cmutsvangwa: Engineering Hydrology: Dept. of Civil and Water Eng.

, NUST, 16/02/2006 15:26:16

INFILTRATION

Infiltration
Water entering the soil at the ground surface. It replenishes the soil moisture
deficiency and the excess water moves downward by the force of gravity
(deep seepage or percolation).

Factors which affect infiltration
rainfall intensity
rainfall duration
temperature
vegetative cover
land use
initial soil moisture content
entrapped air (air entrainment)
depth of groundwater table
soil properties
surface crusting

Methods to determine infiltration
infiltrometers They relate more directly to prevailing conditions of
precipitation in the field. A double-ring infiltrometers is shown in Fig. 1.
The ring are flooded to 5cm and continually refilled to maintain this
depth. The inflow to the central tube is measured. The purpose of the
outer tube is to eliminate the edge effects of the surrounding drier soil.
observation pits
hydrograph analysis

Fig. 1; An infiltrometer
Source: Engineering Hydrology, Wilson (1990)

Infiltration capacity
The maximum rate at which the soil in any given conditions is capable of
absorbing water is called its infiltration capacity. It begins at high rate and
decreases to a fairly steady state (fc) or the ultimate or final (Fig. 2). The
infiltration rate of a soil at any time is given be Hortons equation:


Chapter 8: Infiltration
1
cmutsvangwa: Engineering Hydrology: Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST, 16/02/2006 15:26:16

( ) ( )
kt
c o c
e f f f t f

+ =
Where: f(t) =infiltration rate at any time t, mm/hr
f
o
=initial rate of infiltration, mm/hr
f
c
=final infiltration rate [ultimate or limiting rate], mm/hr
k =constant also called the recession constant or Hortons
depletion coefficient, h
-1
t =time from the beginning of rainfall

The units should remain consistent. The recession constant depend on soil
type, slope and vegetative cover

f
o
2

Fig.2 Infiltration rate of a soil

Application of Hortons equation
Hortons equation valid when the potential infiltration rate is greater
than or equal to the rate of surface water supply, such as rainfall.
The moment the precipitation rate is less than the infiltration capacity,
Hortons equation becomes a poor predictor pf the infiltration capacity.
The equation has no provision for recovery of infiltration capacity
during periods of low or no rainfall. It does not predict recovery of
infiltration like during periods of low rainfall when deep percolation
causes an increase in empty pore space. This corresponds to a
recovery (an increase) in the infiltration capacity
It makes infiltration rate a function of time and does not account for
variation in rainfall intensity, which makes it difficult to apply
The three parameters of Hortons equation are derived from local data,
and hence infiltrometer data has to be available. If not available other
techniques have to be used like regression and stream hydrograph
analysis
Does not account for the variation in infiltration due to the non-
homogeneity of the soil (Viessman et al, 1989). Like if there is a
( ) ( )
kt
c o c
e f f f t f

+ =
f
c
f
c
=final constant rate of infiltration at saturation
Time
I
n
f
i
l
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

f-curve
F
C

Chapter 8: Infiltration
cmutsvangwa: Engineering Hydrology: Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST, 16/02/2006 15:26:16

restrictive shallow depth which is restrictive to infiltration, the infiltration
rate will not smoothly decrease, but will have a rather abrupt drop in
infiltration rate as the wetting front reaches the restrictive layer.

Determination of Hortons coefficients and other constants
The constants, f
o
and k are difficult to evaluate. In practise, these parameters
are estimated based on infiltrometer tests or using stream hydrograph
analysis.

Estimating constants by simple regression

( ) ( )
kt
c o c
e f f f t f

+ =

( ) ( )
kt
c o c
e f f f t f

=

Taking natural logarithms:

( ) [ ]

=
kt
c o
c
e
f f
f t f ln ln
= ( )
kt
c o
e f f ln ln
= ( )
kt
e c o
e f f log ln
= ( ) e kt f f
e c o
log ln
= ( ) [ ]
c
f t f ln ( ) kt f f
c o
ln , which has now transformed into a
linear equation. Values from the infiltration test are plotted, and these are
versus t (Fig. 3). The slope of the best fit line is equal to k
and the intercept is equal to c (at t=0)., and with these values f
( ) [
c
f t f ln ]
o
can also
be computed. The value of fc is known from the infiltrometer test.

[ ]
c o
c
c o
f f e f f c = = ln
c=y, at t=0
-k=slope
l
n
[
f
(
t
)
-
f
c
)

t

Fig.3: Computation of constants, k and fo


Chapter 8: Infiltration
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cmutsvangwa: Engineering Hydrology: Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST, 16/02/2006 15:26:16

Estimating f
o
and k from the f-curve
The recorded values of infiltration test are plotted. Two sets of f are selected
from the curve and entered in the Hortons equation (Fig. 4). Two equations
with two unknown will be obtained and solved by successive approximations.
Also fo can be estimated by projecting the f-curve to f
o
, although not very
accurate.

f
o
Projected f-curve to f
o
f(t)
f
1
f
2
t
1
t
2

Fig.4: Estimation if fo graphically

Total infiltration depth, F
It is the total accumulated depth of infiltration during a period of time and is
the total area under the f-curve, and can be established from Hortons
equation:

( ) ( )
kt
c o c
e f f f t f

+ =

Integrating Hortons equation:

( ) ( ) [ ]


+ = =
t
kt
c o c
t
dt e f f f t f F
0 0


kt c o
c
e
k
f f
t f F

+ =

Net Rainfall or P
net
The total precipitation is the total area under the hyetograph e.g mm of rainfall
(Fig. 5). The net rainfall (P
net
) is equivalent to the surface runoff or what is
called excess rain and is the total precipitation minus total infiltration:

tration TotalInfil n ecipitatio Total P
net
= Pr
F P P
net
=


Chapter 8: Infiltration
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cmutsvangwa: Engineering Hydrology: Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST, 16/02/2006 15:26:16

5

Fig. 5: Net rainfall and rainfall intensity


Fig.6: Estimation of constants

F
/
is the area under the f-curve and above the final infiltration rate, f
c
(Fig. 6)

( ) [ ]

=
0
/
dt f t f F
c


( ) [ ]

+ =
0
/
dt f e f f f F
c
kt
c o c
fc
dt
F
/
fo
time
time
I
,

m
m
/
h
r

a
n
d

f
(
t
)
,

m
m
/
h
r

f-curve
P
net=
shaded area
hyetograph, mm/hr
fc
fc

Chapter 8: Infiltration
cmutsvangwa: Engineering Hydrology: Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST, 16/02/2006 15:26:16


( )

=
0
/
dt
k
e
f f F
kt
c o


( )

=
0
/
k
e
f f F
kt
c o


( ) ( )
k
f f
k
e
f f
k
e
f f F
c o
k
c o
k
c o

=
0
/



k
f f
F
c o

=
/
or
/
F
f f
k
c o

=


References

1. Viessman J .R., Lewis G. L., and Knapp J .W., (1989), Introduction to
hydrology, Harper Collins, USA
2. Wilson E.M., (1990), Engineering Hydrology, Macmillan Education, UK

Bibliography
3. Raghunath H. M., (1991), Hydrology, Wiley Eastern, Bombay.
4. Shaw E. M., (1988), Hydrology in Practice, Van Nostrand Reinhold,
Wokingham
5. Wanielista M., (1990), Hydrology and Water Quality Control, J ohn
Wiley, Canada




Chapter 8: Infiltration
6