NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY 
 
      DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND WATER ENGINEERING 
 
IRRIGATION SYSTEMS DESIGN  
TCW 3204 
 
 
Main Examination Paper    
May 2015 
 
This examination paper consists of 4 pages 
 
 
 
Time Allowed:   3 hours 
 
Total Marks:  100 
 
Special Requirements: NONE 
 
Examiner’s Name: MR T. THEBE 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Answer ALL questions 
2. Each question carries 25 marks 
 
MARK ALLOCATION 
 
QUESTION  MARKS 
1.  25 
2.  25 
3.  25 
4.  25 
5.  25 
TOTAL  100 
 
 
 
Page 1 of 4 
Copyright: National University of Science and Technology, 2015 

TCW 3204 
QUESTION 1

1. You are given the following details for the designing of a suitable semi-portable/semi-
permanent sprinkler irrigation system in a low rainfall area with a reliable groundwater
supply:

The area targeted for irrigation is 25 ha. The soils are dark clay loams with a maximum
infiltration rate of 10 mm/hr. The soil available water is 150 mm/m. Maize with a maximum
crop height of 2 m, rooting zone depth of 0.7 m, peak water requirement of 6.1 mm/day, and
allowable soil moisture depletion of 55% is to be grown during the dry season when there is
no effective rainfall. The maximum wind speed is 11 km/hr. A borehole with a maximum
safe yield of 100 m3/hr supplies water to a 250 m3 plastered brick reservoir that is located at
the top edge of the field (15m from the beginning of the field). Field slope is 1% from the
location of the reservoir to the bottom edge of the field. Electricity supply is available at the
reservoir. Adequate semi-skilled and unskilled labour is available for system operation.

Design a semi-portable/semi-permanent sprinkler irrigation system for the 25ha rectangular

field with your chosen field dimensions, complete with a bill of quantities and clearly stated
assumptions. You can make use of Table 1 below for sprinkler selection. [25 marks]

Table 1: Sprinkler characteristics under different layouts.

Sprinkler Sprinkler
precipitation precipitation Sprinkler
Sprinkler Sprinkler rate rate precipitation
Nozzle operating Sprinkler wetted (mm/hr) at (mm/hr) at rate (mm/hr)
diameter pressure discharge diameter 12 x 12m 12 x 18m at 18 x 18m
size (kPa) (m3/hr) (m) layout layout layout

3 350 0.68 26.2 4.72 - -

3.5 350 0.89 28.35 6.18 - -
4 350 1.16 30.50 8.06 5.37 -
4.5 350 1.42 32.0 9.86 6.57 -
4.5 400 1.52 33.05 10.56 7.04 5.25
5 350 1.84 34.3 - 8.52 5.68
5 400 1.96 35.6 - 9.07 6.05

Page 2 of 4 
Copyright: National University of Science and Technology, 2015 

TCW 3204 
QUESTION 2

2a). Propose an alternative drip irrigation system for the irrigation of the same field given in
question 1. Assume a maize spacing of 0.9 m between rows, and 0.3 m within rows. State any
other assumptions that you make. [15 marks]

2b). Compare the two systems and state the system that would be more preferable to the
client (farmer) focusing on water resources, pumping cost, capital cost, prospective yields.
[10 marks]

QUESTION 3

3ai). Design a concrete-lined irrigation main canal to carry 300 m3/hr from a take-off point
that is at an elevation of 97 m above a reference datum to a point that is the canal field
turnout at an elevation of 96 m above a reference datum at a distance of 1 km away from the
take-off point. Assume that the canal follows a straight line and that the ground slope is
uniform along the full length of the canal. Assume a roughness co-efficient, n, of 0.016.
Ignore the take-off and turn-out structural details. [13 marks]

3aii). State the material and equipment requirements for the construction of your given design
with given assumptions about each material type, presenting a bill of quantities. [5 marks]

3b). Is it possible to replace the concrete-lined main canal stated above with a PVC pipe main
line of an acceptable and available size. Justify your answer based on calculations. [7 marks]

QUESTION 4

4a). Explain the role of night storage reservoirs in irrigation schemes that make use of the
surface irrigation method in group-managed schemes compared to individually-managed
irrigation schemes. [5 marks]

4b). Detail the method that is internationally accepted for the estimation of reference crop
evaporation-transpiration and how it is used to determine crop water requirements for the
purposes of designing irrigation systems. [8 marks]

4c). Discuss the major management variables considered in the design and operation of
irrigation systems and the key hydraulic evaluations undertaken to assess irrigation system
performance. [12 marks]

Page 3 of 4 
Copyright: National University of Science and Technology, 2015 

TCW 3204 
QUESTION 5

5a). A 1 m contracted rectangular weir is constructed to measure flow in a lined secondary

canal where water is being diverted from the main canal to irrigate a block of fields that
measure 50 ha. These fields are irrigated using surface irrigation methods over a 6 day cycle
during day-time hours not exceeding 12 hours. The soil available water is 150 mm/m. Wheat
with a maximum crop height of 0.85 m, rooting zone depth of 0.9 m, peak water requirement
of 5.9 mm/day, and allowable soil moisture depletion of 50% is to be grown during the dry
season when there is no effective rainfall. Assuming a 50% overall system efficiency from
the take-off point to on-field use, calculate the amount of water diverted and the design water
depth measured at the weir. [15 marks]

5b). Explain the importance of land leveling in the design of surface irrigation systems and
the key factors for consideration in land leveling operations. [10 marks]

END OF QUESTION PAPER

Page 4 of 4 
Copyright: National University of Science and Technology, 2015 

TCW 3204 
 ANNEX A – USEFUL FORMULAE FOR PRESSURIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEM
DESIGN

Christiansen’s: m co-efficient = 1.852 for Hazen-Williams equation

Number of F F'
sprinklers,
N
2 0.64 0.52
3 0.53 0.44
4 0.49 0.41
5 0.46 0.40
6 0.44 0.39
7 0.43 0.38
8 0.42 0.38
9 0.41 0.37
10 0.40 0.37
12 0.39 0.37
14 0.39 0.36
16 0.38 0.36
18 0.38 0.36
20 0.38 0.36
25 0.37 0.36
30 0.37 0.36
35 0.37 0.36
40 0.36 0.36
50 0.36 0.35

Hazen-Williams:
L = the length of pipe, m;
Q = the flow in L/s;
D = the inside diameter of the pipe, mm;
where:
K = 1.21 × 1010 C -1.852 where C is the
pipe roughness coefficient (assume 140
for PVC and 120 for aluminium);
d1 = 1.852 and d2 = 4.87 

For travelling rain guns:

dgross = qs / (vWT)
where WT is the width of the travel lane (i.e. the distance between travel lanes)
and v is the linear velocity of the sprinkler cart.
hl = kV2 / 2g
where hl = the loss, k = the loss coefficient, V2/2g = the velocity head.
The loss coefficients in the sprinkler cart and hose-reel cart were found to be
1.76 and 3.91, respectively.

TCW 3204 
TCW 3204