Chapter 5

DIVERSION HEADWORKS
Diversion Headwork
The works which are constructed at the head of the canal in order to
divert the river water toward the canal so as to ensure a regulated
continuous supply mostly silt free water with certain minimum head
into the canal are known as diversion headworks.
Functions of Diversion Headworks
The major functions of diversion headworks
are:
• It raises the water level on its upstream side.
• It regulates the supply of water into canals.
• It controls the entry of silt into canals.
• It forms a small pond (not reservoir) on its
upstream.
• It helps in controlling the unpredictability of
the river.
Site Selection for Headworks :

The major factors that should be considered while

selecting site for headworks are:
• The river section at the site should be straight and
narrow.
• The elevation of site should be higher than the area to be
irrigated for gravity flow.
• The river banks should be well defined and stable.
• Good foundation should be available at the site.
• Valuable land upstream of weir or barrage should not be
submerged.
• Site should be close to cropland to minimize the loss.
• Should have the large command area.
• There must be connection with transportation.
Components of a Diversion Headworks
❑ Weir or Barrage
❑ Undersluices
❑ Divide wall
❑ Fish Ladder
❑ Canal head regulator
❑ Silt excluder/Silt prevention devices
❑ River training works
Component Parts of Diversion Headworks:
❖ Components of Diversion Headwork
❖ Undersluices and silt excluder
Weir
• Normally the water level of any perennial river is
such that it cannot be diverted to the irrigation canal.
• The bed level of the canal may be higher than the
existing water level of the river.
• In such cases weir is constructed across the river to
raise the water level.
• Surplus water pass over the crest of weir.
• Adjustable shutters are provided on the crest to raise
the water level to some required height.
Weir
Barrage
• When the water level on the up stream side of the
weir is required to be raised to different levels at
different time, barrage is constructed.

• Barrage is an arrangement of adjustable gates or

shutters at different tires over the weir.
Comparisons between weir and barrage

Weir Barrage
• Low control on flow • Relatively high control on
flow and water levels by
operation of gates
• No provision for
transport communication • Road or bridge can be
across the river conveniently and
economically combined with
• Chances of silting on the barrage
upstream is more
• Silting may be controlled by
• Low cost judicial operation of gates
• Shorter construction • High cost
period
• Longer construction period
2. Undersluice
⮚Also known as scouring sluices.
⮚The under sluices are the opening provided at the base of
the weir or barrage.
⮚The openings are provided with adjustable gates.
Normally, the gates are kept closed.
⮚The suspended silt goes on depositing in front of the canal
head regulator.
⮚When the silt deposition becomes appreciable the gates
are opened and the deposited silt is loosened with an
agitator mounting on a boat.
⮚The muddy water flows towards the downstream through
the scouring sluices.
⮚The gates are then closed. But at the period of flood, the
gates are kept opened.
Functions:
i. To scour away silt deposited in front of head regulator.
ii. To pass about 10% to 20% of design flood during rainy
season.
iii. To maintain well maintained river channel near canal
head regulator.
 3. Divide Wall
• It is the long wall constructed at right angle to the weir or
barrage on u/s side.
• It may be constructed with stone masonry or cement concrete.
• On the u/s side, the wall is extended just to cover the canal head
regulator and on the d/s side, it is extended up to the launching
apron.
Functions of Divide Wall

• To form a still water pocket in front of the canal head

so that the suspended silt can be settled which then
later be cleaned through the scouring sluices from time
to time.
• To separate the undersluice portion from weir portion.
• It provides straight approach in front of the canal head.
• To prevent cross current and flow parallel to the weir.
• Side walls of the fish ladder.
Fish Ladder/Fish Passage
⮚The fish ladder is provided just by the side of the divide wall
for the free movement of fishes.
⮚Rivers are important sources of fishes.
⮚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.
⮚Due to construction of weir or barrage, this movement gets
obstructed, and is detrimental to the fishes.
⮚The width. Length and height of the fish ladder depend on
the nature of the river and the type of the weir or barrage.
Remedial measure of this type of failures:

• 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.

• Floor thickness should be increased to increase its self

weight to balance the uplift force.
❖ Bligh’s creep theory

1. According to Bligh’s Theory, the percolating water follows

the outline of the base of the foundation of the hydraulic
structure. In other words, water creeps along the bottom
contour of the structure. The length of the path thus
traversed by water is called the length of the creep.
2. Further, it is assumed in this theory, that the loss of head
is proportional to the length of the creep. If HL is the total
head loss between the upstream and the downstream, and L
is the length of creep, then the loss of head per unit of
creep length (i.e. HL/L) is called the hydraulic gradient.
3. Further, Bligh makes no distinction between horizontal and
vertical creep.
• Consider a section a shown in Fig above. Let HL be the difference of water
levels between upstream and downstream ends. Water will seep along the
bottom contour as shown by arrows. It starts percolating at A and
emerges at B. The total length of creep is given by

L = d1 + d1 + L1 + d2 + d2 + L2 + d3 + d3
= (L1+ L2) + 2(d1 + d2 + d3
= b + 2(d1 + d2 + d3)
• (a) Safety against piping or undermining;
•According to Bligh, the safety against piping can be ensured by providing
sufficient creep length, given by
L = C.HL,
where C is the Bligh’s Coefficient for the soil.
Different values of C for different types of soils are tabulated in Table –1
below:

•
Note: The hydraulic gradient i.e. HL/L is then equal to 1/C. Hence, it may
be stated that the hydraulic gradient must be kept under a safe limit in
order to ensure safety against piping.
 (b) Safety against uplift pressure
The ordinates of the H.G line above the bottom of the floor represent the
residual uplift water head at each point.
• Say for example, if at any point, the ordinate of H.G line above the bottom of the
floor is 1 m, then 1 m head of water will act as uplift at that point. If h′ meters is
this ordinate, then water pressure equal to h′ meters will act at this point, and has
to be counterbalanced by the weight of the floor of thickness say t.

Uplift pressure = γw ×h′ [where γw is the unit weight of water]

• Downward pressure = (γw ×G).t [Where G is the specific gravity of the
floor material]

For equilibrium,
• γw ×h′ = γw ×G. t
• h′ = G × t
• Subtracting t on both sides, we get
(h′ – t) = (G×t – t) = t (G – 1)

• Where, h′ – t = h = Ordinate of the H.G line above the top of the floor
• G – 1 = Submerged specific gravity of the floor material
 ❖ Lane’s Weighted Creep Theory

1. Bligh, in his theory, had calculated the length of the

creep, by simply adding the horizontal creep length
and the vertical creep length, thereby making no
distinction between the two creeps.
2. However, Lane, on the basis of his analysis carried
out on about 200 dams all over the world, stipulated
that horizontal creep is less effective in reducing
uplift (or in causing loss of head) than vertical creep.
3. He, therefore, suggested a weightage factor of 1/3
for the horizontal creep, as against 1.0 for the vertical
creep.
the total Lane’s creep length (Ll) is given by
Ll = (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)

To ensure safety against piping,

according to this theory,
the creep length Ll must not be less than
C1HL, where HL is the head causing flow,
and C1 is Lane’s creep coefficient given in table –2

Table – 2: Values of Lane’s Safe Hydraulic Gradient for different types of

Soils
❖ Khosla’s Theory and Concept of Flow Nets

• Many of the important hydraulic structures, such as weirs and

barrage, were designed on the basis of Bligh’s theory between the
periods 1910 to 1925. In 1926 – 27, the upper Chenab canal siphons,
designed on Bligh’s theory, started posing undermining troubles.
Investigations started, which ultimately lead to Khosla’s theory. The
main principles of this theory are summarized below:

• (a) The seepage water does not creep along the bottom contour of
pucca floor as started 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:

• Where, φ = Flow potential = Kh; K = the co-efficient of permeability of

soil as defined by Darcy’s law, and h is the residual head at any point
within the soil.

• The above equation represents two sets of curves intersecting each

other orthogonally. The resultant flow diagram showing both of the
curves is called a Flow Net.
• Stream lines
• The streamlines represent the paths along which the water
flows through the sub-soil. Every particle entering the soil at a
given point upstream of the work, will trace out its own path
and will represent a streamline. The first streamline follows the
bottom contour of the works and is the same as Bligh’s path of
creep. The remaining streamlines follows smooth curves
transiting slowly from the outline of the foundation to a semi-
ellipse, as shown below.
• Equipotential lines
• Treating the downstream bed as datum and assuming no water on the downstream
side, it can be easily started that every streamline possesses a head equal to
h1 while entering the soil; and when it emerges at the down-stream end into the
atmosphere, its head is zero. Thus, the head h1 is entirely lost during the passage
of water along the streamlines. Further, at every intermediate point in its path,
there is certain residual head (h) still to be dissipated in the remaining length to be
traversed to the downstream end. This fact is applicable to every streamline, and
hence, 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.
• Every water particle on line AB is having a residual head h = h1, and on CD is
having a residual head h = 0, and hence, AB and CD are equipotential lines.
• Since an equipotential line represent the joining of points of equal residual head,
hence if piezometers were installed on an equipotential line, the water will rise in
all of them up to the same level as shown in figure below.
• (b) The seepage water exerts a force at each point in the direction of flow and
tangential to the streamlines as shown in figure above. 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 force has the
maximum disturbing tendency at the exit end, because the direction of this force
at the exit point is vertically upward, and hence full force acts as its upward
component. For the soil grain to remain stable, the submerged weight of soil grain
should be more than this upward disturbing force. The disturbing force at any
point is proportional to the gradient of pressure of water at that point (i.e. dp/dl).
This gradient of pressure of water at the exit end is called the exit gradient. In
order that the soil particles at exit remain stable, the upward pressure at exit
should be safe. In other words, the exit gradient should be safe.
Critical exit gradient
• 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. When
a factor of safety equal to 4 to 5 is used, the exit gradient can then be taken as
safe. In other words, an exit gradient equal to ¼ to 1/5 of the critical exit
gradient is ensured, so as to keep the structure safe against piping.

• The submerged weight (Ws) of a unit volume of soil is given as:

• γw (1 – n) (Ss – 1)
Where, γw = unit weight of water.
Ss = Specific gravity of soil particles
n = Porosity of the soil material

• For critical conditions to occur at the exit point

F = Ws
Where F is the upward disturbing force on the
grain
Force F = pressure gradient at that point =dp/dl = γw ×dh/dl
 Khosla’s Conclusion

1. The outer face of the end sheet piles are more effective than the
inner ones and the horizontal length of floor.
2. If intermediate sheet pile is smaller in length than the outer one
then they were ineffective. ( except for local redistribution of
pressure)
3. It was essential to have deep vertical cutoff at the D/s end of the
floor to prevent from piping.
4. Piping of floor started from the tail end, if the exit gradient at the
D/s end is more than the critical exit gradient. The soil particle
will move with the flow of water causing degradation of sub soil
and resulting in failure.
For safety, exit gradient must be less than the critical exit gradient.
Considering factor of safety, safe exit gradient is taken as ¼ to 1/5 of
critical exit gradient
❖ Khosla’s method of independent variables (Calculation of
percentage pressure, or uplift pressure by Khosla’s theory
• Most designs do not confirm to elementary profiles (specific cases).
In actual cases we may have a number of piles at upstream level,
downstream level and intermediate points and the floor also has some
thickness.
• Khosla solved the actual problem by an empirical method known as
method of independent variables.
• This method consists of breaking up a complex profile into a number
of simple profiles, each of which is independently amiable to
mathematical treatment. Then apply corrections due to thickness of
slope of floor.
• As an example the complex profile shown in fig is broken up to the
following simple profile and the pressure at Key Points obtained.
(a)Straight floor of negligible thickness with pile at upstream ends.
(b)Straight floor of negligible thickness with pile at downstream end.
(c)Straight floor of negligible thickness with pile at intermediate points.
(d) A straight horizontal floor depressed below the bed but no vertical
cut off.
 ❖ Correction for percentage pressure
• The key points are the junctions of the floor and the pole lines
on either side, and the bottom point of the pile line, and the
bottom corners in the case of a depressed floor. The
percentage pressures at these key points for the simple forms
into which the complex profile has been broken is valid for the
complex profile itself, if corrected for
(a) Correction for the Mutual interference of Piles
(b) Correction for the thickness of floor
(c) Correction for the slope of the floor
(a) Correction for the Mutual interference of Piles

The correction C to be applied as percentage of head due to this effect, is given by

Where,
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 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
Sign Convention
- Positive for point in rear or backwater
- Negative for point on forward direction of flow
• The correction is positive for the points in the rear of back water, and subtractive
for the points forward in the direction of flow. This equation does not apply to the
effect of an outer pile on an intermediate pile, if the intermediate pile is equal to or
smaller than the outer pile and is at a distance less than twice the length of the
outer pile.

• Suppose in the above figure, we are considering the influence of the pile no (2) on
pile no (1) for correcting the pressure at C1. Since the point C1 is in the rear, this
correction shall be positive. While the correction to be applied to E2 due to pile no
(1) shall be negative, since the point E2 is in the forward direction of flow. Similarly,
the correction at C2 due to pile no (3) is positive and the correction at E2 due to pile
no (2) is negative.
•
•
Exit gradient
• It has been determined that for a standard form consisting of a floor
length ‘b’ with vertical cutoff of depth ‘d’, exit gradient as it’s
downstream end is given by;
Q.N. Using Khosla’s method, check the safety of weir profile
shown below against piping and uplift (at point ‘A’). Safe exit
gradient may be assumed to be 1 in 5.
•
•
•
•
•
•
❖ Design of silt excluder
I. Silt excluder are designed for 15 to 20 % of canal full supply discharge.
II. A minimum velocity of 2 to 4.5 m/s should be maintained in order to
eliminate silt deposition. Generally, 2 m/s for sandy rivers, 4 to 4.5 m/s
for boulder stage rivers and 3 m/s for ordinary straight reaches.
III. Knowing the discharge and velocity the cross section area of tunnel
opening can be determined. A = Q/V
IV. The height of the tunnel (h) is equal to the height of the crest of head
regulator above the u/s floor of undersluices minus thickness of roof
slab.
V. Knowing the height (h), width is obtained as B = A/h
VI. Total clear width is divided into number of tunnel such that the span is
1.8 m to 2.4 m for each tunnel separated by a divide wall of 0.6 m.
VII. Generally 4 to 6 tunnel are provided for each excluder.
VIII. The length of tunnel is different but head loss in each tunnel should be
kept equal.
IX. The height of tunnel varies from 0.5 to 0.6 m for sandy rivers and 0.8 to
1.2 m for boulder stage rivers.
X. At entrance. The tunnel are generally given a bell mouth shape and
radius of bell mouthing generally varies from 2 to 6 time the tunnel
width.
XI. At the exit, the tunnel are throttled for restricting the discharge to the
desired value and to increase velocity to prevent deposition of silt.
 Q.N. Design the silt excluder for the diversion headwork for the data given below:
Full supply discharge of canal = 200 cumecs
Crest level of undersluices = 200 m
Crest level of head regulator = 202.00 m
Bay width of undersluices = 16 m

• Solution:
Let the design discharge of silt excluder
be 20 % of that of canal design discharge
Q = 0.2*200 = 40 m3/s
Let us assume the velocity of 2 m/s, then,
Area of X-Section (A) = Q/V = 40/2 = 20 m2
Let thickness of roof slab = 0.2 m
Height of tunnel = 202.00 – 0.2 -200 = 1.8 m
Total clear width = 20/1.8 = 11.11 m
For clear span of 2.1 m,
Number of tunnels = 11.11/2.1 = 5.29 (say 6.00 m )
let., thickness of divide wall = 0.65 m
Overall width = 6*2.1+5*0.65
= 15.85 (says 16 m )
❖ Silt ejector or silt extractor
❖ Design of slit ejector
• Silt ejectors are designed for 20 to 25 % of the canal discharge.
• Bed of the canal is depressed by 0.3 m to 0.5 m at the mouth of the ejector
so that approach velocities are reduced and the bed load may be trapped.
• The tunnel are of low height, about 0.5 to 0.6 m.
• The ideal distances between head regulator and silt ejector is usually
between 150 m to 500 m.
• The section of the sub tunnel is gradually reduced such that there is an
overall increase of 10 to 15 % in the velocity up to the exit.
• The section of the main tunnel at exit is usually designed to attain the
velocity of 2.5 to 6 m/s depending upon the grade of the sediment to be
removed.
• The portion of the approach channel immediately upstream of the ejector
should be pitched for a length of 3 to 4 times the depth of the water in the
channel so that there is no erosion of the bed and sides of the channel.
•
•
step 4: High flood condition
⮚u/s H.F.L. = u/s T.E.L. – velocity head
⮚ = 226.28 – 0.14
⮚ = 226.14
⮚d/s T.E.L. = HFL before construction + velocity head = 225.00 + 0.14 = 225.14 m
⮚Afflux = u/s HFL – d/s HFL = 226.14– 225.00 = 1.14 m
⮚Which is very near to the permissible afflux of 1 m
⮚The d/s HFL after retrogression = HFL before construction – 0.50
⮚ = 225.00 – 0.5 = 224.5 m
⮚d/s T.E.L. after retrogression = 225.14 - 0.5 = 224.64 m
⮚loss of head at high flood level = u/s T.E.L. – d/s T.E.L. after retrogression
⮚ = 226.28 – 224.64 = 1.64 m
Design of Undersluices
Design procedure
⮚Fix the discharge over the weir bay and undersluice bay section. i.e,
20 % over the sluice section and 80 % over the weir bay section.
⮚Fix the crest levels of undersluice section and the weir bay section.
⮚Crest level of undersluice = Deepest bed level
⮚The slope of the d/s glacis is usually kept between 3:1 and 5:1.
⮚Crest level of weir bay = Crest level of undersluices + ( 1 to 1.5 m).
⮚Fix the waterways for the weir bay and undersluices sections.
•
⮚Let us fix the water way as follows;
Undersluices portion
⮚Number of spans = 5
⮚5 bays of 16 m each = 80 m
⮚4 piers of 2.5 m each = 10 m
⮚Total = 90 m
Weir bay portion
⮚Number of spans = 26
⮚26 bays of 12 m each = 312 m
⮚25 piers of 2 m each = 50 m
⮚Total = 362 m
⮚Width of fish ladder = 5 m
⮚Width of divide wall = 3 m
⮚Overall waterway between abutments = 90 + 362 + 5 + 3 = 460 m