DEPARTMENT

2010KENYA OF
INSTITUTE OF HIGHWAY AND
BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
CIVIL ENGINEERING
LECTURE NOTES: HYDRAULICS YEAR
2
By M. K. Aiyabei

CLASS-(DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING/DIPLOMA IN HIGHWAYS.)

 Table of Contents
OVERVIEW 2

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 2

COURSE OUTLINE: 3

TEACHING STRATEGIES
..........................................................................................................................6

ASSESSMENT ……………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

REFERENCE BOOKS
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………6

CHAPTER ONE- INTRODUCTION 7

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT 7

PROPERTIES OF FLUIDS 8

CHAPTER TWO-
DIPLOMA IN CIVIL FLUID
ENGINEERING/DIPLOMA IN PRESSURES

HIGHWAYS AND ITS

MEASUREMENTS 9

DEFINITIONS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF PRESSURES 11

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 OVERVIEW:

Civil Engineering is the oldest branch of Engineering and it involves planning, design,
construction and maintenance of structures such as bridges, roads, canals, dams, tunnels and
multi-storeyed buildings.

For Civil engineers to design, construct and maintain the above, Fluid mechanics is essential.

Hydraulics is a sub branch of Fluid mechanics and is the study of the flow of liquids (usually
water).
Therefore the course introduces the trainee to:
1. The basic principles of fluid mechanics with emphasis on the ability to formulate
equations for varied conditions of flow and subsequent application of these equations in
solving hydraulic problems in design.
2. The basic components of the hydrologic cycle with a view to creating awareness of the
necessity of water resources for industrial as well as domestic needs and development.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The main objectives of this subject are to help the trainee to:

1) Use various units of measurement for the various entities in the discipline.
2) Understand and interpret the behaviour of liquids under different conditions of flow.
3) Determine forces exerted on hydraulic structures
4) Design water pipes and open channels for given flow to satisfy both economical and
functional requirements
5) Know basic pumps, pumping and design parameters of pumps and power turbines.
6) Explain the Hydrological cycle, its main components and appreciate the necessity of
water resources in development.

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 7) Measure velocity and discharge of flowing streams.

COURSE OUTLINE:

10 INTRODUCTION:
1.1 Units of measurements
1.2 Properties of fluids

20 FLUID PRESSURES AND ITS MEASUREMENTS:

2.1 Types of pressures and their definitions
2.2 Common types of pressure measuring devices and their descriptions.
2.3 Problems

30 HYDROSTATICS:
3.1 Definition of hydrostatics
3.2 Pascal’s law
3.3 Derivation of equations for total pressure and centre of pressure on plane
surfaces.
3.4 Derivation of equations for total pressure on curved surfaces
3.5 Calculation of forces on regulating gates
3.6 Problems

40 HYDRODYNAMICS:
4.1 Definition of hydrodynamics and other basic terms
4.2 Types of flow in pipes and open channels
4.3 Derivation of equations
4.4 Calculations involving the steady flow equations.
4.5 Derivation of equations for forces exerted by moving liquids
4.6 Problems solving on forces exerted by moving liquids on plane surfaces.

50 METHODS OF MEASURING VELOCITY.

5.1 Features of Pitot tube and Pitot static tube.
5.2 Velocity equations for Pitot tube and Pitot static tube.
5.3 Installation requirements for Pitot tube and Pitot static tube.
5.4 Calibration of Pitot tube and Pitot static tube.

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 60 METHODS OF MEASURING DISCHARGE:
6.1 Definitions of Orifices
6.2 Determination of Orifice coefficients
6.3 Derivation of equations for actual discharge through Orifices.
6.4 Derivation of equations for the time to empty tanks.
6.5 Identification of coefficient of discharge for basic mouth pieces.
6.6 Working principles of Venturimeter.
6.7 Derivation of discharge equation of a venturimeter.
6.8 Working principle of Orifice meter and Venturi nozzle.
6.9 Statement of discharge equation for Orifice meter and Venturi nozzle.
6.10 Definition of Weir and Notch.
6.11 Distinction between a Notch and Weir.
6.12 Classification of Notches and Weirs.
6.13 Derivation of discharge equation for Weirs
6.14 Derivation of discharge equation for Notches
6.15 Application of Velocity of approach
6.16 Installation requirements for notches and Weirs

70 FLOW THROUGH PIPES

7.1 Identification of types of flow.
7.2 Determination of head losses in pipes
7.3 Definitions of Hydraulic grade line
7.4 Definitions of Total Head Loss
7.5 Definitions of Total Energy Line
7.6 Plotting of Hydraulic grade line and Total Energy line
7.7 Pipes in series and parallel

80 FLOW THROUGH OPEN CHANNELS

8.1 Identification of simple channel sections
8.2 Definition of significant open channel flow parameters.
8.3 Application of Chezy’s and Manning’s formulae
8.4 Derivation of equations for economic sections.
8.5 Design of open channels

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 90 PUMPS AND TURBINES.
9.1 Classification of pumps
9.2 Working principles
9.3 Determination of power requirements
9.4 Pump selection
9.5 Installation requirements
9.6 Classification of turbines
9.7 Working principles of turbines

100HYDROLOGY-PRECIPITATION.
10.1 Hydrology cycle
10.2 Measurement of rainfall
10.3 Determination of areal rainfall
10.4 Rainfall losses

110MEASUREMENT OF STREAM VELOCITY

11.1 Explanation of velocity measurement
11.2 Explanation of the methods used to determine mean velocity

120MEASUREMENT OF DISCHARGE IN STREAMS

12.1 Methods of measuring discharge

TEACHING STRATEGIES:

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Teaching and learning strategies will include:
• Lectures
• Tutorials/Assignments
• Laboratory classes

TEACHING:
• 2 hours contact per week

ASSESSMENT:
Students are assessed in the following ways:

• Assignments = 5%

• Lab Reports = 10%

• Continuous Assessment Tests= 25%

• End of Term Test= 60%

Total = 100%

REFERENCE BOOKS:

1. Fluid mechanic By Douglas

2. KIHBT –Department of Civil Engineering syllabus
3.

CHAPTER ONE

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 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Units of measurement

1.1.1 Mass: Quantity of matter in a substance. It is measured by a balance. Its SI

units is grammes (g) and can be expressed as Kg, mg, etc.
1.1.2 Weight: Gravitational pull on an object. It is the force exerted by the earth
on the particle It is a product of mass and gravitational acceleration (pull g
= 9.81 m s–2). It is expressed in Newtons (N) and can also be expressed in
KN.
1.1.3 Density: It is mass per unit volume. It is expressed as kg/m3or g/ m3
1.1.4 Time: Period, expressed as seconds (S)
1.1.5 Velocity: Distance covered per unit time, expressed as m/s
1.1.6 Acceleration: Rate of change in velocity, expressed as m/s2
1.1.7 Force:, Rate of change in momentum; it is a product of mass and
acceleration expressed as N
1.1.8 Dynamic viscosity (µ): Stress per unit velocity gradient. Rate of change
of shear stresses in fluids, expressed as Kg/m.s
1.1.9 Kinematic viscosity: Dynamic viscosity per unit density, expressed as
m2/s
1.1.10 Work: Product of force and distance.(N.m also Joules J)
1.1.11 Energy: Rate of doing work(Joules, J)
1.1.12 Power: Rate of conversion of energy.(Watts, W)

1.2 Properties of Fluids

1.2.1 Density
1.2.1.1 Mass density(ρ): Mass per unit volume(Kg/m3)

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 1.2.1.2 Specific weight(γ=ρg): Weight per unit volume(N/m3)
1.2.1.3 Specific gravity (also relative density): Ratio of mass
density of a substance to some standard mass density. For
solids and liquids it is taken to be the mass density of
water at 4˚C which is 1000Kg/m3.It is unitless.
1.2.2 Surface tension (σ): This is the tension force acting across a unit length
on a surface of a fluid. It is caused by the unbalanced downward attraction
at the surface of a liquid. Surface tension is constant over the liquid in a
given temperature but reduces with an increase in temperature and vice
versa. It acts in the plane of the surface.
1.2.2.1 Cohesion: attraction between molecules of the same
substance e.g. Mercury.
1.2.2.2 Adhesion: Attraction between molecules of different
substances e.g. water and glass.
1.2.3 ViscosityThe property of a fluid which enables it to resist flow. Naturally
fluids lack the ability to offer permanent resistance to deforming forces,
instead they flow under the action of deforming forces. The deforming
force is shear force. If a fluid is at rest, then the shear forces acting on it
are equal to zero and vice versa. Viscosity is caused by molecular
interchange and cohesion.
1.2.3.1 Dynamic: Stress per unit velocity gradient
1.2.3.2 Kinematic. Ratio of dynamic viscosity to mass density.
1.2.4 Compressibility. All materials whether solids or liquids or gases are
compressible. When a force is applied uniformly on a given mass, its
volume V will reduce to V-δV whereas the pressure increases to P+δP.
The relationship between change of pressure and change of volume
depends on the bulk modulus of the material.
Bulk modulus = change in pressure/Volumetric strain
Volumetric strain is the change in volume divided by the original volume

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 1.2.5 Capillary of water: This is the rise of water in a material/tube due to the
combined effect of adhesion and cohesion forces (Surface tension).
Practical cases are the rise of water in plant xylems, rise of paraffin in
lamps, absorption of water by tissue papers/absorbent materials e.t.c

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 CHAPTER TWO
FLUID PRESSURES
ANDMEASUREMENTS
2.1 Definition of various types of pressures

Absolute pressure: Pressure measured above perfect vacuum.

Gauge pressure: Pressure measured above atmospheric pressure.

Atmospheric pressure: pressure due to weight of air in the atmosphere

and it is assumed to be 760mmHg at sea level, the temperature 150C and
the density 1.225Kg/m3.

Negative/Vacuum pressure: Pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

2.2 Description of common types of pressure measuring devices:

Piezometer: This is a pressure tube consisting of a single verticle open at

the top, inserted into a pipe or vessel containing liquid under pressure which
rises in the tube to a height depending on the pressure. If the tube is open at
the top then the pressure measured is gauge pressure

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