DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Bureau of Soils and Water Management

Quezon City, Philippines

Design of Main Canal

and Structures
Engr. Ernesto Brampio

Inflow

Evaporation

Demand

Storage = Previous Sto + Inflow Release

To service area

COMPONENTS OF IRRIGATION WORKS

Consists of network of open canal, laterals,
and drainage ditches provided with the
necessary structures to control the
distribution of irrigation water.
Design of irrigation canal shall be done on the
basis of NIA criteria and other applicable
criteria.

In laying out canals, the designer should have

an overall view of the topographic map and
determine beforehand where the canals
should pass. Routes passing along steep slopes
should be avoided as much as possible to
minimize or eliminate costly structures.

IRRIGATION CANAL LAYOUT

Block 5

Lateral 3

Block 4

Lateral 2

Lateral 1

Lot 1
Lot 2

Block 6

Block 2

Block 3

Lateral 3

Lateral 1

Block 1

Lateral 2

Lot 6

Ma
in

Ca
na
lB

Water Distribution
Plan

Main Canal A
Qa=Q1 + Q2 + Q3
Qt= Qa + Qb

Q3=A3x V3

Canal Layout

For feasibility study purposes, ground

profiles along canal routes may be taken
from topographic maps. This is done by
taking elevation of contours that cross the
canal alignment and plotting such
elevation against distance on suitable
cross section paper.
For actual construction purposes, ground
profiles and cross sections of actual canal
route by stations ( @ 20 meters)

THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN
DESIGNING IRRIGATION CANAL
Hydraulic efficiency
Simplicity
Structural stability
Economy

THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DESIGNING

IRRIGATION CANAL

Shape of canal

Type of canal

Rectangular Canal

Earth canal

Trapezoidal canal

Lined canal (CHB,

Concrete)

Semi-circular canal
V-shaped canal

Open channel
Closed channel (RCPC)
Combination, others

For trapezoidal section of greatest

hydraulic efficiency has hydraulic radius
equal to half the depth, R=d/2
For rectangular section=The base width of
a rectangular cross-section of maximum
hydraulic efficiency should be twice the
depth of water, b=2d
For triangular canal section, triangular
section of maximum hydraulic efficiency is
a right triangle, I= 90
The ratio of b to d can be between b:d=1-4

Canal Hydraulics
Canal side slopes : Trapezoidal/triangular
canal
1.5:1

- for most earth materials

1/3:1 or 1/2:1 - for rock or hardpan

Materials that are initially hard but subsequently
would became unstable of their property of being
easily pulverized or disintegrated after exposure to
the elements should have flatter side slopes which
may be 1:1 and provide with the concrete lining if
necessary.

Canal Hydraulics
The ideal condition is to design the
canal for a velocity which will be
neither too fast to cause scouring nor
too slow to cause silting.
Permissible Velocity (for earth canal):
Minimum Permissible Vel = 0.3 mps
Maximum Permissible Vel = 1.0
mps
For Velocity > 1.0 mps (recommended
for lining)

Equations used in design of canal

Where:
Q= volume of water needed
A=area
V=velocity of flow
P=wetted perimeter
R=hydraulic radius
D= depth of canal
b=canal base width
d =depth of flowing water
m=canal side slope
S= canal bed slope
n= roughness coefficient
= 0.025-0.03 earth canal
= 0.015-0.018 lined canal
fb= freeboard

Q=AV
A= bd + m d2
V=1/n R S
P= b + 2d m2 + 1

R= A/P
fb
D

d
b

Canal Freeboard
a. for flow depth from 0.18 to 1.99 m
Fb = 0.4d ( minimum = 0.3 m)
b. for flow depth = 2m and greater
Fb = 0.25d + 0.30 (min = 2.0 m)

Freeboard

Qn/S

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, FARM PLAN &

CANAL SECTION OF SERVICE AREA

PROFILE ALONG CENTERLINE OF MAIN CANA

PROFILE ALONG CENTERLINE OF MAIN CANA

Canal lay-out
95
94
93

95
94

0+100

Natural ground

0+200

93
Canal profile along centerline
Scale 1:100 V; 1:1000 H

0+300

Canal bed elevation

0+000

x
x

CANAL STRUCTURES
General function:
Different types of canal structures are required in an irrigation system to effectively and efficiently convey, regulate
and measure the canal discharge and storm runoff damage.

Conveyance structures
Are designed based on hydraulics and structural
requirements.
Hydraulics refers to proper sizing of the
structures and the provision of adequate allowable
head losses.
Structural design-refers to provision of adequate
wall thickness and reinforcements to the
structures to sustain imposed loads.
NIA design criteria for canal structures can be use

Types of Canal Structures

According to Purpose

-Conveyance Structures

-Regulating Structures

-Protective Structures

-Water Measurement Structures

Examples:

Conveyance Structures

A. Road Crossing

used to convey irrigation water under

roads or railroads

maximum allowable velocity inside the

pipe is 1.50 m/sec for concrete transition

maximum allowable velocity for a pipe

with earth transition is 1.0 m/sec

2. Inverted Siphon
used to convey water by gravity under roads,
railroads, other canal structures, various types
of drainage channels and depressions

allowable head, economy and allowable pipe

velocities determine the size of the pipe

the sum of all the computed head losses should

approximate the difference in energy grade
elevation between the upstream and
downstream ends

velocities should range from 1 to 3 m/sec

2. Inverted Siphon
used to convey water by gravity under roads,
railroads, other canal structures, various types
of drainage channels and depressions

allowable head, economy and allowable pipe

velocities determine the size of the pipe

the sum of all the computed head losses should

approximate the difference in energy grade
elevation between the upstream and
downstream ends

velocities should range from 1 to 3 m/sec

3. Bench and Elevated Flume

used to convey water along steep side-hill terrain or to
convey water over other waterways, or natural drainage
channels

study of the b/d ratios in regard to hydraulic efficiency

and construction cost is between 1 to 3

Plan of Elevated Flume

4. Drop Structure

used to convey water from a higher to lower

elevation

different kinds of drops:

-vertical drop
-baffled drop
-rectangular inclined
-pipe drops

CONCRETE DROP AND END CHECK STRUCTURES

5. Chutes

used to convey water from higher to a lower

elevation

consists of inlet, chute section, an energy

dissipater and outlet transition

the chute section may be a pipe or an open

section

similar to drops except that they carry the

water over longer distances and flatter
slopes

B. Protective Structures

1. Culverts
carry storm runoff or drainage water under
the canal
primary rule in locating culvert is to utilize
the natural channel with as little disturbance
as possible to the natural pattern
2. Over chutes
used to carry storm runoff or drainage water
over a canal
3. Drain inlets
used to carry relatively small amount of storm
runoff or drainage water into the canal

C. Regulating Structures

1. Checks
used to regulate the canal water surface
upstream of the structure and control the
downstream flow

2. Turnouts
used to divert water from a supply channel
to a smaller channel

3. Division
used to divide the flow from a supply pipe
or channel among two or more channels

D. Water Measuring Structures

Parshall flumes
measuring structures in which canal water flows over a
board flat converging section through a narrow
downward sloping throat section and then diverges on
an upward sloping flow
Weirs
overflow structures built across open channels to
measure the rate of flow of water
weirs are identified by the shape of their openings,
either sharp crested or board crested
mostly used are sharp crested rectangular, trapezoidal
or Cipolletti and rectangular or V-notch weir
Open Flow Meters
open flow meters are propeller type motors, which may
be installed at the ends of gravity pipe turnouts

General Design Criteria for Canal Structures

1.0 Hydraulics
1.1 Head Losses
1.1.1 Friction loss; hf=(fL/d)(v2/2g) for pipes
1.1.2 Transition loss;
1.1.3 Bend Loss
1.1.4 Trash rack loss
1.2 Inlet and outlet transition of structures
1.3 Sizing of canal structures (Barrel or pipe)

General Design Criteria for Canal Structures

2.0 Structural design for Canal structures
2.1 Loadings
2.1.1 Dead loss
2.1.2 Lateral earth pressure
2.1.3 Live load
2.1.4 Super imposed load
2.1.5 Hydrostatic pressure
2.1.6 Uplift pressure
2.2 Loading combinations
2.3 Stability analyses
2.4 Structural Considerations
2.5 Detailed concrete and reinforcement

ROAD CROSSING STRCTURE AT ANGAS DD, BASUD, CAM. NORTE

Concrete Flume of Hacienda SWIP,

San Miguel, Tabaco City, Albay

Concrete Flume at Travesia DD,

Guinobatan, Albay

Transition from Trapezoidal to

rectangular canal, Muladbucad DD,
Guinobatan, Albay

Trapezoidal shape concrete canal,

Muladbucad DD, Guinobatan, Albay

Rectangular concrete canal at

San Miguel, Tigaon, Cam. Sur

Inverted siphon at Tigaon, Cam.

Sur

Division Box Right at Sagrada

DD, Iriga City, Cam. Sur

Check structure and PVC outlet @

Sagarda DD, Iriga City

Division Box left and right at Lico DD,

Sto. Domingo, Vinzons, Cam. Norte

Road Crossing at Lico DD, Sto.

Domingo, Vinzons, Cam Norte

Road Crossing Structure with Slide

Gate @ Angas DD, Basud, Cam. Norte

Road Crossing Structure @ Angas DD, Basud, Cam.

Norte

Thresher/Animal Crossing Structure @ Angas DD,

Basud, Cam. Norte

Animal Crossing structure @ Angas DD,

Basud, Cam. Norte

Flow Divider (Y) @ Angas DD, Basud, Cam. Norte

Road crossing structure

Box culvert (Double barrel)

End of presentations