DESIGN OF WEIRS AND

BARRAGES

CAUSES OF FAILURE OF WEIR OR BARRAGE ON

PERMEABLE FOUNDATION
Failure by Subsurface Flow
Failure by Piping or undermining
Failure by Direct uplift
Failure by Surface Flow
By hydraulic jump
By scouring
Blighs Creep Theory for Seepage Flow
Total length of pucca floor (including twice the length othe cut-off), L CH L
h
Thickness of the floor, t 1.33

G 1

LANES WEIGHTED CREEP

THEORY
In Blighs theory, no distinction between horizontal creep length and vertical creep length
According to Lane, the horizontal creep is less effective in reducing the uplift or loss of
head than the vertical creep.
Assigned weightage factor of 1/3 for horizontal creep and 1.0 for vertical creep.
L = (d1 + d1) + (1/3) L1 + (d2 + d2) + (1/3) L2 + (d3 + d3)
= (1/3) (L1 + L2) + 2(d1 + d2 + d3)
= (1/3) b + 2(d1 + d2 + d3)
Safety against piping:

L C1 H L

C1 is the Lanes Creep Length and H L is the Head causing flow

EXAMPLES
Find the hydraulic gradient and uplift pressure at a point 15 m from the
upstream end of the floor in the figure below.

According to Blighs theory, check the value of coefficient of creep, for hydraulic gradient H/L <
1/C

Structure would be safe on sand mixed with boulders

LIMITATIONS OF BLIGHS THEORY

The actual uplift pressures are found to be quite different from those computed on the
basis of Bligh's theory
Outer faces of the end sheet piles are much more effective than the inner faces and the
horizontal length of floor
Intermediate piles of smaller in length than the outer piles are investigated as ineffective
except for some local redistribution of pressure.
Piping of the floors starts from the tail end when the hydraulic gradient at the exit is
greater than the critical gradient for that particular soil.
The soil particles move with the flow of water and leads to progressive degradation of
the subsoil and resulting in cavities below the floor and ultimate failure.
A reasonably deep cutoff or pile at the d/s end of the floor is essential to prevent piping
failure

KHOSLAS THEORY
The streamlines represent the paths along
which the water flows through the sub-soil.
There will be points on different
streamlines having the same value of
residual head h. If such points are joined
together, the curve obtained is called an
equipotential line. AB and CD are
equipotential lines
The seepage water does not creep along
the bottom contour of pucca floor as stated
by Bligh, but on the other hand, this water
moves along a set of stream-lines. This
steady seepage in a vertical plane for a
homogeneous soil can be expressed by
Laplacian equation: d 2
d 2

d 2 x2

d 2z2

Where = Flow potential = kh; k = Co-efficient of

permeability of soil defined by Darcys law; h = residual head
at any point within the soil
The resultant flow diagram showing both of the curves is called
a Flow Net.

CRITICAL EXIT GRADIENT

The seepage water exerts a force at each point in
the direction of flow and tangential to the
streamlines.
This force (F) has an upward component from the
point where the streamlines turns upward. For soil
grains to remain stable, the upward component of
this force should be counterbalanced by the
submerged weight of the soil grain.
This exit gradient is said to be critical, when the
upward disturbing force on the grain is just equal to
the submerged weight of the grain at the exit.
An exit gradient equal to to 1/5 of the critical
exit gradient is ensured, so as to keep the structure
safe against piping.

At critical exit gradient

F = Pressure gradient at that point =

F Ws

dp
The submerged weight (Ws) of a unit volume of soil is given as: dl
= Unit weight of water
= Specific gravity of soil particles

Ws w (1 n)( S s 1)

= porosity of soil material

Ss

dh
dl

KHOSLAS METHOD OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

To study the seepage below the foundation of a hydraulic structure

Study the flow net or solve Laplacian equations

Graphical sketching by adjusting the streamlines and equipotential lines with respect to the
boundary conditions
A simple, quick and an accurate approach for design of weir and barrage on pervious foundations.
The complex profile of a weir is broken into simple profiles and mathematical solutions of flow
nets for these simple standard profiles are studied.

KHOSLAS METHOD OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

Khoslas theory is used to find uplift pressure at the key points in a barrage or a weir. In this

method a composite barrage or weir section is split up into a number of simple standard forms
of known analytical solution
Case 1: Pile at D/s End
The uplift pressure heads at key points E, D and C are
E

1
2
cos 1

1
1
cos 1

1 1 2

Case 2: Pile at Upstream End

C1 100 E
D1 100 D

Case 3: Intermediate Pile

1
1 1 1
E cos

1

cos 1 1

1
1 1 1
C cos

1 12 1 22

2
b
1 1
d

1 12 1 22
1
2

b2
d

Case 4: Depressed Floor

2
3
E D 2
3

/
D

D/ 1 100 D/

CORRECTIONS
In actual weir structure the floor has some thickness (the uplift pressures are
calculated with negligible thickness) and it may not be horizontal and also there
may be more than one line of piles, so the following corrections have to be
applied to the superposed values of the uplift pressures
1. correction for thickness of floor
2. correction for mutual interference of piles
3. correction for slope of the floor

CORRECTION FOR THICKNESS OF FLOOR

The percentage pressures calculated by Khoslas
equations or graphs shall pertain to the top levels of
the floor. While the actual junction points E and C
are at the bottom of the floor. Hence, the pressures at
the actual points are calculated by assuming a
straight line pressure variation.
Since the corrected pressure at E1 should be less than
the calculated pressure at E1, the correction to be
applied for the joint E1 shall be negative. Similarly,
the pressure calculated C1 is less than the corrected
pressure at C1, and hence, the correction to be
applied at point C1 is positive.

'

E1 E1 Correction is negative
'

C1 C1

Correction is positive

Pile at U/S
Correction for C1

D C

t1
d1

Pressure at C1

D C
C 1 C
t1
d1

Intermediate Pile
Correction for E1

E D

t2
d2

Correction for C1

D C t2
d2

Pressure at E1

E D
E1 E
t2
d2

Pressure at C1

D C
C1 C
t2
d2

Pile at D/S
Correction for E1

E D

t3
d3

Pressure at E1 E 1 E

E D
t3
d3

CORRECTION FOR MUTUAL

INTERFERENCE OF PILES

The correction C to be applied as percentage head due to

this effect
D d D
C 19 /

b b
b = The distance between two pile lines.

D = The depth of the pile line, the influence of

which has to be determined on the neighboring
pile of depth d. D is to be measured below the level at
which
interference is desired.
d = The depth of the pile on which the effect is
considered
b = Total floor length

CORRECTION FOR MUTUAL

OF
INTERFERENCE
Pile no. 2 will interfere only with the D/S face
of PILES
pile no. 1 and U/S face of pile no. 3
Pile no. 2 causes a blocking effect on the subsoil
flow which results in increase in pressure at all
points on its U/S side.
The correction is positive for the points in the rear
of back water, and subtractive for the points
forward in the direction of flow.
If we are considering the influence of the pile no (2) on pile no (1) for correcting the pressure at C 1. Since the point C1 is
in the rear, this correction shall be positive. While the correction to be applied to E 2 due to pile no (1) shall be negative,
since the point E2 is in the forward direction of flow. Similarly, the correction at C 2 due to pile no (3) is positive and the
correction at E2 due to pile no (2) is negative.

CORRECTION FOR THE SLOPE

OF THE FLOOR

CORRECTION FOR THE SLOPE

OF THE FLOOR
Correction for slope is to be applied only to point E of
pile no. 2.

Correction of slope
bs
correction factor for a given slope
b
Correction is additive for a downward sloping floor and
subtractive for an upward sloping floor in the direction
of floor
From the estimation of uplift pressure at key points, the uplift pressure distribution along the floor may be
obtained by assuming a linear variation of pressure between key points. Floor thickness may then be
calculated.

EXIT GRADIENT
For a standard form consisting of a floor length (b) with a vertical cutoff of
depth (d), the exit gradient at its downstream end is given by
2
b
H
1
1

GE

d
d
2
H = Maximum Seepage Head

KHOSLAS PRESSURE CHART

Determine the percentage pressures at various key points in figure below. Also determine the exit gradient and
plot the hydraulic gradient line for pond level on upstream and no flow on downstream

C1 100 E
D1 100 D

(b) Correction at C1 due to thickness of floor:

Pressure calculated from curve is at C1, but we want the pressure at C1. Pressure at
C1 shall be more than at C1 as the direction of flow is from C1 to C1 and hence, the
correction will be + ve and

For Intermediate Pile Line No. 2

d = 154 148 = 6 m
b = 57 m
= b/d = 57/6 = 9.5
b1 = 0.6 + 15.8 = 16.4

C1 100 E
D1 100 D

b = 57 m
b1/b = 16.4/57 = 0.298 (for C2)
1 b1/b = 1 0.298 = 0.702
E2 = 100 30 = 70 % (Where 30 % is C for a base ratio of 0.702 and = 9.5)
C2 = 56 % (For a base ratio 0.298 and = 9.5)
D2 = 100 37 = 63 % (Where 37 % is D for a base ratio of 0.702 and = 9.5)

Corrections for E2 :
(a) Correction at E2 for sheet pile lines.
Pile No. (1) will affect the pressure at E2 and since E2 is in the forward direction of flow, this
correction shall be ve.

(b) Correction at E2 due to floor thickness

Correction at E2 due to floor thickness = 1.17 % (- ve)

(c) Correction at E2 due to slope is nil

corrected percentage pressure at E2 = Corrected E2 = (70 1.88 1.17) % = 66.95 %

Corrections for C2: Mutual Interference

Correction at C2 due to pile interference. Pressure at C2 is affected by
pile No.(3) and since the point C2 is in the back water in the direction of
flow, this correction is (+) ve.

(b) Correction at C2 due to floor thickness.

Pressure at C2 shall be more than at C2, and since the observed pressure is at C2, this
correction shall be + ve and its amount is the same as was calculated for the point E2 =
1.17 %. Hence, correction at C2 due to floor thickness = 1.17 % (+ ve)
(c) Correction at C2 due to slope.
Since the point C2 is situated at the start of a slope of 3:1, i.e. an up slope in the direction
of flow; the correction is negative
Correction factor for 3:1 slope from table = 4.5
Horizontal length of the slope = 3 m
Distance between two pile lines between which the sloping floor is located = 40 m
Actual correction = 4.5 (3/40) = 0.34 % (- ve)
Corrected C2 = (56 + 2.89 + 1.17 0.34) % = 59.72 %

Downstream Pile Line No. 3:

d = 152 141.7 = 10.3 m
b = 57 m
1/ = 10.3/57 = 0.181
From curves, we get D3 = 26 % , E3 = 38 %
Corrections for E3:
Correction due to piles.
The point E3 is affected by pile No. 2, and since E3 is in the forward direction of flow
from pile No. 3, this correction is negative.

Correction due to floor thickness

(c) Correction due to slope at E3 is nil, as the point E3 is neither situated at

the start nor at the end of any slope
Hence, corrected E3 = (38 1.02 0.76) % = 36.22 %

The corrected pressures at various key points are tabulated below in Table
below

EXIT GRADIENT
Let the water be headed up to pond level, i.e. on RL 158 m on the U/S side with no flow
D/S
The maximum seepage head, H = 158 152 = 6 m
The depth of d/s cur-off, d = 152 141.7 = 10.3 m
Total floor length, b = 57 m
= b/d = 57/10.3 = 5.53

H
1
GE
d

GE

6
0.18 0.105
10.3

Hence, the exit gradient shall be equal to 0.105, i.e. 1 in 9.53, which is very much safe.

Determine the uplift pressure at the key points and the exit gradient and find whether
the section provided is safe against piping if it is founded on fine sand with permissible
exit gradient of 1/6. Also find uplift pressure at point X and check whether it is safe
against uplift.

Design of Sheet piles on U/S and D/S of Impervious Floor

Sheet pile must be taken up to the level of possible deepest scour below the bed of the river.
Lacey depth of scour in alluvial soils is given by

1.35
f
2

R = Scour depth measured below HFL R

q = Discharge per unit length

1/ 3

f = Laceys silt factor

The scour depth is generally considered as 1.25 R to 2R to ensure safety
For conservative design an intermediate pile line has to be provided for additional factor of safety
The depth of the intermediate pile line should not be less than that of the upstream pile line