Installing a flume in your water management system is a very delicate process. If you don’t install your flume correctly, it can lead to major problems that threaten the viability of your operation. One of the most common issues your flume can encounter is a problem with its hydraulics, meaning its floor is too low and is causing submergence.
Fortunately, when your flume hydraulics are incorrect, you can avoid spending a large amount of money on repairs by using a replacement floor. Learn more about using replacement floors to correct flume hydraulics and get advice for purchasing the best fiberglass water management tools available.
Uses of Replacement Floors
Replacement floors are commonly referred to as “magic floors,” and they are one of the most convenient, cost-effective solutions for correcting flume hydraulics. Generally, a magic floor is used to raise the height of a flume floor that has been installed too low. These floors can also be used in flumes that are frequently experiencing submergence due to poor downstream conditions.
While replacement floors are primarily used to correct installation errors, they are sometimes used to fix a manufacturing defect, such as a defective floor or a distortion caused by insufficient cribbing. Using a replacement floor is a good solution for these issues, as you would otherwise have to purchase a new flume altogether.
Placing Your Flume
One of the biggest advantages of using a magic floor for your flume is that the installation method will be the same regardless of the flume type you are using. Replacement floors will usually be secured in your flume with wedges, screws, or lag bolting. You will use wedges and screws when you only need to correct a small error in elevation while lag bolting is implemented for large elevation changes.
It’s important to be very careful when securing your replacement floor, as this device is intended to be permanent. Continually positioning and then repositioning your replacement floor may cause further damage.
Floor Elevation and Upstream Conditions
When using a replacement floor, the most important decision you will need to make is the elevation at which you will install the floor. This will largely depend on what error you are trying to correct.
For example, if you are attempting to fix downstream conditions that are resulting in submergence, you will use the same calculations that you would when installing a flume for free flow conditions. The only real limitation on the height of your replacement floor is how much head the upstream channel can handle. However, you will usually not elevate the floor of your flume beyond one-sixth of its total height.
Install Replacement Floors
If you need to correct the hydraulics in your flume, the best solution is using a replacement floor, which can be used in Parshall, Montana, and Cutthroat flumes. To get the replacement floors that you need to change the elevation in your flume, you need to work with the team at Tracom, FRP.
Tracom is a manufacturer of fiberglass water management products, and we offer flumes that can be used with replacement floors. Request your quote from Tracom today so that you can purchase the fiberglass products you need.
