HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF SPILLWAYS

Hydraulic Design of Spillways 17.49

(17.14)

where C" = mean air concentration at distance X C,, · mean air conccntration
at bcginning of acration . Lx = slope distance downstrcam from aerator. L; =
slope distance downstream from aerator to beginning of aeration, and K = 0.017
= dimensional constant per meter (i.e .. 0 .017 m- 1;. On a straight section. the
conccmration of air dccreases approximately 0.15 to 0.20% per meter (Falvcy,
1990).

11. Install the ramp dcsign from Step 7, in a physical model, if necessary. Thc rnodel
shouJd be 1:20 or Jarger and should include all geometric dctails that could reduce
the effective jet trajectory. The ramp design might need adjustment as a result of the
modcl studies. In the modcl, air flow will be rcduced becausc of scale effects.
Therefore. m;e the ramp underpressure as input in the cornpnter modcl to conf1rrn
the jet tmjectory.

Note that the abovc proccdure is a rule-of-thumb approach based on expcrience ovcr
the past 30 years or so. Dcsign of ramps over this period has vari.ed signific;mtly witbin
the United Statcs and armmd the world. Although considerable model infonnation is
av-.iilable, prototypc data are limited. The most critica! piece of data relates air conccntra-
tion at the cbntc's surfacc to distance downstrcam of thc mmp. This determines the
rcquircd spacing of ramps.
The other important criterion is how much air should be input at each rJmp. Currcnt
think.ing is tfuit tbe concentr.Ition of air just downstremn of the rarnp should not excecd
approximatcly 50% in the bottom flow !ayer. The guidelines above lL~sume that thc hot-
tom 10% of depth sbould be equal part~ of air and water.
Exbibit 17.7 illustratcs a spillway aeration rarnp.

17.12 SAMPLE DES/GN

----------------------------
Detennine the geometry of tbe spillway crest and thc discbargc rating curve for <m ungat-
ed overflow spillway. A bridge over the spillway will be supported on piers 1.8 m thick.
with a maximum span width of 12m betwccn thc ccnterline of piers. The reservoir and
flood data are as follows:

Maximum flood discbarge 2800 m 3/sec

Maximum flood pool clevation 110m
Maximum normal pool clevation 100m
Approacb cham1cl invcrt elevation 80m
Downstream channel elcvation 20m
Max.imum ilood tailwater elcvation 40m

Assume that the overflow crest bccomcs tangent to a spillway chute tfu1t is slopes at
lh:lv.

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 HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF SPILLWAYS

17.50 Chaplcr Seventeen

110
/
109 /

1(1~

V
/v
<~
107 /
_§
~
106
//
"
~
V
~
105 ./
~

.,.~
o ]04
/V
]()3 /
102
/
/ !
JO] 1
lOO V
o zso soo 750 1000 12so I5rJ(J nso 2000 22so 2soo 2750 3ooo

FIGl.l:RE 17.36 Spiliway discharge rating cm·v-e.

17.12.1 Design Head

In thjs example, the spillway crcst elevation is the same a'> the nonnal maximum pool ele-
vation. and the maximum hcad availab!e to pass the maximum flood discharge ís HMAx. =
110 ~ 100 = 10m. The desígn head H 0 will be selccttxl as H0 = 0.8H111 Ax = 8 m. By
sclecting a dcsign head that ís less than the maximum head. fuere will be a region of neg-
ative pressure on the spillway crest during the maximum dllicharge. which results in an
increased djscharge coeffi.cient. Negative pres.sure is acceptahle during ma;<imum dis-
chargc provided that it does not exceed one-half aímosphere.

17.12.2 Diseharge Coefficient

The hasic djscharge coeft1cíent Cn is deterrnined using Fig. 17 .l.

P = lOO ~ 80 = 20 m
PIH¡; = 20/8 = 2.5
e,, (0.552)(3.945) = 2.178 / '

Figure .17.2 is uscd to determine discharge coefficicnts for a muge of hcads to complete
the discbarge rating curve (Fig. 17.36).
Tbis spillway will bave a vertical upstrcam face. Since the max:imum tailwater eleva-
tion is well below the spillway crest, fuere ""ill be no tailwatcr effcct and no apron cffcct.

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 HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF SPILLWAYS

Hydraulic Desígn of Spillways 17.51

No further correct.ions to the disch:uge coef.ficient will be required.

17.12.3 Crest Length

Pier nose shape Type 3A from Fig. 17.6 is sclected for the bridge piers. The pier con-
trdction coeffident K_ can be assumed to be 0.0. Tbe headwall vl'i!l be 90" to the direction
of flow with roundecf abutmcnts. Ka = 0.1

HMAXIH, = 1.25
CMAX/C0 = 1.03 (Fig. 17.2)
c~,Ax = (1.03)(2.178) = 2.243 v ,/
Q~'IAX = CMAXLH.,1Ax 312
= (2.243)L(lO)l' 2 = 2800 m3fs
L = 39.48m /

Three píen; will be required to support fue bridge. The net length of the crest L' is
determined from L = L'- 2(0.1)(10) = 39.48 m L' = 41.48 m (use four bays ai 10.5 m
each). The total spillway crest length, including ihree pjers at 1.8 m thickness, ís 47.4 m. V'

17.12.4 Checking Mínimum Pressure on the Crest

From Figs. 17.7 and 17.8 fue minimum pressure at maximum discharge (H/Hd = 1.25)
occurs along fue pier and is about -2.8 m, which is less tban onc-half atmosphcre or 5 m
head. This is acceptable.

17.12.5 Oischarge Rating Curve

The discharge mting curve is developcd in the folJowing table:

Elevatirm. H, H/fl1, CíC• e L Q

100.0 0.0 00 0.78 1.70 42.0 o

101.0 l.O 0.125 0.83 1.81 41.8 76
102.0 2.0 0.250 0.87 1.89 4i.6 223
103.0 3.0 0.375 0.89 1.94 41.4 417
104.0 4.0 0.5 0.92 2.00 41.2 660
105.0 5.0 0.625 0.95 2.07 4LO 948
106.0 6.0 0.25 0.97 2.11 40.8 1267
107.0 7.0 O.K25 0.99 2.16 40.6 1621
108.0 8.0 l.O 1.00 2.18 40.4 1991
109.0 9.0 1.125 1.02 2.22 40.2 2411
110.0 10.0 1.25 1.03 2.24 40.0 2838
Smtrce:P/nt ofDischarge Rating Curve

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 HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF SPILLWAYS

17.52 Chaptcr Scventeen

102

101

g
¡::
.g
';;."'
<.)
100

99
V - ----- ~
~
'-......
P3 98

97

96

95
-4 -3 -2 -l o 2 3 4 5 6

Distance (m)
FIGURE 17.37 Crest Shape

17.12.6 Crest Geometry

Unit discharge approaching crcst at design head H 0 = Sm:

q = 1991147.4 = 42 m3fs/m.
Approach velocity:
v:,
= qi(P + HJ = 42/28 = 1.5 m/s.
Approach velocity head:
J¡n - 0.115 m
émd hjH1, """""'0.014.

Pardmeters for the crest gcometry are dctcrmined from Fig. 17.9.

K= 0.503
N= 1.865
X/He"" 0.277
YJHn = 0.12
R¡IH0 = 0.525
R/H0 = 0.225

Thc origjn of the X-Y axis is at the crest of the spillway, and X, is the distance from
thc upstream face to thc crest.
Upstream of the origin:

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 HYDRAUUC DESIGN OF SPILLWAYS

Hydraulic Design of Spillways 17.53

X, = 2.216 m,
Y,= 0.960 m,
R 1 = 4.200 m, and
R 2 = 1.800 m.

Downstrcam of the origin:

Y = -0.08325 xg~5

Locatíon of the tangent point is detem1ined by

Y' = -0.08325(1.865)Xl'"(>; = - l.O

X, = 8.614
Y, = 4.619
Thc crcst gcometry is plotted on Fig. 17.37.
Plot of crcst geometry.

REFERENCES
Acken•. P.. and A. R. Thomas. "Design and Operation of Air-Regulaterl Siphons for Reservoír and
Head-Viater Control," Pmcecdings r!fthe Symposiwn cm Design and Operation ofSiphons cmd
Siphon Spillways. Lvndon. UK. M ay 1975.
Brater, E. E. H. W., King. J. E. L indell, a11d C. Y. Wei, Handbnok ofHydrauiics. 7th ed., McGraw-
Hill, New York. 1996.
Chow. V. T .. Opeu-Clumnel H_ydrw.tlics, McGraw-HilL New York, 1966.
Christodoulou, G. C .. "Energy Dissipation on Stepped Spitlway;," Joumai r~f'liydmulic
Enginecring, ASCE. 119, (5): May 1993.
Coleman. H. W., "Prediction of Scour Depth from Free Falling Jets," Proceedings, of the ASCE
Hydmu/ics Divishm Cnnj'erence on Applying Research to Hydraulic Practíce. Jackson. Ms, 1982,
DcFazio F. G .. and C. Y. Wei, "De>ign of Aeration Devíces on Hydrnulic Stmctures," F rontier< in
Hydraulic Engineering. American Socíety of Chil Engincers, New York, 1983 .
.Falvcy. H. T.. Cal'itation in Chutes mut Spillways, USBR Eugineeríng Monograph
No. 42, USBR, 1990.
HarzaEngineering Co .. Interna! Report. July i996.
Hínchlíff D. L .. and K. L. Houston, Hydraulic Design and Application of Labyrinth Spiifway.L
Rescarch Engineering and Resca..rcb Center. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. l9i\4.
ICOLD. Spillways, S!wchvaves andA ir Entroinment-Review aTUi Recommewfations, Bulletin No.
81, ICOLD. París. 1992.
ICOLD. "Spillways for Dam.<," Btúletin No. 58, ICOLD. París. 1987.
Institute of Civil Engíneers. "Mangla," Proceerfings o.f the lnstitute of Civil Engineers. Bimúe &
Partners, Westminster. 1968.
Tacail, E G .. B. Evans. andA. Babb, "Case Study of a L-;byrinth Weir Spillway," Canadían
Joumal nf Civil Engineering, 17, 1990.
Tullís. J. P., N. Amanian. and D. Waldron, "Design of Labyrinth Spíllways.'' Joumal nf H_ydrauiic
Engü~eaing, ASCE 121 (3): March 1995.

USACE. Hydraulic Design ofSpillways. U.S . Army Corps ofEugincers. No. EM lll0-2-160J.
American Society of Civil Engineers, New York. 1995.
USACE. H,Ydraulü: Design Critnia, U .S. Army Corps ofEngincers Waterways Experiment
Station, Vicksburg. Ms, 1988.

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SPILLWAY DESIGN

An overfall spillway 70 m long was designed in 1960 for a flood

capacity of900 m3/s. It has now been established that according to
new more stringent guidelines the design flood capacity ofthe
3
spillway should be increased to 1200 m /s. As a consequence three
possibilities are being considered:

i) increasing the Jength ofthe spillway (without any change in

the maximum flood reservoir level or in the freeboard); cost
BOO,OOO/m length;

ii) increasing the height ofthe dam (by providing an additional

impermeable wave wall along the whole dam crest) to
accommodate the increased flood leve! without a reduction of 1
freeboard ; cost f800,000/l 00 mm increase in flood storage
leve!;

iii) adding 2 siphons to the existing spillway; cost :f6 mi Ilion.

a) On purely economic considerations which ofthe above three

altematives would you choose?

b) What factors other than spillway construction costs might

influence your decision?

e) What are the advantages and disadvantages of siphon

spillways? (Use simple sketches to supplement your
answers.)

)_
(')

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{tli) úrd r~-- ~ ~ ~ ,~Y

fk~~~hér)

~) -~~~
. ¿
_4~~~~/~~
~ "~
:_-¡·~~~

- ~-v"J~~ .,.'~.
 \, ..;

r¡i STILLING BASIN DESIGN

Problem

Design of a stilling basin for energy dissipation below

a dam with a free overfall spillway.

Data

Height of crest above river bed 15 m

Head of upstream water level above crest)
(also design head of the spillway) 2.5 m
Length of spillway 20 m
Head loss coefficient on spillway 0.4
Downstream water depth 2. 6 m
Results required

Compute a suitable stilling basin size (depth and

length) and sketch a cross-section of the dam with the
stilling basin.

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