Ecw311 - Topic 4 Infiltration

Infiltration
Lectured By: Awang Nasrizal Bin Awang Ali

Room: G321
Ext: 7436
Website: http://nasreyzal.weebly.com
1 Credits to BCB/UiTM
Previous Lessons
 The concept and factors affecting evaporation

 Measurement of evaporation by indirect method
 The evaporation equation (water budget equation)
2 ANAA/UiTMKS/EC/ECW311
Learning Outcomes [LO]
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

 understand the concept of infiltration
 determine infiltration rate
 determine coefficient of infiltration
 able to use Horton’s index
Introduction
 Infiltration: flow of water into the ground the soil
surface.
 Infiltration occurs both prior to and during the
occurrence of surface runoff but decreases with
time until a minimum rate of infiltration is reached.
Analogy for Infiltration
 Consider a small container as
shown in figure.
 When water is poured into the
container, a part of it will go
into the container and a part
overflows.
 The container can only hold a fixed
quantity and when it is full, no
more flow into the container can
take place.
The Infiltration Model
Factors Affecting Infiltration
1. Soil porosity
2. Initial moisture content
3. Vegetative cover
4. Rainfall intensity and rain drop size
5. Entrapped air
6. Season
7. Land slope
8. Man’s action
Soil Porosity
 Determines the storage available for infiltrated water
and affects resistance to flow of water.
 Infiltration increases with porosity.
 Infiltration is influenced by the size of soil particle, the
degree of bond between individual particle, and its
arrangement.
 Infiltration is greater in sandy soil than in clay.
Initial Moisture Content
 Has a great influence on the infiltration capacity.
 The higher moisture content, the lesser the
infiltration rate of the soil.
 If soil is dry, wetting the top layer causes a strong capillary
head and increases the gravitational force and in turn
increases infiltration.
 If soil is wet, colloids present in the soil swell to reduce
infiltration.
 Extremely fine and dry soil tends to repel (drive) water
until it is thoroughly wetted causes low infiltration rate
initially and increases slowly as the soil becomes wet.
Vegetative Cover
• Vegetations increases infiltration compared to barren
land.
• Promotes infiltration through various means such as:
– By retarding surface flow thereby giving water more
time to infiltrate into soil.
– Through foliage (leaves) which shields the soil from
beating action of the rain.
– By promoting activity of burrowing animals and insects.
– Through root system which makes the soil more
pervious.
Rainfall Intensity (i) & Rain Drop Size
• When i is less than fC, f varies directly with i but has
little effect when i exceeds fC.
• When continuous heavy rainfall occurs, it reduces fC
steadily until f attains a relative constant value.
• Rain drop size influences fC through the effect of rain
packing and breaking down of soil structure.
• Hence, extremely large drops tend to reduce
infiltration during the first few minutes of rainfall until
such time as water sheet collects over the soil surface.
Entrapped Air
• The air in the soil pores is trapped temporarily and is
compressed by the downward advancing sheet of water.
• Air entrapment reduces infiltration because the
compressed air below the advancing sheet of water breaks
through the water sheet and infiltration continue in a
normal way.
• The effect is more pronounced where the ground is nearly
flat.
Season
• Seasonal variation in infiltration capacity is influenced
by the temperature, evaporation, vegetation, farming
practices, and biological activities.
• During dry weather condition, soil is subjected to
swelling and shrinking which favors high rate of
infiltration because of the extensive cracks but low
infiltration capacity in wet weather tends to close all the
cracks.
Man’s Action
• Modifies the surface condition of land and its
protection against rain.
• Most significant changes due to building of structures on
ground surface e.g. roads, highways, parking lots.
• Reduces infiltration rate nearly to zero,
therefore increasing surface runoff.
• More widespread but less severe effect is the
agricultural activities.
Surface Retention
 Sometimes called initial losses, consists of interception
and storage depression.
 The amount represents the quantity of water that has to be
satisfied before surface runoff occurs.
 Interception is defined as the precipitation water that is
retained on the catchment by adhering to the surface
of objects above the ground surface such as leaves and other
vegetation, buildings, animals etc.
 Water intercepted in a given area is extremely difficult to
quantify as it depends on the species composition of the
vegetation, its density, as well as the storm characteristics.
Surface Retention
 Depression storage or ponding is the volume of water
trapped in the ground depressions before flowing
over the ground surface.
 Water will eventually evaporates and infiltrates into the
ground.
 Depression storage depends in many factors e.g. types
of soil, the condition of the surface reflecting the amount
and nature of depression, the slope catchment and the
antecedent (previous) precipitation.
Infiltrometer
Flooding Infiltrometer
• Consists of 2 concentric metal rings (inner & outer

rings) – double ring infiltrometer.
• The rings driven into the ground and filled with
water to a common fixed level.
• Outer ring provides a water jacket the infiltering water
of the inner ring and prevents the spreading out of
the infiltering water of the inner ring.
• Measurements are taken on the inner ring only.
22
• The rate at which water is required to be added to the
inner ring so as to maintain constant level, determines the
infiltration capacity and its rate of variation.
• It cannot duplicate rainfall conditions as it need to have
substantial depth of water in the rings in order to provide
sufficient depth for measuring instrument.
• To get a representative value for the catchment, a sufficient
number of random locations will be selected to measure
infiltration.
• The result observations result will then be plotted on a
semi-log paper and the total infiltration for any period of
rainfall event can be then calculated.
Rainfall Simulator
Rainfall Simulator
• It provides rainfall impact and turbidity of surface water
which cannot be considered in flooding infiltrometer.
• It gives lower rate of infiltration for the same type of soil
and vegetation compared to flooding infiltrometer.
• It applies water by sprinklers to a small tract of land confined
by metal ring like barrier at a rate sufficient enough to exceed
the infiltration capacity of the soil.
• It is difficult to install, move and operate. In addition, the
high cost associated with this instrument, makes it less
popular compared to flooding infiltrometer.
• Use water budget equation to determine value.
Infiltration Capacity
 Infiltration Capacity, fp :
 maximum rate at which specified soil in a given condition can

absorb water.
 Units : cm/ h
 Depends on factors such as characteristics of the soil,
condition of the soil surface (vs. impervious area),
vegetative cover, current moisture content and soil
temperature.
Infiltration Capacity Curve
A curve showing what the infiltration rate would be at any time

during a specific storm if the rainfall capacity were to equal or
exceed the infiltration capacity at that instant.
Infiltration rate decreasing as more water infiltrates

Infiltration capacity rising after supply from top is cut off

Infiltration Rate
 Infiltration rate, f,:
 the rate at which infiltration takes place and expressed
in depth of water per unit time (mm/h or cm/h).
 Equal to infiltration capacity or the rainfall rate, whichever
the less.
 Infiltration is important to determine the rainfall
excess and the direct runoff.
Example 4.1
In a 10-hour storm event, the following rainfall intensity were
observed over the catchment. Surface runoff resulting from the
storm is equivalent to 20 cm of depth over the catchment.
Determine:
a. Infiltration capacity
b. Infiltration rate
Example 4.1
Time (h) Rainfall intensity (cm/h)
1.0 1.0
2.0 1.5
3.0 5.0
4.0 6.0
5.0 10.5
6.0 8.5
7.0 9.0
8.0 7.0
9.0 1.5
10.0 1.5
Total 51.5
Solution Example 4.1
Total rainfall in 10 hours  51.5 cm
Total runoff in 10 hours  20.0 cm
Total infiltration in 10 hours  51.5 - 20
 31.5cm
31.5
Infiltration capacity, f c   3.15cm/h
10
Rainfall intensity is less than the average infiltration capacity
during first, second, ninth and tenth hour but larger on the
third to eight hour. Therefore, resulting the occurrence of
runoff.
1.0  1.5  6 f i  1.5  1.5  31.5cm
f i  4.33cm / h
Infiltration Indices
 Defined as a constant value of infiltration rate for a certain
duration of storm event.
 Two types of indices commonly used are:
 Φ – Index
 W – index
Φ - Index
 It is the mean infiltration rate that occurs during
rainfall event.
 The mean infiltration rate is the rainfall intensity
above which the rainfall volume equals to the
observed runoff volume and also equals to the total
infiltration.
Total infiltration
  index 
Rainfall duration
 Φ-index represents the combined effects of
interception, depression storage and infiltration.
Φ - Index
 The Φ-index assumes a constant infiltration rate (referring to

graph).
 Shaded area: net rainfall equals to the measured runoff over the catchment area.
 Unshaded area: loses including surface retention and infiltration.
Example 4.2
 A storm event with 100 mm precipitation produced a
direct runoff of 58 mm over a certain catchment area.
Estimate the Φ-index for the catchment using the rainfall
data give. Compute the rainfall excess.
Time (h) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rainfall (mm) 4 9 15 23 18 16 10 5
Total infiltration = 100 – 58 = 42 mm
Assume time of rainfall excess = 8 hours
Φ-index = 4.2 / 8.0 = 0.525 cm/h
But ineffective for the first and eight hours (<0.525 cm/h)
Select new time of rainfall excess, adjust the infiltration and
recalculate.
New time of rainfall excess = 6 hours

Adjusted infiltration based on 6 hours rainfall excess
= 100 – 4 – 5 – 58 = 33 mm
Actual Φ-index = 3.3 / 6 = 0.55 cm/h
 Tabulating new result :
rainfall excess = rainfall reading – (Φ-index)
Time (h) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rainfall (mm) 4 9 15 23 18 16 10 5
Rainfall excess 0 3.5 9.5 17.5 12.5 10.5 4.5 0
Total rainfall excess = 58 mm = Total Runoff
25
Rainfall intensity (mm/h)
20
15
10
Φ - index
5
Initial Initial
losses losses
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time (h)
W-Index
 It is the average infiltration rate during the time when
the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration rate.
 W-index = Φ-index minus the average rate of retention
by interception and depression storage.
 Difficult to determine the amounts of interception and
depression storage.
 Interception varies with season and depression storage
varies with rainfall. Furthermore, much of the depression
storage becomes infiltration and evaporation later on.
W-Index
= Total Precipitation – Net Runoff – Initial Losses
Rainfall Duration
Example 4.3
 Determine the net runoff and the total rainfall for the
following data if Φ-index for the storm is 3.0 cm/h.
Calculate the W-index.
Time (min) 30 30 30 30 30
Rainfall Intensity (cm/h) 2.0 2.5 12.0 8.0 2.0
 Plot the rainfall hyetograph and insert the Φ-index at 3.0 cm/h.
14
Rainfall intensity (cm/h)
12
10
8
6
4
Φ - index
2
0
30 60 90 120 150
Time (min)
Net runoff, R  12 - 3  8  3

30
60
 ? cm
Total rainfall, P  2  2.5  12  8  2

30
60
 ? cm
PR
W  index 
Rainfall duration
 ? cm/h
 W-index is less than Φ-index because it excluded

interception and depression storage.
Net runoff, R  12 - 3  8  3
30
60
 7.0 cm
Total rainfall, P  2  2.5  12  8  2 

30
60
 13.25cm
PR
W  index 
Rainfall duration
13.25  7.0

150
60
 2.5cm/h
 W-index is less than Φ-index because it excluded
interception and depression storage.
Horton
Infiltration Model
Models Green-Ampt
(G-A) Model
Horton Model
 One of the first attempts to describe the process of infiltration
was made by Horton in 1933.
 He observed that the infiltration capacity reduced in an
exponential fashion from an initial, maximum rate f0 to a final
constant rate fc
f  f C   f O  f C e kt
 Where,
fO = initial infiltration rate
fC = final infiltration rate
f = infiltration rate at any time
k = empirical constant for time
Horton Model
f  fC when i  f C
f i when i  f C
f  infiltration rate
f C  infiltration capacity
i  intensity of rainfall
Horton Model
Horton Model
Example 4.4
 The following infiltration characteristics are meant for a
particular catchment area:
fO = 100 mm/h
fC = 10 mm/h
k = 0.35/ h
Calculate infiltration rate at 1 hour, 2 hours and 6 hours and

also the cumulative infiltration, F for the catchment.
f  f C   f O  f C e  kt
 10  90 0.35t
For t  1h f  73.4mm / h
For t  2h f  54.6mm / h
For t  6h f  21.0mm / h
Therefore cumulative infiltration after 6h,

F  285mm
The end

Ecw311 - Topic 4 Infiltration

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Ecw311 - Topic 4 Infiltration

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ecw311 - Topic 4 Infiltration

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Infiltration

Lectured By: Awang Nasrizal Bin Awang Ali

 The concept and factors affecting evaporation

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

 determine infiltration rate

 determine coefficient of infiltration

 able to use Horton’s index

• Consists of 2 concentric metal rings (inner & outer

 maximum rate at which specified soil in a given condition can

A curve showing what the infiltration rate would be at any time

Infiltration rate decreasing as more water infiltrates

Infiltration capacity rising after supply from top is cut off

 The Φ-index assumes a constant infiltration rate (referring to

New time of rainfall excess = 6 hours

Total rainfall excess = 58 mm = Total Runoff

Net runoff, R  12 - 3  8  3

Total rainfall, P  2  2.5  12  8  2

 W-index is less than Φ-index because it excluded

Total rainfall, P  2  2.5  12  8  2 

Calculate infiltration rate at 1 hour, 2 hours and 6 hours and

Therefore cumulative infiltration after 6h,

You might also like