Changes

Jump to: navigation, search
New page: Dams and water inlet structures in embankments are vulnerable and expensive elements in river-fed water systems. They are easily damaged by floods, underflow, seepage and suffer from build...
Dams and water inlet structures in embankments are vulnerable and expensive elements in river-fed water systems. They are easily damaged by floods, underflow, seepage and suffer from build-up of sediment or rubbish in the water.

The Tyrolean weir forms a more reliable and cheaper alternative. Water is abstracted through a screen (or inlet) over a gutter, usually made of concrete and built into the riverbed. The screen on the crest should slope downstream (15-30 degrees), to increase flow velocities and prevent sediment carried by the stream from blocking it. From the gutter, water enters a pipeline, which drains into a sedimentation tank and then flows by gravity into the rest of the system.


{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"
|-
! width="50%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! style="background:#ffdead;" | Disadvantages
|-
| valign="top" | <br>
| valign="top" | <br>
<br>
|}




== Costs ==

* Material (excluding the pipe and sedimentation tank): US$ 300 - 600.
* Labour (if site is easily accessible): 30 - 50 man days.
* Operation and maintenance: several visits per year for inspection, cleaning and minor repairs. Overall easy to carry out due to low-tech structure and the use of local labour and materials.


== Applying conditions ==

* Tyrolean intakes are used in small permanent rivers and streams where the sediment content and bed load transport are low, or on the crest of a dam spill.
* The threshold can be a concrete elevation above the rocky bed of a mountain stream, or a vertical low weir structure, anchored in the embankment.
* The capacity of the inlet pipe / drain (diameter and gradient) should be 30% more than the design flow and have an uniform gradient to prevent accumulation of sand.
* The sedimentation tank can accumulate 1.5-2 m3 of deposits and allows water to filter for 10 to 30 minutes at very low speed. It is cleaned by washing it out.


== Considerations ==

* The weir or intake should be carefully sited.
* The weir itself does not clean or purify the water.
* Regular inspection and cleaning of the grit / rack and possibly the gutter and sedimentation tank is required during and after storm periods.



== External links ==
* General Background [http://www.aquaforall.nl www.aquaforall.nl]
15
edits

Navigation menu