UNIFORM FLOW

Criteria

Depth, water area, velocity and discharge at every

section of the channel reach are constant
Energy grade line, water surface, channel bottom are
all parallel. i.e Sf = Sw = So.

Develop when the resistance force (Ff) is balanced by

the gravity force (Fg) acting on the body of water

1
UNIFORM FLOW

v2/2g

z
Datum
DISCHARGE FORMULA FOR
UNIFORM FLOW
MANNING’S FORMULA

1 2 / 3 1/ 2
v= R S
n
1 2 / 3 1/ 2
Q = vA = R S A
n
v = mean velocity
R = hydraulic radius
S = slope of energy line = slope of the channel bed (for uniform flow)
n = Manning’s resistance coefficient
DISCHARGE FORMULA FOR
UNIFORM FLOW
CHEZY’S FORMULA

v  C RS
Q = vA = C RS A
v = mean velocity
R = hydraulic radius
S = slope of energy line = slope of the channel bed (for uniform flow)
C = Chezy’s resistance coefficient = R1/6/n
COMPUTATION OF
NORMAL DEPTH
This depth at uniform flow is often known as Normal
Depth and the discharge is called Normal/uniform
Discharge.
Channel slope that maintaining uniform flow is called
Uniform Slope

Normal depth can be computed by

• Trial and error method or
• Graphical method or
• Dimensionless design chart (for common channel
shapes)
COMPUTATION OF
NORMAL DEPTH
Trial and Error method
1. Rearrange Manning equation so that the known
parameters (n, Q and S) are at one side of the
equation and the unknown (A and R) at the other
side.
1 2/3 nQ
Q  AR 2 / 3S1 / 2 AR 
n S1 / 2

AR2/3 is known as a Section Factor for normal depth

computation
COMPUTATION OF
NORMAL DEPTH
nQ
2. For a given n, Q and S calculate
S1 / 2

3. Express A and R for a given channel section in terms

of normal depth, yn

4. Trial and error the value of y until the value of

section factor, AR2/3 is equal to nQ/S1/2

2/3 nQ
AR 
S1 / 2
COMPUTATION OF
NORMAL DEPTH
Graphical method
1. For a series of y values y A P R AR2/3
calculate AR2/3 0.1
0.2

2. Plot y values against AR2/3

3. Calculate nQ/S1/2 and

determine y from the graph
where nQ/S1/2 = AR2/3
COMPUTATION OF
NORMAL DEPTH
Dimensionless Chart
y Section Factor
Dimensionless chart is a function vs
(b or D) (b or D)8 / 3
Dimensionless Chart For Normal Depth Computation
10

Trapezoidal
z=1
z=0.5 z =1.5
Rectangula
yn/B or yn/D

0.1

0.01
0.001 0.010 0.100 1.000 10.000 100.000

or AR2/3/D8/3
MANNING’S FORMULA
Factors Affecting n.

Surface Roughness
When the perimeter material is fine (smooth), n is low
and unaffected much by changes in depth.
When the perimeter material is rough, n is larger and
may vary significantly with the depth of flow
Vegetation
Vegetations retard the flow and increase the n. The
effects is in functions of depth of flow and the height,
density, distribution and type of the vegetation.
10
MANNING’S FORMULA
Channel Irregularity
Abrupt changes of cross section, shape and wetted
perimeter can results in higher value of n. Gradual variation
have rather insignificant effect.
Channel Alignment
Severe meandering with curves of small radius will
significantly increase the value of n. Curves of large radius
without frequent changes of the direction of the curvature
give little resistance

Stage and Discharge

The n value for most channel tends to decrease with an
increase of stage and discharge 11
ESTIMATION OF MANNING n

Table

Tables of values of n as presented in many textbook,

eg. Chow 1959.

Manual Saliran Mesra Alam Malaysia (MASMA 2000)

SCS method
Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Method

This method involves the selection of basic n value (i.e

the value for a uniform, straight and regular channel) and
modification of this value by adding correction factors
(determined by consideration of factors affecting the
value of n, eg. channel alignment, channel irregularity,
vegetation etc.)

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COMPOSITE ROUGHNESS
For a channel with the roughness varies along its perimeter, an equivalent of
roughness coefficient to represent the entire perimeter is usually calculated.

Horton’s Formula Cox’s Formula Colebatch Formula

 
2/ 3
N   N 
     n i A i 
2/ 3
 N 3/ 2   A n 3/ 2

  Pi n i i i
n e   i 1  n e   i 1  n e   i 1 
 P   A   A 
     
     

Where Pi = wetted perimeter of the ith subsection

Ai = Flow area of the ith subsection
N = Number of subsections 14
Example

1 2 4 5
3 n1
n1
n2 n2
n3

By Horton Formula
2/ 3
 P1n1 3/ 2
 P2n 2  P3n 3  P4n 4
3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2
 P5n 5
3/ 2

ne   
 P1  P2  P3  P4  P5 
15