Storm Drainage System

• Designed to drain excess rainfall and groundwater from paved streets, parking
lots, sidewalks.
• Strom drains take the runoff from the pavements through inlets and
discharges it to channels or water bodies.

Storm
Drainage
System

Major system Minor system

Design of Storm Drainage

• Design of storm drains is combination of :

Precipitation

Hydrology Watershed area

Hydrology Hydraulics Hydrographs

Drain flow
routing/depth of flow

Road side
Hydraulics
appurtenances

Drain pipes/ channels

Fundamental hydrology in storm design
• Basic concepts
Watersheds:
The watershed is the basic unit used in most hydrologic calculations relating to
water balance or computation of rainfall-runoff.
Rainfall intensity:
The amount of rainfall that occurs during the particular time of rainfall duration.
Runoff:
When rainfall exceeds the infiltration rate at the surface, excess water begins to
accumulate on surface, this flow is known as Runoff.
Infiltration:
The amount of rainfall absorbed by the earth to fill the pores between the soils.
Fundamental hydrology in storm design

Estimation of Rainfall:
Rain gauge station recordings:
The rainfall over the area is the average of the rainfall recorded by different rain gauges.
1. Thiessen Polygon method:

𝑃1𝐴1+𝑃2𝐴2+𝑃3𝐴3+⋯
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎
Fundamental hydrology in storm design
Estimation of Rainfall:
Rain gauge station recordings:
The rainfall over the area is the average of the rainfall recorded by different rain gauges.
2. Isohyetal method:

𝑃0+𝑃1 𝑃1+𝑃2
2
𝐴 1
+ 2
𝐴2+⋯
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎

3. Arithmetic Average Method:

𝑃1+𝑃2+𝑃3+⋯.
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
𝑡𝑂𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑃
Fundamental hydrology in storm design

Frequency of Rainfall:
Design of any drainage structures are based on probability of occurrence of
extreme rainfall events.
 Reoccurrence Interval:
1
T=
𝑃
where, T= return period
P= probability of occurrence (%)
r= rank number
n= total number of events
Fundamental hydrology in storm design
Any drainage installation is sized according to the probability of occurrence of an expected peak
discharge during the design life of the installation
Design peak runoff rate:
 Rational method is most commonly used for estimating peak flow for designing of storm drains.

𝑄𝑃 = 𝐶. 𝑖. 𝐴

Where,
C= runoff coefficient, variable with land use
i=intensity of rainfall of chosen frequency for a duration equal to time of concentration tc (in./hr)
tc = equilibrium time for rainfall occurring at the most remote portion of the basin to contribute flow at the
outlet (min or hr).
A = area of watershed ( acres) .
Fundamental hydrology in storm design

• Runoff Coefficient(C):
It is the dimensionless representation of the watershed characteristics. It depends on the land use
and soil condition.
Fundamental hydrology in storm design
• Rainfall Intensity:
 IDF curve is a graphical representation of the probability that a given average rainfall intensity
will occur.
 IDF curve is created with long term rainfall records collected at a rainfall monitoring station.
Fundamental hydrology in storm design

• Time of Concentration:
Time of concentration (Tc) is the time required for runoff to travel from the most distant point in the
watershed to the outlet. There are two Tc to be major concerned : Inlet spacing; Pipe sizing
Inlet spacing : 𝑇𝑐 = 0.002 𝑋 𝐿 𝑚𝑎𝑥 0.77 𝑋 𝑆𝑎𝑣
− 0.383

L max= maximum length of flow in the catchment area(ft or m)

S = slope of the surface (ft/ft or m/m)
Fundamental hydraulics in storm design

Sizing of Drain to Cope with design peak runoff rate:

The size of drains can be calculated using Manning’s Formula
. .
0 67 05
𝐴𝑋 𝑅 𝑋 𝑆
𝑄 = 1000 𝑋 ( )
𝑛
Where,
Q= discharge of flow(l/s or m3/s)
A= cross section area(ft2 or m2)
R= hydraulics radius of drain(ft or m)
S = gradient of drain
n= Manning’s constant
Fundamental hydraulics in storm design
• Manning’s Coefficients:
These are the roughness applied to the flow by the channel.
Fundamental hydraulics in storm design
• Hydraulic Radius:
Hydraulic radius is the area of the water prism in a pipe or channel divided by the wetted perimeter.
𝐴
Hydraulic Radius, 𝑅 =
𝑃
Where,
A= cross sectional area
P= wetted perimeter
Components of road drainage system

• Road drainage system consist of ‘Dewatering elements’ and ‘Drainage system’

Longitudinal Slopes Transverse Slopes

Dewatering elements

Impervious wearing course Curbs

Side drains Special

Road
Drainage system or Median drainage Outfalls Lake/ Rivers
Culverts
ditches designs