Determination of Factors of Vital Importance in the Design of Fuse-Plugs

Authors

Abstract

Fuse-plug is a very important appurtenance to irrigation and other water supply systems; therefore, many theoretical and experimental investigations have been performed to design and construct a better structure. However, employing the numerical modeling in the design of this structure has been relatively neglected. The BREACH numerical model along with the finite difference method was used to solve the hydraulic and sediment transfer equations, particularly for calculating the time required for the complete wash out of a fuse-plug containing a vertical or an oblique argillaceous core. Construction of nomograms facilitated calculation of the wash out time of the plugs with vertical or oblique argillaceous cores. It was observed that the fuse-plug with the core slope of 120o and the m/H ratio of 0.4 (m: thickness of core, H: high of dyke) offers the best design. Employing the numerical models (BREACH, SEEPW, and STABL) revealed that the optimum compaction percentage for the fuse–plug was 84%. Results also confirmed that ripraps better protect the downstream shell of the fuse plugs against erosion than vegetative covers.