“…In this context, empirical and semi-empirical equations are very useful in D L prediction, once they facilitate the process of obtaining D L from few parameters related to the characteristics of the water flow (Ribeiro, Silva, Soares, & Guedes, 2010). Currently, there are several equations (Seo & Cheong, 1998;Kashefipour & Falconer, 2002;Rieckermann, Neumann, Ort, & Gujer, 2005;Barbosa Jr., Silva, Neves, & Devens, 2005;Devens et al, 2006;Ribeiro et al, 2010;Devens, Barbosa, Silva, & Giorgetti, 2010). However, these equations have been deduced for specific conditions of flow, limiting their applicability to similar geometric and hydraulic conditions.…”