LECTURE NO.

10

CANAL LINING

Engr. Shafiq-ur-Rahman Sameja

 CANAL LINING

 For canals we means only the unlined earthen

canals. These unlined canals are compacted to
some extent but the seepage cannot be prevented.
Therefore to prevent the quantity of seepage the
canals are lined. Different materials are used for
the lining.
 Canal lining is an expensive business but in
certain cases it is unavoidable. This is required
for the following purposes.
 Canal lining is the process of reducing seepage
loss of irrigation water by adding an
impermeable layer to the edges of the trench.
WHY CANAL LINING IS NEEDED

1. When the track of land through which the canal

is passing is highly pervious or permeable.
2. When the loss of water through seepage is very
high
3. In order to check the process of water logging.
4. For the defense purposes, i.e. when the canal is
to serve as a line of defense and a very high
velocity is desired in the canal.
5. In case of head race and tail race of a
hydroelectric power station situated on a canal
fall.
ADVANTAGE OF CANAL LINING

1. Reduction of seepage losses, resulting in a

saving of water which can be utilized for
additional irrigation.
2. Reduction off percolation to the ground water
reservoir, leading to prevention of water
logging.
3. Reduction of maintenance cost and the
possibility of breaking due to stability of the
section
4. Improvements of commands due to flatter
slopes.
5. Prevention of weed growth.
6. By lining a channel, its cross-section is reduced,
which means a saving in the earth work and the
land to be acquired.

7. The risk of pilferage by cultivators is greatly

reduced.

8. Salts will not be absorbed.

 PROPERTIES DETERMINING THE
SUITABILITY OF CANAL LINING MATERIAL

1. Water Tightness: This is determined by the

permeability of lining and will determine the
savings in seepage losses and hence the most
important benefits resulting from the lining.

2. Hydraulic Efficiency: It is measured by the

coefficient of Rigidity of the lining surface and
determines the discharging capacity of the
channel.
3. Initial cost and Subsequent Maintenance
Cost: To be economically feasible the lining
must be moderate in first cost and cheap to
maintain.

4. Strength and Durability: The lining should

be strong and durable and get possesses a
reasonable degree of flexibility to adopt itself to
slight depression in the sub-grade.

5. Ability to resist the growth of weed and attacks

of burrowing animals.
 TYPES OF LINING

1. Concrete lining

2. Shotcrete or plaster

3. Brick tiles

4. Asphaltic lining

5. Lining of earth material

6. Stone blocks, concrete blocks

1. CONCRETE LINING
 An essential condition for the success of concrete
lining is a firm foundation. Natural earth in
cutting is usually satisfactory. Banks on which
lining is to be laid should be thoroughly
compacted. In soils of low permeability it may be
necessary to arrange for the drainage of banks to
avoid the development of back pressure on the
lining when the banks get saturated by rains.
 The lining are 2" --4 1/2" thick. The banks should
always be made at self supporting slope. The
thickness required is governed by the
requirements of imperviousness and the
structural strength to resist cracking or slight
movement of the sub-grade.
Concrete Lining
 As the reinforcement interferes with the working
of certain types of mechanical equipment needed
for placing of concrete, the use of R.C.C is usually
not recommended, until & unless the strength
requirements needs to do so. Also the proper
contraction and construction joints are to be
provided.
 In side slopes flatter than 1:1, the form-work for
placing concrete is not used. Also in order to
prevent the absorption of moisture from lower
layers of concrete, by the rub-grade, the sub-
grade has to be saturated up to a depth of 12: for
sandy soil and up to 6." in case of other soils.
However it may cause mudding as well as the
unevenness of the subgrade.
 Spreading oil paper on the sub-grade or painting
the subgrade by crude oil before placing the
concrete may overcome the problem of mudding
etc.

2. SHOTCRETE LINING
 Shotcrete consists of a mixture of cement and
sand having a maximum grain size of 3/16".
Shotcrete is forced under pressure through a
nozzle on the surface of the channel being laid.
The usual thickness in which shotcrete is laid is 1
1/2". may also be used.
 Shotcrete can be placed on irregular surface thus
dispensing with the necessity of fine dressing of
the subgrade.
 Shotcreting is of particular advantage in rock
cuts. It has been found very satisfactory for the
resurfacing of badly cracked and leaking but
structurally sound old concrete lining.
3. BRICK LINING
 Bricks are placed on the sub-grade with of 1:3
c/s mortar sandwiched in between. The brick
masonry is reinforced as well. For lining work bet
quality bricks should be utilized. They should be
fully saturated before lining and also the
subgrade should be moistened before the first
layer of brick.
4. ASPHALTIC LINING
 A mixture of asphalt, cement and aggregate is
mixed and placed by hand and by equipment
similar to that used in cement concrete.
 Another type of asphalt lining in which 1/4” layer
of asphalt is sprayed in place at a high
temperature of 400OF and covered with a 12”
layer of earth material for compaction.
5. LINING OF EARTHEN MATERIALS

 Earthen materials may be utilized for canal

lining in the following forms:
A. Clay puddle: Clay is saturated with water and
is mixed thoroughly by trembling under men or
cattle feet. A layer of clay puddle about 1” thick
protected by a cover of 1 deep silt or soil will
serve as an excellent impervious cut-off face for
seepage.
B. Compacted Earth: Selected graded soil
containing enough percentage of fine to make it
highly impermeable when thoroughly
compacted at optimum moisture content, may
be used to provide 1 to 3 thickness.
C. Soil Cement: Soil cement canal lining are
made up of a mixture of cement and soil
containing less than 35% of fine fraction passing
No.200 sieve. The cement is from 2 to 8% of soil.
The two are thoroughly mixed and required
quantity of water to bring the soil to its
optimum moisture content is added and mixed,
the material is placed at site and compacted.
Curing is done at least 7 days.
6. STONE AND CONCRETE BLOCK LINING

 Dressed stone is costly to be used in lining except

in short reaches where a very hard wearing
surface is required. Undressed round stones or
boulders set in mortar may be provided in
reaches where boulders are available and the loss
of head is of no consideration.

 The thickness of this type of lining is 12 to 18

inches . Precast concrete block lining is similar in
nature to brick tile lining. At the site the laying
can be carried by ordinary masons.
STONE AND CONCRETE BLOCK LINING