Theory Section

1. River Bed and River Bank Erosion

True/False

1. Erosion primarily occurs on the concave side of a river bend. (True)

2. Rip-rap is used to protect river banks from erosion by absorbing flow energy. (True)

3. Hydraulic action refers to the chemical dissolution of river bed materials. (False)

4. Abrasion involves rocks carried by the river wearing away the bed and banks. (True)

5. Deposition occurs more on the outside of a river bend than the inside. (False)

Multiple Choice
6. Which process involves rocks smashing together and becoming smaller and rounded?
a) Attrition
b) Abrasion
c) Hydraulic action
d) Solution
7. At a river bend, where is erosion most intense?
a) Inside of the bend
b) Outside of the bend
c) At the river mouth
d) At the river source
8. What type of flow moves soil particles most effectively?
a) Laminar flow
b) Turbulent flow
c) Steady flow
d) Uniform flow
9. Rip-rap protection is primarily used to:
a) Increase sediment transport
b) Prevent bank erosion
c) Enhance deposition
d) Divert river flow
10. Which material is least susceptible to erosion?
a) Clay
b) Silt
c) Sand
d) Gravel or rock

Matching
Match the term with its correct definition or application:

Term Definition/Application

Scour ( ) Wearing away of river bed material by

water flow

Rip-rap ( ) Layer of large stones protecting banks

from erosion

Hydraulic ( ) Air pressure in cracks weakens river

action banks

Attrition ( ) Rocks colliding and breaking into smaller

pieces

Abrasion ( ) Sandpaper effect of particles wearing

bed and banks

2. Flood Protection

True/False

1. Levees are embankments constructed parallel to rivers to contain floodwaters.

(True)

2. Floodwalls are temporary structures built during flood events. (False)

3. Flood mitigation strategies include both structural and non-structural measures.

(True)

4. Floodplains are areas designed to store excess floodwater. (True)

5. Dams always increase downstream flood risk. (False)

Multiple Choice
6. Which of the following is a structural flood protection measure?
a) Flood forecasting
b) Levees
c) Floodplain zoning
d) Public awareness campaigns
7. Floodwalls are typically made of:
a) Earth fill
b) Concrete or masonry
c) Steel sheets only
d) Vegetation
8. Which strategy reduces flood risk by allowing rivers to overflow in controlled areas?
a) Channelization
b) Floodplain zoning
c) Levee construction
d) Dredging
9. The primary purpose of a floodway is to:
a) Store water permanently
b) Divert floodwaters safely
c) Increase river velocity
d) Prevent sediment deposition
10. Which factor is NOT typically considered in flood protection design?
a) Flood frequency
b) Soil permeability
c) River water temperature
d) Flood magnitude

Matching
Match the flood protection term with its description:

Term Description

Levee ( ) Raised embankment alongside a river

Floodwall ( ) Rigid barrier to prevent floodwater

intrusion

Floodplain ( ) Land use regulation to reduce flood

zoning damage
 Floodway ( ) Designated area for controlled
floodwater passage

Retention ( ) Structure to temporarily store

basin floodwater

3. Cross-Drainage Structures (Emphasis on Culverts)

True/False

1. Culverts allow water to pass beneath roads or railways. (True)

2. Box culverts are typically circular in shape. (False)

3. Proper hydraulic design of culverts prevents upstream flooding. (True)

4. Culvert installation does not require consideration of soil stability. (False)

5. Headwalls are used to protect culvert entrances and exits. (True)

Multiple Choice
6. Which is NOT a common type of culvert?
a) Circular
b) Box
c) Arch
d) Weir
7. The hydraulic design of a culvert primarily considers:
a) Flow capacity and velocity
b) Soil color
c) Road traffic volume
d) Ambient temperature
8. Which factor is critical in culvert installation?
a) Alignment with natural drainage
b) Height of nearby buildings
c) Color of culvert material
d) Distance from city center
9. Headwalls serve to:
a) Increase flow velocity
b) Prevent soil erosion at culvert ends
c) Store water upstream
d) Reduce sediment transport
10. A culvert operating under full flow conditions is said to be:
a) Open channel flow
b) Pressurized flow
c) Subcritical flow
d) Laminar flow

Matching
Match the culvert-related term to its function or description:

Term Function/Description

Box culvert ( ) Rectangular cross-section culvert

Circular culvert ( ) Pipe-shaped culvert commonly used for

small streams

Headwall ( ) Structure to support and protect culvert

ends

Invert ( ) Bottom inside surface of a culvert

Hydraulic grade ( ) Line representing pressure head in flow

line

4. Retaining Walls

True/False

1. Gravity retaining walls rely on their own weight for stability. (True)

2. Cantilever retaining walls use reinforced concrete slabs and stems. (True)

3. Retaining walls do not need drainage provisions. (False)

4. Overturning is a critical failure mode for retaining walls. (True)

5. Soil pressure behind a retaining wall is always uniform. (False)

Multiple Choice
6. Which type of retaining wall is most economical for heights less than 3 meters?
a) Gravity wall
b) Cantilever wall
c) Anchored wall
d) Sheet pile wall
7. The factor of safety against sliding is calculated by:
a) Resisting forces / Driving forces
b) Driving forces / Resisting forces
c) Weight of wall / Height of wall
d) Soil cohesion / Wall thickness
8. Which factor does NOT affect retaining wall design?
a) Soil type and properties
b) Wall material density
c) Ambient air temperature
d) Water table location
9. The active earth pressure acts:
a) Away from the retained soil
b) Towards the retained soil
c) Vertically downward
d) Horizontally outward on the wall
10. Drainage behind retaining walls is important to:
a) Increase soil pressure
b) Reduce hydrostatic pressure
c) Increase wall weight
d) Prevent wall sliding

Matching
Match the retaining wall term to its definition or role:

Term Definition/Role

Gravity wall ( ) Wall stabilized by its own

weight

Cantilever wall ( ) Wall with a vertical stem and

base slab

Overturning ( ) Rotation failure about the toe

of the wall
 Bearing capacity ( ) Soil’s ability to support the wall
load

Active earth ( ) Lateral soil force exerted on

pressure the wall

Numerical Problems Section

1. Gravity Retaining Wall Design and Stability Analysis

Problem:
Design a gravity retaining wall to retain a soil height of 4 m. The soil has a unit weight $ \
gamma = 18 kN/m^3 $, angle of internal friction $ \phi = 30^\circ $, and cohesion $ c =
0 $. The wall base width is 3 m, and the unit weight of concrete is $ 24 kN/m^3 $.
Assume the wall has a rectangular cross-section. Calculate:

 The active earth pressure at the base of the wall

 The resultant lateral force acting on the wall

 Factor of safety against sliding (assume friction coefficient between wall base and
soil is 0.5)

 Factor of safety against overturning

 Factor of safety against bearing capacity failure (soil bearing capacity $ q_{allow} =
150 kN/m^2 $)

Solution:

1. Active earth pressure coefficient $ K_a $ (Rankine theory for cohesionless soil):

(
K a =tan2 ⁡ 45∘−
ϕ
2)=tan 2 ⁡(45∘−15 ∘)=tan2 ⁡(30∘ )=¿

2. Active earth pressure at base:

2
σ a=K a γH =0.333 ×18 × 4=24 kN /m

3. Resultant lateral force $ P_a $:

 1 2 2
Pa= K a γ H =0.5 × 0.333× 1 8× 4 =47.9 kN /m
2

4. Weight of wall $ W $:

W =width × H × γ c =3× 4 ×24=288 kN /m

5. Factor of safety against sliding:

Resisting force = $ \mu W = 0.5 \times 288 = 144 kN $
Driving force = $ P_a = 47.9 kN $

144
F S sliding= =3.0
47.9

6. Factor of safety against overturning:

Moment resisting = $ W \times \frac{b}{2} = 288 \times 1.5 = 432 kN·m $
Moment overturning = $ P_a \times \frac{H}{3} = 47.9 \times \frac{4}{3} = 63.9
kN·m $

432
F S overturning= =6.76
63.9

7. Bearing pressure at base:

Eccentricity $ e = \frac{M}{V} = \frac{63.9}{288} = 0.222 m $
Effective base width $ b' = b - 2e = 3 - 2 \times 0.222 = 2.556 m $
Average bearing pressure:

W 288 2
q avg= = =112.7 kN /m
b 2.556
'

150
F Sbearing = =1.33
112.7

Conclusion: The wall is stable with factors of safety > 1.5 for sliding and overturning,
and bearing capacity is adequate.

2. River Bed and Bank Erosion – Scour Depth and Rip-Rap Design
Problem:
A river with a flow velocity of 3 m/s and depth of 2 m flows over a sandy bed with critical
shear stress $ \tau_c = 25 N/m^2 $. Calculate:

 The expected maximum scour depth near a bridge pier using the empirical formula:

( )
0.5
V
d s=2.0 ×a × −1
Vc

where $ a = 1.0 m $ (pier width), $ V_c $ is the critical velocity for sediment movement
(assume 2.0 m/s), and $ V $ is flow velocity.

 Design the thickness of rip-rap needed to protect the bank, assuming stone density
$ \gamma_s = 26 kN/m^3 $, water unit weight $ \gamma_w = 9.81 kN/m^3 $, and
the stability coefficient $ K_s = 1.5 $. Use the formula:
3
Ks γw H
D50= 2
(γ s−γ w )V

where $ H = 2 m $ (flow depth).

Solution:

1. Calculate scour depth $ d_s $:

( )
0.5
3
d s=2.0 ×1.0 × −1 =2.0 × √ 0.5=2.0× 0.707=1.414 m
2

2. Calculate rip-rap median size $ D_{50} $:

3
1.5 × 9.81× 2 1.5 × 9.81× 8 117.72
D 50= 2
= = =0.808 m
(26−9.81)×3 16.19× 9 145.71

Conclusion:

 Maximum scour depth expected near the pier is approximately 1.41 m.

 Rip-rap stones should have a median diameter of about 0.81 m to resist the flow
forces and protect the bank effectively.

Suggested Grading Rubric

 Section Point Notes
s

Theory Questions (40 40 1 point each; balanced across topics

questions) and formats

Numerical Problem 1 30 Design steps, calculations, and

explanations

Numerical Problem 2 30 Correct application of formulas and

interpretation

Total 100

This guide balances conceptual understanding and practical application, with varied
question types and detailed numerical examples to reinforce key hydraulic structure
principles. Diagrams can be added as needed for numerical problems, such as wall cross-
section and river pier with flow patterns, to enhance clarity. Standard references include
Novak’s Hydraulic Structures, Chow’s Open Channel Hydraulics, and AAU lecture notes.