HYDROGRAPH

ANALYSIS
Engr.Najam us Saqib Fraz
Lecturer Lahore Leads University
 SEPARATION OF
HYDROGRAPH COMPONENTS
• Hydrograph Analysis means dividing total runoff indicated by the
hydrograph into its (above-mentioned) components, of which
direct runoff (DRO) and Base Flow are more important.
• The separation of hydro graph components is done by one of the
following four methods.
a. Straight Line Method
b. Fixed Base Length Method
c. Variable Slope Method
d. Recession Curve Equation
 STRAIGHT LINE
METHOD
• Let us consider a hydrograph as shown in figure 6.3. From point
'A' draw a straight horizontal line which meets the falling limb of
hydrograph at point ‘B’. Above line 'AB' is the direct runoff and
below this line is the base flow. The volumes of direct runoff and
base flow (i.e. area under the curve) can be calculated by any
suitable method. The Straight Line Method for separation of
hydrograph has the advantage of producing an extremely long time
base for the direct runoff hydrograph. The time base varies from
storm to storm depending on the flow at the point of rise. It is a
computationally easy method.
FIXED BASE LENGTH
METHOD
 VARIABLE SLOPE METHOD
This method is based on the fact that if water rises in the stream the water
level in the stream becomes greater than the adjoining ground water table
level. As a result the flow occurs from the stream to the groundwater and is
stored there as bank storage. Refer to figure 6.5, below. Take a point 'A' on
the previous recession curve, and the line' AE' by extending the previous
recession curve. Point 'E' is under the peak. Now take a point 'B' on the
recession curve and extend it backward. Take a point 'C' on recession curve
where the recession curve is changing slope, this point is called the point of
inflexion. Draw a vertical line from the point 'C'. It cuts the line drawn
backward from point 'B', at point 'D'. Join point 'E' and point 'D'. The area
under the line 'AEDB' shows the base flow component. This method is not
a well defined one. It depends upon experience, so it may vary from one
expert to another. In general, Straight Line Method is the simplest and
easiest but also the least accurate. Fixed Base Method is widely used and
gives practically good results.
 RECESSION CURVE EQUATION
• The recession side of the hydro graph is formed of the surface
recession, interflow recession and base flow recession. Although
the interflow, because of similar characteristics, is taken as part of
the surface runoff in the hydrograph analysis; there are means to
separate the three components on the basis of the exponential
recession equation of the form.
RECESSION CURVE EQUATION
 FACTORS AFFECTING
HYDROGRAPH SHAPE
• Hydrograph shape depends on climatic and catchment
characteristics. Among the climatic characteristics the most
important are the rainfall intensity, duration and weather. Among
the catchment characteristics the topography and geological
conditions are more important. These are discussed below:
 STORM
CHARACTERISTICS
• Intensity of Rainfall
• Duration of Rainfall
• Weather
 CATCHEMENT
CHARACTERISTICS
• Size of Catchment
• Shape of the Catchment Area
• Elevation of the Catchment
• Catchment Slope
 RATE OF RUNOFF

• While designing hydraulic structures such as bridges, culverts,

weirs, barrages, we are mostly interested in estimating maximum

probable rate of runoff. Various methods of estimating maximum

probable rate of runoff are as under:

• Frequency Analysis:- It may be used provided adequate stream-
flow records are available.

• Empirical Formulae:-
• Flood Routing:-Flood Routing has been discussed in Chapter 8, in
detail.

• Unit Hydrograph Method:-Of the four methods of estimating

maximum probable rate of runoff, the unit hydrograph method is
being discussed in detail in this chapter.
 UNIT HYDROGRAPH

• The T -hour unit hydrograph may be defined as a hydrograph of

direct runoff resulting from unit rainfall-excess of a duration 'T'
hours having occurred uniformly all over the catchment and having
a constant rate of occurrences
 UNIT HYDROGRAPH
• The unit hydrograph theory is based on principles of linearity of
runoff to rainfall excess and superposition. This is a linear process
applied to a non-linear situation. Physical characteristics of the
basin remain relatively constant. The variable characteristics of the
storm cause variation in the shape of resulting hydrograph. The
storm characteristics as discussed earlier are the rainfall duration,
time intensity pattern, areal distribution of rainfall and the amount
of rainfall.
UNIT HYDROGRAPH
UNIT HYDROGRAPH
UNIT HYDROGRAPH
 DERIVATION OF UNIT
HYDROGRAPH
• I. Select an isolated storm, for which reliable rainfall and runoff
data are available.
• 2. Separate the base flow from the total runoff hydrograph and
calculate the volume of direct runoff.
• 3. Divide the ordinates of direct runoff by the effective rainfall.
The resulting hydrograph is a unit hydrograph for the catchment
area for the given duration of rainfall-excess. Estimation of
rainfall-excess is illustrated in numerical Example No. 6.1, below.
 UNIT HYDROGRAPH
• A unit hydrograph derived from a single storm may have some
error, and it is desirable to average the unit hydrograph from
several storms of the same duration. This should not be an
arithmetic average of concurrent coordinates; since, if peaks do not
occur at the same time, the average peak will be lower than many
of the individual peaks. The proper procedure is to compute the
average of the peak flows and times to peak. The average unit
hydrograph is then 'sketched to conform to those of the other
graphs, passing through the computed average peak, and having a
volume of one-inch.
 EXAMPLE
• From the data given in Table 6.1 below, derive a 6-hour unit
hydrograph if this data is obtained from a six-hour duration storm
and the catchment area is 3,200 square kilometers.
 EXAMPLE
• The calculations are shown in Table 6.2. The Direct Runoff (DRO)
is obtained by subtracting base flow from discharge values. The
DRO is then multiplied by time interval to get total volume. This
total volume is divided by catchment area to get depth of effective
rainfall in centimeters spread uniformly over whole catchment. By
definition of unit hydro graph , its ordinates are obtained by
dividing ordinates of DRO by effective rain.
EXAMPLE
 DERIVATION OF HYDROGRAPH
FROM A UNIT HYDROGRAPH
• Once the unit hydrograph of certain duration is determined, it can be used
to compute a hydrograph of the same duration. In order to derive the
hydrograph of same duration as that of the unit hydrograph, we have to
proceed in reverse to the process used to derive unit hydrograph. The
procedure will be as follows:
I. The unit hydrograph of a certain duration is given.
2. Derive the ordinates of direct runoff hydrograph by multiplying the unit
hydrograph ordinates by effective rainfall.
3. Add base flow to the ordinates of direct runoff hydrograph to get total
runoff hydrograph. The peak of this hydrograph gives the maximum flow
due to the storm.
 EXAMPLE
• Given the unit hydrograph of 4-hour duration (Table 6.3), calculate
the ordinates of total runoff hydrograph of same duration from an
excess precipitation of 10 cm. Assume constant Base Flow of 14
m3/sec.
• The rainfall-excess has been reported as 10 cm. The ordinates of
unit hydrograph are simply multiplied by excess rainfall to get
ordinates of Direct Runoff (DRO). Once the ordinates of ORO are
obtained, base flow is added to it to get Total flow ordinates. These
computations are given in Table 6.4.
 S CURVE
• The S curve is hydrograph obtained by summation of infinite
number of unit hydrographs of given duration each lagged by time
interval equal to the duration of the given hydrograph. The S curve
can be used to derive unit hydrograph of any desired duration. The
Derivation of the S curve is very simple. We keep on adding given
unit hydrograph ordinates each lagged by time equal to the
duration of given hydrograph from the previous one till we obtain
a constant value after addition or it starts fluctuating between some
values. The procedure of derivation of unit hydrograph from a
given unit hydrograph is explained further in the following
example.
S CURVE
S CURVE
• First, we derive'S' curve: The calculations are shown in Table 6.6.
In this table ordinates of unit hydrograph of 2-hour duration are
given in column 2. Column 1 is time in hours. Other columns have
ordinates in m3/s. Columns 3 to 14 show lagged unit hydrographs.
Column 15 is the addition which is the'S' curve.
PRACTICE PROBLEMS
PRACTICE PROBLEMS
PRACTICE PROBLEMS