Technical and economic considerations in the design of closed conduit irrigation systems: A case study

Closed conduit irrigation systems are designed to respond to moisture requirements and permit water application at different required rates. The formulation of these requirements allows the engineer to select one of the many possibilities of the water system layouts. However, the requirement that the cost of the system for a given set of operational conditions should be minimal is not always included in the design because of the difficulties in selecting the most economic layout among the many alternatives.The main parameters characterizing pipe irrigation systems are presented and discussed. A trade-off among the irrigation system components for various layouts is presented in a case study and discussed, emphasizing the complexity of the decision-making procedure.