Dissertation (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 1996. / One copy microfiche. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original microfiche. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present network of now gauging stations in South Africa has grown from isolated observations on an ad extensive is to an extensive network of stations across the country. Standardised gauging stations to suit local conditions have been developed which include purposely desigll4:d compound weirs. Nearly all. compound gauging weirs In South Africa have. for practical reasons. been constructed without dividing walls. thus deviating lr',:.n the standards set by the British Standards Institution (1981). Uncertainty about the accuracy of calibration of such structures had to be darifi,ed and. where ~cessary. adjustments had to be made to existing calibration formulae in order to compensate for the de,,·iations. It was also necessary to determine whether the accuracies that could be attained were adequate in terms of the potential financial implications of inaccuracies. It has thus become necessary to re-evaluate the calibration of these structures which consist of mainly compound Crump .md sharp-crested weirs. Selected flow l"t'Cords were analysed and the data wa.\ used to determine the impact of errors on the required capacities of reservoirs. This wa., done in an anempt to provide guidelines for the accuracy required in flow records. An31ysing a single application of a flow record cannot provide guidelines for the required accuracy of a flow record and thus the gauging of flow. Although no general conclusions can be drawn. it appears thal the benefits arising from an improvement in the accuracy of a flow record are proportionally greater than the percentage improvement in accuracy. Three-dimensional flow conditions exist either upstream or downstream of the point of stage measurement depending on the presence or absence of diViding walls at a compound gauging weir. The existing calibro1tion theory does not account for the influences of three-dimensional flow conditions and a.-'isociatcd energy losses in the determination of the upstream total energy head. Hydraulic model tests were thus undenaken to detemline the magnitude of the resulting energy losses. New techniques were developed to compensate for these energy losses in the calibration theory of compound gauging weirs. Application of the new calculation techniques to rate compound weirs using a single point of stage measurement results in improvements in accuracy. It was found that compound weirs without dividing walls can be rated to greater levels of accuracy than weirs with dividing walls, where stage measurements are taken at a single point / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige nc!werk van vloclmectpumc III SUld-Afnka hel gegroei van gc'isoleerde waamemings op 'n ad hoc basis, tot 'n uitgebrcldc nctwerk. van meetpunte vcrsprei oor die hele land, Standaard mcetstruktuure aangepas vir plaaslike omstandighede is ontwikkei en sluit in doelgeboudc saamgestelde mcetstrukture. Byltans aile saamgestelde mcetstruklure in Suid-Afrika is weens praktisc oorwegings opgerig sonder verdeelmure, wal afwyk van die standaarde gestel deur die British Standards Institution (1981). Onsekerhede aangaande die akkuraathcid ,'an die kaJibrasie van sulke slrukture moes opgekJaar word en unpassjngs un die beSlaande leorie moes gedoen word om hier'OOf te kompenseer. iodien nodig. Oil was ook nodig om va~ Ie s,tel of akkuraathede Waf hulbaar is voldoende is, met inagneming Vlll poIensi~1c finamiitle implikasies van onakkuruthede. Oit hel dus nodig gcword om die bestaandc kaJibra.liic van saamgestelde meetstrukture. hoofsaakJik Crump en sterpkroin meetwaJle, Ie hcr·cval~r. Seleere vloei:rekords is ontl~ en die data is gcbruik om die impak van foule ~ bepaal op die berekende k.apasitei~ van opgaardamme. Oil IS gedoen in 'n poging om riglyne neer te Ie rakende die akkuraatheid verlang in 'n vloeirekord. Die ontleding van '0 enkele loepassing van 'n vloeirekord lewer nie genoegsame data om riglyne vas Ie stell. "ir die verlanp akkuraalheid van 'n vloeirekord of vloeimeling nie. AlhoeweJ geen duidelike riglyne hieruii vOilr1spruit nie. kom dit voor asof die voordele verkry uit '0 verbetering io die akkuraatheid van 'n vloeirekord in verhouding groter is as die vcrmiodering in die vloeimetingsfout. Drie-dimensionele II'loeitoeslande bestaan of stroomop of stroomaf van die punt van watervlakmeting, afl1iangende van die 'cenwoordigheid of afwesigheid van vcrdeelmure by 'n saamgestclde meetstlruktuur. Die beslaande kalibrasieleorie maak nie voorsiening vIr die invloed van drie-dimensionele vloeitoestande en die gepaardgaande energieverlicse op die bepahng van die totale stroomop energiehoogte nie. Hidrouliese mode1tor: sc is ondemeem om die omvang van die resulterende energieverliese vas te ste!. Nuwe tegnieke in die kaJibrasieteorie vir saamgestelde strukture is ontwikk.e1 0:t1 tc kompenseer vir hierdie energieverliese. 'n Verbc:tcde akkuraatheid word verkry wanneer die nuwe tegniek toegepas word op die kalibrasie van saamge~telde meetstrukture met 'n enkele punt van watervla.kmeting. Daar is gevind daR saamgestelde meetstrukture sonder verdeelmure illurater gekalibn:er lean word. as suuktt.Rmet vcrdeelmure waar walervlakke slegs by 'n enkclc punt gemeet word.