Irrigation Insights 3 - Guidelines for good practice for the construction and refurbishment of earthen irrigation channel banks

Product Information

Good asset management practices can significantly increase the life of an irrigation channel and reduce its life cycle costs.

This publication provides a guide to methods of construction and refurbishment of earthen irrigation channel banks.

The Guidelines provide practical guidance for the construction and refurbishment of earthen irrigation channel banks, which, if followed, should reduce life cycle costs. Throughout Australia the irrigation industry has been undergoing major restructuring and staff reductions, resulting in the loss of technical expertise. The wide spread loss of industry expertise in earthen channel design and construction was apparent during this research project, and the Guidelines have therefore endeavoured to capture existing industry knowledge and extend that further through the research project.

Earthen irrigation channel banks are of considerable economic importance. They form a substantial part of the initial construction and on-going costs of an irrigation system. The selection of appropriate design, construction, operation and maintenance standards will determine the life-cycle cost of the banks and in turn the life-cycle cost of an entire irrigation system.