SPILLWAYS

1. INTRODUCTION

Types of spillways according to the direction of flow

 Straight drop spillways (karşıdan alışlı) (streamlines perpendicular to the spillway axis)
 Side channel spillways (yan savak) (streamlines parallel to the spillway axis)
 Shaft spillways (kuyu savak) (streamlines in radial direction)

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Figure 1. Types of spillways a) straight drop spillway, b) side channel spillway, c) Shaft spillway

Basınç Dağılımı

Figure 1. A) Uncontrolled spillways b) Controlled spillways

Straight drop spillway

 Controlled spillways (Figure 2-a).
 Uncontrolled spillways (Figure 2-b).

A controlled spillway has mechanical structures or gates to regulate the rate of flow. This design
allows nearly the full height of the dam to be used for water storage year-round, and flood waters
can be released as required by opening one or more gates.

An uncontrolled spillway, in contrast, does not have gates; when the water rises above the lip or
crest of the spillway, it begins to be released from the reservoir. The rate of discharge is
controlled only by the depth of water above the reservoir's spillway. Storage volume in the
reservoir above the spillway crest can only be used for the temporary storage of floodwater; it
cannot be used as water supply storage because it is normally empty.

Figure 2. Typical spillways a) Ogee-shaped b) Sharp-crested c) Broad-crested

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2. OVERFLOW SPILLWAYS
2.1. Poleni Formula
a) Free Spillway Flow
Neglecting viscosity and energy losses caused by wall friction and writing Bernoulli's equation
between the upstream section where the streamlines have not yet been disturbed and the crest
on which absolute pressure is present is given as (Figure 3)

vo2 v (2z )
h z 
2g 2g
Locating the vertical distance at spillway crest, the v(z)

 vo2 
v ( z )  2 g   h  z  
 2g 
dQ= v(z).dA
B C c h   v 2  
 2g   dz  dy
Q    
  h  z  o
2g
0 0    

Figure 3. Derivation of spillway formula a)Parameters b) Velocity profile

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y=B=Crest length

C c h
v o2
Q B  2g   h z 
2g
 dz
0

 3/2 3/2 
2 v2   v o2 
Q  B  2 g  h  o    1  C c  h   
3  2g   2g  
 

 3/2 3/2 
2 v 2   v 2 
Q  B  2 g   h  o    m  h  o  
3  2g   2g  
 

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For vo<0.4m/s velocity head vo2/2g<0.01 m so assuming vo0
2
Q  B  2 g  h3 / 2 ( 1  m3 / 2 )
3

1  m3 2
 Cq

2
q  2 g  C q  h 3 / 2  C Poleni  h 3 / 2 Poleni Spillway Formula
3

2
C Poleni  Cq  2 g  2.953  C q
3

Table 1. Discharge coefficient (debi katsayıları) (Press, 1966)

In Figure 5, the spillway height (savak yüksekliği) p, the spillway design head ho which is
assumed to form at a distance of approximately 4ho from the spillway crest (the distance where
the streamlines are still parallel) for design discharge Qo are defined.

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Figure 5. CPoleni coefficients for Poleni equation (Bollrich ve Preissler, 1992)

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b) Drowned (submerged) spillway flow – Suppressed overflow

Figure 6. Spillway flow conditions

Degree of submergence = a < hkr free spillway flow

a > hkr drowned (submerged) spillway flow

2
q bat    q    2 g Cq  B  h 3 2
for suppressed overflow
3
= reduction factor depends on spillway shape and a/h submergence ratio (batıklık oranı) and
can be read from Figure 7. In this figüre p spillway height, h head on the crest.

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 Figure 7. Reduction factor for submerged (suppressed) spillway flow ()

2.2. USBR (United States Bureau of Reclamation) Method

Taking H =Total head on the crest = h (head on the crest)+approach velocity head (V 02/2g) the

USBR equation
q  C H 3 2

Figure 8. Velocity and pressure distribution on spillway (Naudascher,1987)

 p H e d  hd hd 
C  f  , savak memba yüzü eğimi , , , 
 Ho Ho He H e 

C  C o C1 C 2 C 3 C 4 (7.7)

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Figure 9. Design discharge coefficient for vertical faced ogee crest

Figure 10. Discharge coefficient with sloping upstream face

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 Figure 11. Discharge coefficient for varying heads

Figure 12. Discharge coefficient due to apron effect

Figure 13. Ratio of discharge coefficients due to tailwater effect

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 Figure 14. Reduction in discharge coefficient due to submergence (A.F.[%] )

Reduction factor (azaltma faktörü) (A.F.)

C q  C q ( bat .) C Q  C Q ( bat )
A.F .  
Cq CQ

C Q = coefficient used for Poleni equation described in the literature. A.F can be read from

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Figure 14 for suppressed flow coefficient Cq(bat.) or C Q ( bat .)

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q  C  2 g h3 / 2
3 q ( bat .)
q  C Q ( bat )  g  h 3 / 2

2.3. Profile of Spillway

Figure 15. Pressure distribution at the crest

pi  h 
 h  1  
 g  ho 

h  7 
 1  
h0  h

2.4. Effect of Bridge Piers and Approach Wall on Spillway Capacity

a) Poleni Approach
ay : reduction in discharge due to piers
2
Q   ay   C  2 g  B net  h 3 2
  ay  B net  C  h 3 2
3 q
2
C  C  2 g
3 q
 bay h
 ay  1   2 n   
B net B net

Bnet =total net length of crest, n = number of piers, bay = width of a pier (for abutment n=1/2)
and  constriction coefficient given in Figure 16.
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Qo = design discharge (projelendirme debisi), gross crest lebgth B (brüt kret uzunluğu)
Qo
B Brüt    bay  2  n  ξ  h
C poleni  h 3 2

Figure 16. Constriction coefficient according to pier shape ()

b) USBR method

Be =effective length of crest for calculating discharge

Be  B net  2  n  K p  K a   H e

Q  Be  q
Bnet = net length of crest B net  B   bay

n = number of piers
Kp = pier contraction coefficient
Ka=Abutment contraction coefficient
He= total head on crest

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The values of Kp and Ka depend mainly upon the shape of the piers and that of abutments.

Figure 17. Kp ve Ka coefficients

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3. SHARP-CRESTED SPILLWAYS (WEIRS)

Figure 18. Flow over a sharp-crested spillways

w 
Cq  f  
h 

W= sharp-crested spillway height, h = head on the crest, about 3h4h upstream, at which the
streamlines are still parallel and hydrostatic pressure distribution is valid (Figure 18).

2
q 2 g .C q .h 3 / 2
3

For lower aeronated nappe broad crested spillways

h
C q  0.611  0.08 (for h/w<6)
w

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Figure 19. For Cq and Cq* discharge coefficients for aeronated sharp-crested spillways

When a sharp-crested spillway is considered as a drop structure, the discharge coefficient is

given by
3/2 3/2
3 w  w
Cq  1  h   1.06 1   (w/h<0.6)
2 2    h

Figure 20. Drop structure and water depth

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 Figure 21. Suppressed (submerged) flow at sharp-crested spillways

4. BROAD-CRESTED SPILLWAYS

Q  B  hkr v kr  B  hkr  ghkr

3/2
 h 
Q B  g  d   1.65 g  B  hd3 / 2
 0.715 

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 Figure 22. Flow behaviour at broad-crested spillways

4.1. Hydraulics of Broad-Crested Spillways

When the crest length is long enough (L>3h) and is not affected by downstream flow
conditions

q  0.544 g  H 3 / 2  0.544 g  h 3 / 2

Figure 23. Broad-crested spillway

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 3/2 3/2
2 2  2 
q  2 g  C q  h 3 / 2  hkr  g  hkr   E min  g    gh  h 3 / 2
3 3  3 

2 1
Cq    0.577 (7.40)
3 2
2
Ck  2 g  C q  1.705 m1/2s
3
Unit discharge for broad-crested spillway

q  1.705 h 3 2 (7.41)

5. SIDE-CHANNEL SPILLWAY
5.1. Side-channel spillways for water intake into channels

Figure 24. Side-channel spillway as a control structure at bridge

Figure 25. Side-channel spillways for water intake

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 Figure 26. Examples fors ide-channel applications

5.2. Side-channel spillways providing discahrge from channels

Figure 27. Shapes of side-channel spillways

Figure 28. a)Plan b) side-channel spillway types

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a) Water surface profiles over side-channel spillways

Figure 29. Water surface profiles over side-channel spillways

b) Dtermination of Capasity
dE
 I o  I E
dx

Figure 30. Side-channel spillway

Differential equation proposed by De Marchi (1934)

E h  h  w 
3
dh 2C q ,ys

dx B 3 h  2 E 

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c) Marchi Approach

3 B
x   i   i 1 
2 C q ,ys

Taking x=L
3 B
L  2  1 
2 C q ,ys

2E i  3w E i  hi  E i hi 
i    3 sin 1  
E i w hi  w  E w
 i 
Cq,ys is the discharge coefficient for sharp-crested side-channel spillway given in Figure 31.

Figure 31. a) Cq,ys for sharp-crested side-channel spillway b) Correction coefficient K for broad-crested
side-channel spillway discharge coefficient Cq,ys
For sharp-crested side-channel spillway
C q ,ys  0.81  0.6 Fr1

For broad-crested side-channel spillway

C q ,ys  0.81  0.6 Fr1   K

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d) Schmidt Approach
This approach is valid for subcritical flow in the upstream and downstream direcitons.

If channel bed slope Io, Manning roughness n, discharge in the upstreami Q1 discharge in the
downstream Q2 and flow depth hu in the downstream channel, then discharge of side-channel
spillway is
Qys=Q1-Q2
with L, length of side-channel spillway.

v 12 v2
I o  L  h1  1  hu   2 2   s
2g 2g

v 12 v2
I o  L  w  hs ,1  1  hs ,2  w   2 2  H s
2g 2g

v 22 v2
hs 1  hs 2   2  I o  L  1 1  H s
2g 2g
s firiction loss s=IE·L
2
v ort L
H s  2  IE L
k St  R 2 / 3

 v 12 v2 
hs 1  hs 2    1.1  1.1 2 
 2g 2g 

 values are valid for Fr1<0.75. For values Fr1>0.75 this approach is not valid.

Poleni equation is applied in Schmidt’s approach.

2
Q ys  C q ,ys   2 g  L  hs3,ort
/2
3
 q ,ys    C q

Average weir head hs,ort

1
hs ,ort  h  hs 2 
2 s1
hs ,2  hs ,1

v 12 v 22
1.1  1.1   s
2g 2g

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 Figure 32.  values for Schmidt’s approach (Fr<0.75)

If the flow is subcritical regime, then it has a downstream control section so hs,2=h2,-w=hu-w .

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IMPORTANT NOTE: These lecture notes are not an original work. They are compiled from
the main reference book of the IM 473 Water Resources Engineering 1 course, "Hydraulics of
Open Channel Flows and Hydraulic Structures" and various other sources from internet.
These notes were prepared from the reference book for online education purposes only within
the scope of Gazi University Faculty of Engineering Civil Engineering Department 2020-
2021 Fall Semester Online Education Program and cannot be reproduced or used as a source
in any way.

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