Mannings n Calculation for Las Vegas Wash

Mannings n calculation for Las Vegas wash cross sections was carried out based on the
procedure outlined in Open Channel Hydraulics by V.T. Chow (1!". The #alue of n was
co$puted by analy%ing se#eral pri$ary factors affecting the roughness coefficient& the
for$ula as gi#en by&
n ' (n()n1)n*)n+)n," $!
where
n' representati#e Mannings n #alue.
n(' basic n #alue for a straight& unifor$& s$ooth channel in the natural $aterials
in#ol#ed.
n1' #alue added to n( to correct for the effect of surface irregularities.
n*' #alue added for #ariations in shape and si%e of the channel cross section.
n+' #alue added for obstructions.
n,' #alue added for #egetation and flow conditions.
$!' correction factor for $eandering of channel.
-or the calculation purpose& a basic ./section was defined as shown in -igure 1. Then& a
table was prepared to calculate the e0ui#alent Mannings n for each of the Las Vegas
1ash cross section as defined in 2O33 4i#erC56. 5 #alue table for all the factors was
obtained fro$ the abo#e boo7 and has been presented as reference. 5ppropriate #alue for
the factors was esti$ated based on the field trip& aerial photography and engineering
8udg$ent. 5 brief description of the criteria to choose appropriate factor #alues is
presented here.
n( #alue was chosen based on channel with natural $aterials and for $ost cases a
#alue of (.(* (earth" was used.
n1 #alue was based on surface irregularities and for $ost cases a #alue of (.((!
($inor irregularity" was used.
1
n* #alue was based on #ariation of channel cross sections and for $ost cases a
#alue of (.((! (alternating occasionally" was used.
n+ #alue was based on the relati#e effect of obstruction and this #alue #aried
depending upon the location of the particular cross section. -or o#er ban7 sections
where there were significant a$ount structures to obstruct the flow& a #alue of
(.(9 (se#ere" was used: while for other cases& $inor to appreciable obstruction
#alues were used. -or $ost of the thalweg sections& a #alue of .(1! ($inor" was
used.
n, #alue was based on the effect of #egetation. -or $ost of the thalweg sections& a
#alue of (.(1! (for $ediu$" was used& while for o#er ban7 sections a #alue of
(.((! (low" was used.
-or $!& a #alue of 1 ($inor" was used as the distance between successi#e cross
section was *(( ft and there was not any significant effect of $eandering for this
short reach length.
The roughness calculation for Left O#er 2an7 (LO2"& 4ight O#er 2an7 (4O2" and
Thalweg is presented in Table 1.
The co$posite Manningsn for channel was calculated based on the for$ula gi#en in V.T.
Chows Open Channel Hydraulics. The i$pro#ed Channel cross section was di#ided into
fi#e sections; Thalweg& Left side (L3"& Left 2ase (L2"& 4ight side (43" and 4ight 2ase
(42". The roughness factor for Thalweg was calculated considering different roughness
factors as gi#en in Table 1. The co$posite Mannings n for channel calculation is shown
in Table *.
-or the side slopes and side bases (L3& 43& L2 and 42" following #alues were used.
4iprap ' (.(+! (9/inch riprap"& (.(, (1*/inch riprap"& (.(,+ (1</inch riprap"
4ough =raded ' (.(*!
*
Concrete ' (.(1!
=rass Lined ' (.(+
Then an e0ui#alent Mannings roughness was calculated based on the gi#en for$ula as
gi#en in the pre#iously $entioned boo7 by V. T. Chow.
The for$ula is based on calculating the $ean of the wetted peri$eters. The for$ula is
gi#en below;
where&
> ' 1etted >eri$eter for a particular section
n ' Mannings n for the sa$e section
+
+
*
+
*
! .. 1 ! .. 1
+ +
! .. 1
* *
! .. 1
1 1
" ....... (
P
n P n P n P n P
n
N N
+ + + +
=