Review of Hydraulics of Spillways and Energy Dissipators by R. M. Khatsuria: Marcel Dekker, New York, 2005; ISBN 0-8247-5789-0; 649 pp. Price: $199.95/£115.

In the past decade, a number of books were written for hydraulic engineering, including Hydraulics of Open Channel Flow by Sergio Montes (1998), Dam Hydraulics by Daniel L. Vischer and Willi H. Hager (1998), Hydraulic Structures by Pavel Novak et al. (2001), and The Hydraulics of Stepped Chutes and Spillways by Hubert Chanson (2002). The present book is a welcomed addition to engineering knowledge because a number of topics relevant in the design of hydraulic structures related to dam engineering are highlighted, and issues developed mainly in India are now internationally available.

The book contains four sections: “Spillways,” with 18 chapters; “Energy Dissipators,” with 7; “Cavitation and Air Entrainment” with 3; and “Hydraulic Modeling,” with 1 chapter. Section one covers over half of the book; whereas, Section two has 25%, Section three has 10%, and Section four contains 30 pages.

Section one opens with introductionary chapters relating to spillways in general and their selection for a particular spillway type in terms of site conditions, design flood, and cost. The relevant knowledge on the Ogee spillways is presented in Chapter 4 including crest shape, discharge characteristics, and crest pressures. The side channel spillway is highlighted in Chapter 5, with the determination of the free surface profile, shock waves due to chute contractions and bends, and the effect of piers. Chapter 6 relates to stepped spillways with the possible three flow regimes, the hydraulic features of skimming flow, air entrainment, and energy dissipation. Siphon spillways are treated in Chapter 7 with a description of the hydraulic action, design considerations and the discharge capacity, effects of waves, and the stability aspects of those structures. Shaft spillways are then described in Chapter 8, with particular attention to the free intake flow type, both the water and air entrainment characteristics along the shaft and the downstream tunnel, air release systems, and the main aspects of vortex drops. In Chapter 9, labyrinth spillways are accounted for in terms of the various design parameters, discharge characteristics, and practical issues. Tunnel spillways are investigated in Chapter 10, yet the important aspects of the air-water flow are not discussed. Chapter 11 relates to the free jet and straight drop spillways with a particular emphasis on the air entrainment characteristics of falling water jets, the use of nappe splitters, and the development of plunge-pool scour. Fuse plugs are described in Chapter 12, including some design guidelines in terms of discharge. Chapter 13 relates to spillways used for flood and sediment disposal and Chapter 14 to unlined spillways, thereby accounting for rock erosion. Inflatable rubber weirs are treated in Chapter 15 by accounting for hydraulic and the structural design aspects. Means to protect spillways from overtopping are discussed in Chapter 16, and spillway crest gates receive attention in Chapter 17. Typical gate designs are introduced along with their advantages in certain cases and the hydrodynamic forces to be expected during floods. Finally, Chapter 18 relates to the construction stages of spillways.

Section two opens with Chapter 19 with a description of typical energy dissipators in dam engineering. Hydraulic jump stilling basins are reviewed in Chapter 20 including a classification, the sequent depth ratio, turbulence characteristics, and air entrainment. The basic stilling basin designs as proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), among others, are then presented. This long chapter concludes with structural design aspects and the hydrodynamic forces to be expected for such basins. Trajectory buckets are accounted for in Chapter 21 with design information of the various bucket components, their hydraulic characteristics, the effect of submergence on such spillways and the aspects of scour. A number of special bucket designs such as flip buckets are also reviewed. Chapter 22 relates to solid and slotted roller buckets, with a description of their hydraulic performance based on prototype experience. Energy dissipators for tunnel spillways are described in Chapter 23 involving mainly the expanding dissipator and its design. The impact-type energy dissipator is accounted for in Chapter 24, and Chapter 25 relates to so-called unconventional designs.

Section three describes the features of cavitation in dam engineering. Chapter 26 gives an account on cavitation, with a subchapter relating to the prevention of cavitation damage. Air entrainment and forced aeration are reviewed in Chapter 27, with particular emphasis on the classical results of Straub and Anderson and more recent results on self-aeration in chutes. Chute aerators are then analyzed in the second part, with a description of the types proposed and their hydraulic design, including the air supply structure. Both surface and tunnel spillways are accounted for in this important chapter. Finally, aspects of hydraulic modeling spillways and energy dissipators are found in Chapter 28. These include scale effects, the interaction between fluid flow and structure, and the analysis of the results. A subject index is arranged at the end of the book.

Khatsuria’s book covers the essentials of dam hydraulics. Notably, however, none of the books mentioned in the introduction of this review is quoted therein, although the relevant references are normally contained at the end of each chapter. Sometimes, references appear to be a little bit outdated and have more of a historical interest. The book is illustrated with a large number of figures, which are mostly clear but not of the current standard. Some photographs are added, but the subject matter would ask for many more. Hydraulic structures, both in the laboratory and in prototypes, may be highly attractive, and selected photographs describe certain aspects much better than words. I am sure that such illustrations should have been available. For my taste, the book has too many chapters, and it would have been wise to reduce their number by half. There are some core chapters with a rich and fresh appearance such as Chapters 4, 5, 8, 20, 21 and 26–28; whereas, others do not add, by themselves, too much and could have easily been incorporated into others. I have also seen a few typographical errors, mainly in the references, which were partly incomplete and may cause difficulties in the retrieval process. All symbols used in the text are explained when introduced and, in addition, listed at the end of each chapter, thereby particularly helping the “fast reader.” Examples are added to several of the chapters that illustrate a certain design procedure and are certainly welcomed by the reader. The price of the book is considered at the upper limit, and I guess that all intending to purchase it may be a bit shocked.

In summary, this book by R. M. Khatsuria is a highly welcomed addition to the hydraulic literature; it presents the major aspects of dam hydraulics and adds a number of details that definitely aid the profession and add knowledge, particularly from India, a country currently rich in the design of novel hydropower installations. Except for the criticism expressed previously in terms of organization and price, the book may be recommended to postgraduate students in hydraulic engineering, to practicing hydraulic engineers as a precious design guideline, and to researchers in this fascinating field of water sciences.