Work Sheet 5

CVL282 Engineering Hydrology

Topic: Infiltration

Problem 1 Find the Hortons infiltration equation and cumulative infiltration at various times
for the following data:
Time (h) 0.25 0.5 0.75 1.0 1.25 1.5 1.75 2.0
f (cm/h) 5.6 3.2 2.1 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.02 1.0

Problem 2 Determine cumulative infiltration and rate of infiltration at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0

h from Phillips model using sorptivity S = 5 cm.h-1/2 and hydraulic conductivity K = 0.4 cm/h.

Problem 3 Compute infiltration rate f and cumulative infiltration F after 1.352 hours of
infiltration into a soil having suction head = 15 cm, hydraulic conductivity = 48 cm/day,
porosity = 33% and initial moisture content = 13%.

Problem 4 Estimate the runoff from a catchment for an isolated 3-h storm, which occurred
over the catchment in the following fashion:

% area of -index Rainfall (cm)

Catchment (cm/h) st
1 hour 2nd hour 3rd hour
20 0.90 0.8 2.3 1.5
30 0.65 0.7 2.1 1.1
50 0.50 0.9 2.5 0.8
Problem 5 Determine the rainfall excess depth and rainfall excess time for the following
storm if = 0.52 cm/h:

Time (h) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Accumulated rainfall (cm) 0 0.3 1.2 2.7 5.0 6.7 8.3 9.2 9.7

Problem 6 In a 200-min storm the following rates of rainfall were observed in successive 25-
min intervals: 3.5, 2.2, 7.5, 6.5, 2.0, 4.0, 3.0, and 1.5 mm/h. Determine the total rainfall, -
index and W-index for the storm if net runoff = 5.0 mm and initial loss = 0.9 mm.

Problem 7 Calculate the -index and W-index for a storm over a catchment, which produced
a runoff of 3.5 cm after initial loss of 0.85 cm. The mass rainfall curve for the storm over the
catchment was as follows:

Time (h) 0 0.75 1.5 2.25 3.0 3.75 4.5 5.25 6.0
Accumulated Rainfall (cm) 0 0.38 1.08 2.13 3.55 5.13 6.23 7.04 7.75