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Prediction of One-Day Ahead Flood-Levels
of Kosi River Using Neural Networks
-- Sahay Rajeev Ranjan
This paper is an attempt to predict one-day ahead flood levels of a river using Neural Networks (NNs), when only available records are flood levels of previous days. The Basua of Kosi river, India, is selected as the focus site. Several NNs are constructed and floods are forecasted. The results found that the feed forward back propagation network with input layer consisting of past two days’ flood levels and the hidden layer with four neurons to be the best performing NN model for forecasting the current flood level. The same datasets were utilized for prediction of flood levels from the five developed Autoregression models (ARs). The predicted results of flood levels by NNs are very satisfactory and acceptable as compared to ARs and seems to be a good alternative for flood forecasting. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
A Mathematical Model for Predicting Friction Factor and
Conveyance at Mahuwa Gauging Station Using
Purna River Data, India
-- Bhoomi Andharia and B K Samtani
The friction factor of an open channel flow is generally affected by the characteristics of the fluid, flow, geometry of the channel and the characteristics of the channel boundary. Large research was carried out for the study of friction factor using one or more parameters like Froude number, relative flow depth, hydraulic mean depth, slope, flow Reynolds number, size of the particles, etc. However, in each study only limited numbers of the parameters were considered. In alluvial rivers depending upon the flow conditions, any of the above parameters may vary and predominate to change the friction factor. So, here an attempt was made to compute the friction factor following different methods and approaches based on the field data of Purna river and study the variation of conveyance with friction factor. The mathematical model to predict the friction factor for the Purna river at Mahuwa Gauging station was developed by using the average value of the friction factor obtained by various methods, approaches and the multiple regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis was carried out by using the nonlinear curve fitter of the Origin 7.5 software. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Web-Based Participatory Irrigation
Management for Sungai Bernam River Basin
-- T J Deepak, M S M Amin, Rashid Shariff, Rahman Ramli,
M K Rowshon and Anusuiya Subramaniam
Irrigation water management has significant economic implications in developing countries like Malaysia. While the structural infrastructure has been created with a huge financial investment in these countries, it is vital that appropriate non-structural measures are to be adopted for efficient water management. Scientific policies of operation of irrigation systems need to be developed with the aid of mathematical tools and implemented in practice. In this new technological and information age, water is becoming a source of conflict between domestic, industrial and agricultural use. The concept of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) has been recognized all over the world as a tool for improving irrigation management along with sustainability of the system. Irrigation systems need to be restructured to make water management efficient. A 3-tier architecture framework was carefully studied and implemented to create the WebPIM model. WebPIM lays a platform for allowing public participation in disputes and resolving decision-making processes in conflicting situations, especially in cases, involving many stakeholders. WebPIM is an internet-based model that is created to benefit the users in the water management sectors in order to support decision makers on the issues concerned to irrigation water management. In developing countries the institutional mechanisms of filling the digital gap between the urban and rural communities are poor. By strengthening the involvement of government departments and private agencies, the database can be very effectively used by all stakeholders at the same time narrowing the digital gap between the urban and rural communities in the development of country. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Civil Engineering Aspects of Tsunami Resistant Buildings:
A Forensic Approach
-- Y S Prabhakar, M Potha Raju and K Manjulavani
The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused extensive damage to buildings, infrastructure and to coastal lifeline structures including atomic power plants. Entire regions in Japan were flooded, swept away or reduced to ruin. Similarly, the tsunami in December, 2004 caused extensive damage in several countries in Asia. Earthquake in the seabed sent walls of water against the coasts of southeast Asia. Situation demands for a porous wall construction. Santhanam (2004) reiterated the need of intensive plantations on the coastal line for wave energy dissipation and to protect structures, from direct impact of killer (tsunami) wave. Tsunami resistant buildings must be designed to resist the combined influence of earthquake and tsunamis. Even though tsunami occurrence is rare, it is felt desirable to have a separate code of practice in order to ensure safe/long-term performance of the constructed facilities. The study of damaged buildings (forensic aspects), learning from failures will give more vital information and expected to bring about rational changes to the existing design practice. This paper embodies some critical review of civil engineering aspects to be adopted with tsunami’s effects and the combination of earthquakes and tsunamis in mind. It also gives facts about characteristics of tsunami induced waves. Andhra Pradesh government has decided to construct 1230, dwelling units in the proposed tsunami-resistant housing colonies for fishermen in the coastal villages of Vizianagaram district. Soil investigations were carried out in the proposed sites and recommendations/guidelines were given for better tsunami resistant buildings are discussed. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
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