
0.25
pipe size
2
f=

1.25

5.2 0.04

4.75

9.4

4Q
Re
D

5.74
e
log
+
0.9

3.7
D
Re

8 LQ
hf = f 2
p g D5

If an intermediate high point constrained the

design then investigate if a smaller size pipe could
be used downstream from the high point.

Minor Losses
Most

minor losses (with the exception of

expansions) can not be obtained
analytically, so they must be measured
Minor losses are often expressed as a loss
coefficient, K, times the velocity head.

High Re
C p = f (geometry, Re)

2p
Cp
V 2

Cp

2 ghl
V2

hl C p

V2
hl = K
2g
V2
2g

Entrance Losses
Losses can be
reduced by
K e 1.0
accelerating the flow
gradually and
K e 0.5
eliminating the

vena contracta
K e 0.04

he K e

V2
2g

Head Loss in Valves

Function

of valve type and

valve position
The complex flow path through
valves can result in high head
loss (of course, one of the
purposes of a valve is to create
head loss when it is not fully
open)

What is the maximum value of Kv? ______

hv K v

V2
2g

Solution Technique: Head Loss

Can

be solved explicitly

hminor =

Re

4Q

V2
K
2g
f =

hminor

8Q 2
=
gp 2

0.25
2

5.74

e
log
+

3.7 D Re0.9

hl = hf + hminor

K
D4

8 LQ 2
hf = f
gp 2 D 5

Solution Technique 1:
Find D
Assume

all head loss is major head loss

Calculate D using Swamee-Jain equation
8Q
h

K
Calculate minor losses
g D
Find new major losses by subtracting minor
losses from total head loss hf = hl - hminor
2

minor

1.25 LQ
D = 0.66 e

gh
f

4.75

5.2 0.04

L
+n Q
ghf
9.4

Solution Technique 2:
Find D using Solver
Iterative

technique
Solve these equations
Re

4Q

hminor K

f =

0.25
2

5.74

e
log
+

3.7 D Re0.9

8Q 2
g 2 D 4

hl = hf + hminor

8 LQ 2
hf = f
gp 2 D 5

Use goal seek or Solver to

find diameter that makes the
calculated head loss equal
the given head loss.

Spreadsheet

Exponential Friction Formulas

RLQ n
hf =
Dm

Commonly

used in commercial and

industrial settings
range __
of data
Only applicable over _____
____
collected
Hazen-Williams exponential friction
formula
4.727 USC units
Cn
R
10.675

SI units
n
C

1.852

10.675L Q
hf = 4.8704
C
D

SI units

C = Hazen-Williams coefficient

Head loss:
Hazen-Williams Coefficient
C
150
140
130
120
110
100
95
60-80

Condition
PVC
Extremely smooth, straight pipes; asbestos cement
Very smooth pipes; concrete; new cast iron
Wood stave; new welded steel
Vitrified clay; new riveted steel
Cast iron after years of use
Riveted steel after years of use
Old pipes in bad condition

Hazen-Williams
vs

Darcy-Weisbach
Both

1.852

10.675L Q
hf = 4.8704
C
D

SI units

8 LQ 2
hf = f 2
p g D5

equations are empirical

Darcy-Weisbach is dimensionally correct,
and ________.
preferred
Hazen-Williams can be considered valid
only over the range of gathered data.
Hazen-Williams cant be extended to other
fluids without further experimentation.

Air Release Valve

http://www.apcovalves.com/airvalve.htm

http://www.ipexinc.com/industrial/
airreleasevalves.html

Pipes
Schedule 40
Schedule 80
PVC
PVC
Wall
I.D.
Pressure
Wall
I.D.
Pressure
Thickness
73F
Thickness
73F

Diameter

O.D.

(inches)

(inches)

(inches)

(inches)

(psi)

(inches)

(inches)

(psi)

1/2
3/4
1
1 1/4
1 1/2
2
2 1/2
3

0.84
1.05
1.315
1.66
1.9
2.375
2.875
3.5

0.109
0.113
0.133
0.141
0.145
0.154
0.203
0.216

0.602
0.804
1.029
1.36
1.59
2.047
2.445
3.042

600
480
450
370
330
280
300
260

0.147
0.154
0.179
0.191
0.2
0.218
0.276
0.3

0.526
0.722
0.936
1.255
1.476
1.913
2.29
2.864

850
690
630
520
470
400
420
370

http://www.ipexinc.com/industrial/4080_pipe.html

Additional PVC Pipe Schedules

Presin de Trabajo
RD-13.5

22.4 kg/cm2

315 psi

RD-21

14.0 kg/cm2

200 psi

RD-26

11.1 kg/cm2

160 psi

RD-32.5

8.6 kg/cm2

125 psi

http://www.prodigyweb.net.
mx/pofluisa/pvc.htm#tuboce
mentar

Surveying
q

Vertical angle

p
Dx = r cos q
2

p
Dz = r sin q
2

Surveying using Stadia

Vertical angle

Dx = r cos q
q

p
2
p
b = c cos q
2

p
Dz = - r sin q
2

z
b c

The reading is on a vertical rod, so it needs to be

corrected to the smaller distance measured
perpendicular to a straight line connecting the
theodolite to the rod.

Horizontal Distance
p
sin q = cos q
2

Trig identity

p
Dx = r cos q
2

Dx = r sin q

p
b = c cos q
2

b = c sin q

M is the Stadia multiplier (often 100)

r = Mb

Dx = Mc (sin q )

c is the Stadia reading

Vertical Distance
p
sin q = cos q
2
p
sin q = cos (q - p ) = - cosq

2
1
sin (2q ) = sin q cosq
2
r = Mb
Dz = r cosq

Dz = Mc sin q cosq
Mc
Dz =
sin 2q
2

p
Dz = - r sin q
2

Trig identities

b = c sin q

Pipe Length (along the slope)

r = Mb
r = Mc sin q

b = c sin q