CIV 442 Hydrology: Lecture 4D: Idf Theory

CIV 442
HYDROLOGY
LECTURE 4D: IDF THEORY
Prof. Evan K. Paleologos

Civil Engineering
INTENSITY-DURATION RELATIONS
Intensity: Amount of rain in a time period
(mm/hr)
Duration: How long the rain lasted
Intensity-Duration Relations
In general the higher the rain intensity the

Non-Linear shorter the duration. Empirical Formulas are:
a
i i: intensity (mm/hr), t: duration (hr), a, b, c, n
t b fitting parameters specific to location.
c
i n Second relation is used when the duration of
t rain exceeds 2 hrs.
IDF
(Intensity-Duration-
Frequency)
ANALYSIS
OF PRECIPITATION DATA
INTENSITY-DURATION-
FREQUENCY (IDF) ANALYSIS
 In many infrastructure design projects (drains along
roads, flood control systems, etc.) the first step is to
determine the rainfall event to be used.
 The event used in the design is called the design

storm event.
 The most common approach of determining the

design storm event involves a relationship between
rainfall intensity, duration, and the frequency (or
return period), which is appropriate for the facility
and site location.
IDF Curve
INTENSITY-DURATION-FREQUENCY CURVE
Say that we have precipitation data for 25 years.
Say that you want to create the curve for a
Return Period T, say T=5 years.
1. Select a design storm duration D, say

D=1hr.
2. For EACH of the 25 years and for rainfalls

that lasted 1hr: Pick the maximum rainfall
depth.
3. We have now 25 max depth values for the 25

years. Create a histogram and determine
the probability distribution that fits the
histogram.
Find the mean and standard deviation.
4a. The design storm depth XT that corresponds

to the return period T (in this case T=5) can be
found by using the following frequency factor
equation:
XT=  +  Z1-(1/T) (1)
where ,  are the mean and standard

deviation of the probability distribution that
was found in Step 3 and Z is called the
frequency factor, which depends on the
probability distribution.
4b. Calculate the design average intensity
iT(D)= XT / D (2)
You found a point (D=1, iT(1))
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 for various

design storm durations (D=1hr, 2hr, 3hr,
etc.) for the 25 Years for the same T=5.
6. Construct the IDF curve for T=5.
7. Do the whole process for another T.

IDF
EXAMPLE
Histogram of the
maximum
precipitation for
D=12 hours and
the fitted
probability
density
functions (1980-
2010)
In order to find Z1-(1/T) one needs to find which probability model best
fits the data. Based on the best model it is easy afterwards to find Z.
The mean and standard deviation of sampled
maximum precipitation of different durations
of rainfall from 1980 to 2010 were found:
Duration (Hours) μ (in) s(in)
EXAMPLE 1 1.52 0.32
2 1.87 0.42
3 2.03 0.47
6 2.33 0.56
12 2.66 0.67
24 3.00 0.78
48 3.22 0.78
72 3.43 0.84
120 3.77 0.92
168 4.08 1.00
Now, say, if we want to calculate the maximum intensity of
the rainfall with 5-year return period (probability of
occurring is 1/5=20%)
and 12-hour duration:
From Table 3, the mean and standard deviation of the

sampled maximum precipitation are: μ(12 )=2.66 (in), s(12)=
0.67(in), so from equations (1), and (2) we have:
XT =2.66 + 0.67 Z1-(1/5)
i5(12)= (1/12) [XT] = 0.268 in/hr
The meaning of this value is:

The probability of exceeding a maximum
intensity rainfall of 0.268 in/hr that has a
duration of 12 hours is
1/T % = 1/5% = 20%.
HOW DO WE USE OF THE IDF CURVES?
Say that an engineer designs the

drains in a road, in a neighborhood,
etc.
He wants to design for some intensity

for rain, so that the drains do not get
clogged.
So he picks a drain of 10in by 20 in,

which he thinks will be OK if a rain
falls continuously for 12 hours.
The Engineer gets from the agency the IDC curves,
which have been created based on past data.
He goes to the x-axis and puts 12hrs and then looks at

the curve of T=5-years. He finds this way that i=0.268
in/hr. This means that 0.268 by 10 by 20 inch3 of
water will go through the rain every hour. Based on
this volume he/she can design the pipe system under
the drain.
But, T=5 years means there is a 20% chance that

a higher intensity (and therefore higher volume
of water) can occur, which will not be able to go
through the drains.
Is he comfortable with this? That is to design

drains that have a 20% chance to be clogged. If
yes, his design is OK.
If no, he picks another period, say T=10 years,

and starts his design again.
PRECIPITATION
INSTRUMENTS
PRECIPITATION INSTRUMENTS
Standard 8-in Raingage (SRG)
To measure precipitation simply insert a

measuring stick and record depth
Empty water and you are ready for the

next storm
Depth is equal to ratio of volume over

cross-sectional area. In practice, glass
containers have markings where one can
read directly the depth
Still the primary raingage of the U.S.

National Weather Service because of its
simplicity and reliability (no moving parts
and needs no electricity)
Error: 2-20% for precipitation, and 50% for

snow
Fisher-Porter Recording Raingage
Records precipitation at 15-min intervals

to the nearest 10th of an inch (0.1 inches).
It is not as widely used as the SRG.
Introduced in the 1970s, it uses now a modern

electronic data logging system
Source: Illinois State Water Survey, State Climatologist Office of Illinois

http://
www.sws.uiuc.edu/atmos/statecli/Instruments/weather_instruments.ht
m
Weighing Bucket Raingage
Another way to measure

precipitation on a continuous
basis, this one weighs the
amount of water collected and
converts it to inches.
The amount is recorded on
paper; newer versions record
data in digital form on data
loggers.
HAIL AND SNOW INSTRUMENTS
Hail Pad
Used to measure hail. Constructed using
florists foam and aluminum foil. Hail
usually last for only a few minutes so this
device can record hail occurrence and size
even if the observer is not present. If you
look closely on the image, you can see the
dimples in the foil caused by hail.
Snow Board
Used to measure snowfall. Made of either
PVC or plywood, it is white to reduce
solar heating. This provides a nice, even
surface for measuring snow. A flag is
planted on one corner so that the board
can be found after it has snowed.
THE 2014 FREEZE IN CANADA &
USA
Niagara Falls 2014 photo
1911 photo
SATELLITE INSTRUMENTS
Tropical Rainfall Measuring

Mission (TRMM)
Common NASA mission and Japan

Aerospace Exploration Agency
(JAXA) for monitoring tropical rain.
Measurements based on emission

and reflection of electromagnetic
waves. Waves are reflected when
they hit particles with diameter
larger than 200 μm (clouds).
SATELLITE INSTRUMENTS
TMI Microwave Imager
cloud moisture, intensity and
type of rain
VIRS Visible Infrared Scanner

Measurements of clouds:
type, number, and their
surface temperature
PR Precipitation Radar
Measures 3-dimensional
distribution of rain over land
and oceans
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/precipitation/trmm_instr.shtml
End Lecture Notes

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CIV 442

Prof. Evan K. Paleologos

In general the higher the rain intensity the

 The event used in the design is called the design

 The most common approach of determining the

1. Select a design storm duration D, say

2. For EACH of the 25 years and for rainfalls

3. We have now 25 max depth values for the 25

4a. The design storm depth XT that corresponds

XT=  +  Z1-(1/T) (1)

where ,  are the mean and standard

5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 for various

6. Construct the IDF curve for T=5.

7. Do the whole process for another T.

From Table 3, the mean and standard deviation of the

i5(12)= (1/12) [XT] = 0.268 in/hr

The meaning of this value is:

Say that an engineer designs the

He wants to design for some intensity

So he picks a drain of 10in by 20 in,

He goes to the x-axis and puts 12hrs and then looks at

But, T=5 years means there is a 20% chance that

Is he comfortable with this? That is to design

If no, he picks another period, say T=10 years,

To measure precipitation simply insert a

Empty water and you are ready for the

Depth is equal to ratio of volume over

Still the primary raingage of the U.S.

Error: 2-20% for precipitation, and 50% for

Fisher-Porter Recording Raingage

Records precipitation at 15-min intervals

Introduced in the 1970s, it uses now a modern

Source: Illinois State Water Survey, State Climatologist Office of Illinois

Weighing Bucket Raingage

Another way to measure

Niagara Falls 2014 photo

Tropical Rainfall Measuring

Common NASA mission and Japan

Measurements based on emission

VIRS Visible Infrared Scanner

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