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![]() Appendix A: Design Procedure for Riprap Armor 
models can be used to determine depth-averaged velocities but are rarely justified 
due to cost. Figure A.2 presents an empirical method to estimate the ratio 
by R/W and aspect ratio. The following notation is used: 
Vss 
= characteristic side slope velocity (maximum at any point along bend) 
(length/time), 
Vavg 
= average channel velocity at upstream end of bend in the main channel 
only (length/time), 
R 
= center-line radius of bend (length), and 
W 
= water-surface width of the main channel, length (note that W here 
should not be confused with stone weight). 
Velocity downstream of bends decays at approximately the following rate: No 
decay in first channel width of bend exit; decay of Vss/Vavg = 0.1 per channel 
width until Vss/Vavg = 1.0. For straight channels sufficiently far (>5W-10W) 
from upstream bends,  Vss/Vavg shown in Figure A.3 are recommended. 
However, few channels are straight enough to use Vss/Vavg < 1. See Figure A.4 
for a description of VSS and Figure A.5 for the location in a trapezoidal channel 
bend where the maximum near-bank velocity was located. Figure A.6 shows the 
variation in velocity over the side slope in the exit region downstream of a bend. 
Figures A.4, A.5, and A.6 are presented to illustrate concepts; the designer 
should consider the specific geometry. For equal cross-sectional areas, steep side 
slopes tend to move the maximum bend velocities away from the side slope; 
whereas, mild side slopes allow the maximum bend velocities to occur over the 
side slope. Analytical methods are velocity estimation, such as velocities 
resulting from subsections of a water-surface profile computation, should be used 
only in straight reaches, in which case the velocity from the subsection adjacent 
to the bank subsection should be used as VSS in design of bank riprap. Appendix 
G in EM 1110-2-1601 provides a velocity estimation method based on using 
observed field data to estimate riprap design velocities. 
(2) Stone Size Relations. The basic equation for the representative stone size in 
straight or curved channels is 
2.5 
1/2 
W 
V 
D30 ' SfCsCvCTd 
(A.3) 
s & W 
K1gd 
A-12 
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