In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Irrigation Engineering (CE-463)
Design of an Alluvial Canal – Lacey Theory
Design of Non-Alluvial Canal
Dr Nadir Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Amjad
Course Outline
♣ Introduction and Scope
♣ Indus Basin Irrigation System
♣ Types and Methods of Irrigation
♣ Water Requirement of Crops – Soil Water, Frequency, Duty, Delta
♣ Water Requirement of Crops – Consumptive Use
♣ Canal Irrigation
♣ Design of an Alluvial Canal – Kennedy and Lacey Theories
♣ Design of Non-alluvial Canal
♣ Diversion Head Works
♣ Hydraulic Design of a Vertical Fall Weir
♣ Khosla Theory
♣ Barrage Design
♣ Canal Lining: Modern Concepts
♣ Canal Operation & Control
♣ Water Management: Modern Concepts
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime Theory
Dimensions, width, depth and slope of a regime channel to carry a given
discharge loaded with a given silt charge are all fixed by nature…
Regime Channel: Lacey defined regime channel as a stable channel
transporting a regime silt charge. A channel will be in regime if it flows in
unlimited incoherent alluvium of the same character as that transported
and the silt grade and silt charge are all constant.
• Incoherent Alluvium: It is a soil composed of granular graded material which
can be scoured with the same ease with which it is deposited
• Regime Silt Charge: It is the minimum transported load consistent with fully
active bed
• Regime Silt Grade: This indicates the gradation between small and large
particles. It should not be understood as the average mean diameter of a
particle.
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime Theory
• Regime Conditions: A channel is said to be in regime when the
following conditions are satisfied:
• The channel is flowing in unlimited incoherent alluvium of the
same character as that transported
• Silt grade and silt charge are constant
• Discharge is constant
If the above three conditions are fully met with, then the channel is said
to be in true regime
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime Theory
• Initial Regime: One of the conditions of attaining regime of a channel
is that there should be freedom for the channel to form its own
section. Initial regime is the state of channel that has formed its
section only and yet not secured the longitudinal slope
• Final Regime: When a channel is constructed with defective slope, it
tries to throw off or pick up the incoherent silt on/from the bed to
correct its slope. To attain the final regime, the channel forms its
section first before the final slope. The channel after attaining its
section and longitudinal slope will be said to be in final regime.
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime Theory
• Permanent Regime: When channel is protected on the bed and side
with some kind of protecting material, the channel section cannot be
scoured up and so there is no possibility of change of section or
longitudinal slope; the channel will then said to be in permanent
regime. Regime theory is not applicable to such channels.
There is only one section and only one longitudinal slope at which the channel
will carry a particular discharge with a particular silt grade. Natural silt
transporting channels have tendency to assume a semi-elliptical section. The
coarser the silt, greater is the waterway of such a channel and narrower the
depth. The finer the silt, greater is the depth and the channel closely
approximates a semi-circle.
Design of Alluvial Canals
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime Theory
• If a channel is constructed with too small a cross-section for a
particular discharge and the slope steeper than required, scour will
occur till final regime is attained. Similarly silting will occur in a
channel till final regime is attained in a channel with wider cross-
section and a flatter slope than required.
• Lacey stated that eddies are generated from bed and sides
• Lacey assumed Hydraulic Mean Depth R as variable, unlike Kennedy
who assumed depth D as variable
• Variable R more logical in case when cross-section assumed to be
semi-elliptical
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime – Channel Design
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime – Channel Design
𝒇𝟑/𝟐
𝑺=
𝟒𝟗𝟖𝟎 𝑹𝟏/𝟐
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime – Channel Design - Example
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime – Channel Design - Example
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Non-Alluvial Channel
The channels which flow through non-alluvial soils such as loam, clay, moorum
and other hard soils including boulder and rocks. In non-alluvial soil water is
relatively clear, due to which there is no problem of silting. These channels are,
therefore, considered as stable channels. Non-alluvial channels are designed
based on maximum permissible velocity that could be permitted in the channel
without causing any scour either in the bed or in the sides.
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Side slopes
The side slopes (H: V) of channels in ordinary soils, including clay, are
generally kept as 1:1 in cutting and 1.5:1 in filling. However, in grit (or
gravel) as 0.5:1, soft rock as 0.25:1 and in hard rock 0.125:1, though the
sides may be kept even vertical in very hard rocks
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Flow Equations
Chezy’s Equation
• V = C RS
87
• 𝐶= 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑧𝑒𝑦 ′ 𝑠 𝐶𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐵𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛′ 𝑠 𝐸𝑞
1+𝐾/ 𝑅
• K = 1.2 to 1.4 for earth channels in good condition
• K = 1.7 to 1.8 for earth channels in poor condition
Manning’s Formula
1 2/3 1/2
• 𝑉= 𝑅 𝑆
𝑁
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Non-Alluvial Canal Design
Design of Alluvial Canals
Lacey Regime – Channel Design – Example
Design an irrigation channel having slope of 0.2 per 1000. Lacey’s silt
factor = 1. Side slope = ½ : 1. Find full supply discharge as well.