How to Design Barrage

The Barrage and the Head Regulators of feeder channels and appurtenant structures will
be designed on the basis of standard design criteria established for other barrages and
allied structures, already constructed on the Indus River and its tributaries. The design
criteria, including formulae, coefficients and constants will be used in all hydraulic designs
as applicable.

There are two aspects of the design of a barrage i.e:

1. Surface flow / Overflow consideration


2. Safety against subsoil flow i.e. (by Bligh’s creep theory, Lane’s weighted creep
theory and Khosla’s theory)

1. Surface Flow / Overflow Consideration:

Following items have to be estimated / designed in case of overflow considerations:

1. Estimation of design flood.

2. Length of barrage i.e. (Width between abutments)

3. Retrogression
4. Barrage profile i.e. upstream floor level, D/S floor level, crest level

1. Estimation of design flood:

The design flood (maximum flood) is estimated for which the barrage is to be designed
depending upon the life of structure. The design flood estimation may be for 50 years,
100 years etc.

2. Length of Barrage (Width b/w Abutments):

Lacey’s formula can be used for fixing the length of barrage i.e. P w = 4.75 Q

Where,
 Pw = Wetted perimeter
 Q = Maximum flood discharge

From t the length of barrage can be evaluated as, Length of barrage = L.L.C x Pw

Where,
 L.L.C = Lacey’s looseness coefficient Take L.L.C = 1.8, if not mentioned

3. Retrogression:
It is a temporary phenomenon which occurs after the construction of barrage in the river
flowing through alluvial soil. As a result of back water effect and increase in the depth, the
velocity of water decreases resulting in deposition of sedimentation load. The water
flowing through the barrage have less silt, so water picks up silt from downstream bed.
This results in lowering d/s river bed to a few miles. This is known as retrogression.

It may occur for the first few years and bed levels often recover their previous level. Within
a few years, water flowing over the weir has a normal silt load and this cycle reverses.
Then due to greater depth, silt is deposited and d/s bed recovers to equilibrium.
Retrogression value is minimum for flood discharge and maximum for low discharge. The
values vary (2 - 8.5) ft.

4. Accretion:

It is the reverse of retrogression and normally occurs upstream, although it may occur d/s
after the retrogression cycle is complete.
 There is no accurate method for calculating the
values of retrogression and accretion but the values which have been calculated from
different barrages can be used as a guideline.

5. Barrage profile:

• Crest level:
 The crest level is fixed by the total head required to pass the design flood
over the crest. The pond level is taken as the H.F.L.
 Maximum scour depth can be
calculated from Lacey’s scour formula,

R = 1.35 (q2f)1/3 (M.K.S) R = 0.9 (q2f) 1/3 (F.P.S)

Discharge per unit width,q = QL
 Velocity of Approach, V = qR
 Velocity head = v22g
 And
discharge can be found using discharge formula, Q = CLH 3/2

Where
 C = Coefficient of discharge Taken as 2.03 (M.K.S), Q = Flood Discharge,
 L =

Length of barrage crest
 , H=Total Energy Head = v22g + h
 •

Estimation of Design Flood

Basis of Estimation

The design flood for any given return period is usually estimated by the frequency analysis
method. Appropriate type of frequency distribution will be selected from among the
following:

1. Pearson & Log Pearson Type III distributions

2. Gumbel's Extreme Value distributions
 3. Normal & Log Normal distributions

It is pertinent to point out that Log Pearson Type III distribution has been adopted by
United States Federal Agencies whereas Gumbel distribution has generally been found
to be suitable for most of the streams in Pakistan including river Indus and its tributaries.

Design Return Period

A return period of 100 years is generally adopted in the design of important and costly
barrage structures where possible consequences of failure are very serious.
Accordingly, the estimation of design flood will be carried out for various return periods
of 100 years, 200 and 500 years subject to Client's concurrence. However, the actual
recorded peak flood discharge will be reviewed for design if it exceeds the discharge
calculated for the concerned return period.

Hydraulic Units

The dimensions and units of properties used in solving hydraulic problems are expressed
in three fundamental quantities of Mass (M), Length (L), and time (T). All analyses and
designs will be carried out in the Foot-Pound-Second system of units and conversion to
S.I Units will be made only of important results as necessary.

Width of Barrage

Three considerations govern the width of a barrage. They are the design flood, the
Lacey design width and the looseness factor. It is generally thought that by limiting the
waterway, the shoal formation upstream can be eliminated. However, it increases the
intensity of discharge and consequently the section of the structure becomes heavier
with excessive gate heights and cost increases, though the length of the structure is
reduced.

The design flood is discussed in section 2.2 and the other two considerations are
discussed in the following sections.

Lacey's Design Width

The Lacey's Design or Stable width for single channel is

expressed as:

W = 2.67 v Q

Where Q is the Design Discharge in cusecs (ft3/sec).

The Barrage is designed for a width exceeding W, partly to accommodate the floodplain
discharge and partly to take advantage of the dispersion of the channel flow induced by
the obstruction caused by the barrage itself.
The Looseness Factor

The ratio of actual width to the regime width is the "looseness factor", the third
parameter affecting the barrage width. The values used have varied from 1.9 to 0.9, the
larger factor being applied in the earlier design. Generally it varies from 1.1 to 1.5. From
the performance of these structures, a feeling arises in certain quarters that with high
Looseness Factor, there is a tendency for shoal formation upstream of the structures,
which causes damages and maintenance problems. The Consultants will use the most
appropriate looseness factor to provide reasonable flexibility keeping the ill effects to the
minimum.

Afflux

The rise in maximum flood level of the river upstream of the barrage as a result of its
construction is defined as Afflux. Afflux, though confined in the beginning to a short
length of the river above the barrage, extends gradually very far up till the final slope of
the river upstream of the barrage is established.

In the design of barrages/weirs founded on alluvial sands, the afflux is limited to

between 3 and 4 feet - more commonly 3 feet. The amount of afflux will determine the
top levels of guide banks and their lengths, and the top levels and sections of flood
protection bunds. It will govern the dynamic action, as greater the afflux or fall of levels
from upstream to downstream the greater will be the action. It will also control the depth
and location of the standing wave. By providing a high afflux the width of the barrage
can be narrowed but the cost of training works will go up and the risk of failure by out
flanking will increase. Selection and adoption of a realistic medium value is imperative.

Tail Water Rating Curve

Tail water rating curve for the barrages will be established through analysis of gauge
discharge data. The proposed tail water levels for new designs will be established by
subtracting the designed retrogression values from the existing average tail water
levels.

Crest Levels

Fixation of crest level is clearly related with the permissible looseness factor and the
discharge intensity in terms of discharge per foot of the overflow section of the barrage.
After considering all the relevant factors and the experience on similar structures the
crest levels will be fixed in order to pass the design flood at the normal pond level with
all the gates fully open.

Discharges through a Barrage (Free Flow Conditions)

The discharge through a Barrage under free flow conditions shall be obtained from the
following formula:
 Q = C. L . H3/2 .......(1)

Where,

Q = discharge in cusecs

C = Coefficient of Discharge

L = Clear waterway of the Barrage (ft)

H = Total Head causing the flow in ft

The value of C is generally taken as 3.09, but may approach a maximum value of 3.8 for
modular weir operation (Gibson). However to design a new barrage it will be determined
by physical model studies.

Discharge through a Barrage (Submerged Flow Conditions)

The flow over the weir is modular when it is independent of variations in downstream
water level. For this to occur, the downstream energy head over crest (E2) must not rise
beyond eighty (80) percent of the upstream energy head over crest (E1). The ratio (E2/E1)
is the "modular ratio" and the "modular limit" is the value (E2/E1= 0.80) of the modular ratio
at which flow ceases to be free.

Fane's Curve

For submerged (non - modular) flow the discharge coefficient in equation (1) above
should be multiplied by a reduction factor. The reduction factor depends on the modular
ratio (E2/E1) and the values of reduction factor (Cr) given in the table below are from Fane's
curve (Ref: 2.3) which is applicable to weirs having upstream ramp and sloping
downstream with slope 2H:1V or flatter:

"E2/E1" Value of "Cr"

0.80 0.99
0.85 0.99
0.90 0.98
0.92 0.96
0.94 0.90
0.95 0.84
0.96 0.77
0.97 0.71
0.98 0.61

The submerged discharge is given by the equation:

Q = 3.09. Cr.b .E11.5

Gibson Curve

Q = C'bE1.5

Where:

Q = submerged discharge over crest (cusecs)

C' = submerged discharge coefficient

B = width of weir (ft)

E1 = upstream energy head above crest

= h1+ v12/2g (ft)

For submerged discharges the free flow discharge coefficient (C=3.80) is multiplied by a
reduction factor (C'/C). The coefficient factor depends on the modular ratio (h/E), where
his downstream depth of flow above crest. The values of reduction factor "C'/C" given in
the table below are from Gibson curve applicable to the broad crested weirs:

h/E C'/C C'

0.70 0.86 3.27
0.80 0.78 2.96
0.90 0.62 2.36
0.95 0.44 1.67