Civil Engineering Design

DRAINAGE
Project Background
KNUST has been facing enormous problem with residential
accommodation for all categories of staff on campus. To ease
the burden of accommodation shortage the University is
sourcing for funds to build a housing estate to accommodate
some senior members of staff at a selected site on the
campus

As part of the schools scheme to develop and improve

residential facilities for lecturers at Boadi, The
management of KNUST,the client has commissioned M/s EDCIV
2010/2011civil group of KNUST Civil Engineering Department
(to act as CONSULTANT)
The components of the Infrastructure Works to be designed
for shall include,
I. Typical blocks of flats
II. Road network, Vehicular parking
III. Drainage, Water supply and distribution

Solid and Liquid Waste Management System (Sewerage networks

The design will be undertaken by EDCIV 2010/2011 Consult
through the coordinated efforts of six personnel with
everyone working in his capacity to enable the design of the
port meet the standard requirement of safety,
serviceability, economy and aesthetics. The coordinated work
of the consultancy involves the ideas of the following:

 Structural Engineering works

 Highways and Transportation Engineering

 Geo-technical Investigations

 Water resources development and drainage

 Water supply and distribution

 Waste management (solid and liquid waste)

. 1 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

This design report covers the drainage aspect of the

project.

Objective: This part tackles the design of a network of

drains of adequate capacity to serve the following purposes

 Collection and disposal of storm water at the residential

area.

 Reduce land loss due to erosion and sedimentation

resulting from rainfall

 Reduce post development peak discharge to predevelopment

conditions.

 To prevent downstream users from economic harm and to

maintain environmental value.

 To provide a self cleansing drain

 To minimize the volume of threat posed to man’s

livestock, crops etc due to flood after rainfall.

Methodology: The methodology adopted in order to achieve

the design criteria are under listed;

Design Approach

The design was started by performing a desk study based on

information gathered from consultation with agencies related
to the design of drains such agencies include The
Hydrological Departed, Town and Country Planning and Ghana
Highway Authority to help in the design
 Conducting a reconnaissance survey of the project area in
order to be abreast with the existing conditions.
 Carrying out design in accordance with the conditions
(topography and maximum flood level) and data obtained to
achieve the most economical and most efficient design

General description of site

. 2 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

The land is a property of the Kwame Nkrumah University of

science and Technology. The site is located near Boadi, and
opposite the Ghana Telecom Exchange Station, along the Boadi
Junction –Emena Road. The drive-time to reach the site from
the campus of KNUST is less than 10 minutes.
1. The site is partially a farmland having vegetative
crops like cassava, plantain and maize with a few
perennial crops like oil palm trees and mango trees.
2. There were also few portions used for irrigation
farming since a stream known as the Akwago run through
the land but majority of the land is unattended to
hence weedy.
3. Interconnected footpaths were identified on the study
site.
4. A total of two box culverts of about 1.2m by 1m were
identified which allowed the water from the stream to
pass across the existing road that links Boadi
community to the Islamic Hospital towards the Boadi
Township.

5. Electric cables and poles were identified on the site.

This would help to tap electricity for any electric
driven instrument or equipment to be used.

Design Standards
The design has been done using codes of reputable agencies
such as, Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Hydrology
division of the Architecture and Engineering Services
Company (AESC) so as to satisfy Ghanaian conditions. The
following design criterion was adopted.

Design Return Period

A design period of 15 years was selected for primary drains
whereas 10 years was selected for secondary drains and 5
years for tertiary drains.

Average Velocity of Flow

. 3 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

The Manning’s formula was adopted for determining the

velocities in the various drains due to its simplicity and
general acceptability.

V = 1*R0.67S0.5
n

Where:
V = velocity (m/s)
R = Hydraulic Radius (m)
S = slope of energy grade line (slope of bottom
of the drain)
n = Coefficient of roughness (Manning’s n)

Typical values of ‘n’ adopted are;

Concrete 0.013-0.015

Earth (new) 0.015-0.020

Earth (existing) 0.022-0.060

Block (sandcrete) 0.015-0.020

Flow Velocities in Drains

Minimum velocity : 0.6 m/s

Maximum velocity :

Open drains

Earth drain (no lining): 1.7 m/s

Reinforced concrete lined: 2.5 – 3 m/s

Design discharge estimation (maximum runoff)

The rational formula was used in estimating the peak
discharge. The rational formula is given by:

Qi = 0.278 C Ii A

Qi = maximum run-off from the catchment area of specified

return period (m3/s)

. 4 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

C = runoff coefficient

Ii = rainfall intensity of specified return period (mm/hr)

A = catchment area (km2)

Hydrologic Analysis
The hydrology of the area was considered in the design since
this is an important factor in design of drains.

Catchment Area
Defined boundaries of catchment were obtained from the
scaled map of the site.

Rainfall Intensity
The value selected for the design depended on the estimated
time of concentration (tc) and the selected return period.

Time of Concentration (tc)

The time of concentration is also known as the inlet time.
For all the artificial drains constructed this is computed
as

tc = t1 + t 2

t1 = time taken for water from the remotest part of the

drainage catchment area to reach the inlet of the drain.
This value was obtained from monograph.

t2 = time taken for water from the inlet of drainage

structure to reach the discharge point.

t2 = L/V*60 (minute)

L = Distance from the inlet of the drainage structure to its

discharge point (m)

V = velocity of drainage structure (m/s)

. 5 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

Runoff Coefficient(C)
This value was selected based on the nature of the terrain
to be designed. Parts of the terrain will be paved with
lawns at other portions.

Design Discharge (peak runoff)

The rational formula was employed in computing the maximum
flow to be expected on the drains. This was done to know the
capacity of flow that the drains can carry so as to be able
to adequately size them.

Qi = 0.278 C Ii A

Qi = maximum run-off from the catchment area of specified

return period (m3/s)

C = runoff coefficient

Ii = rainfall intensity of specified return period (mm/hr)

A = catchment area (km2)

Where Qi = Qhydrology

Proposed Drainage System

 Drains along roads will be covered to provide
additional space for walkway.

 Tertiary drains at residences will not be covered to

minimize cost.

 Self Cleansing velocities.

 Optimum sizes of drains are been designed.

Culvert
A culvert will be provided to convey water from the site

Hierarchy of Drains
The three main classes of drains have been considered and
will be provided in this design. They are:
. 6 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

Tertiary Drains
They are the smallest drains in the drainage hierarchy. They
collect water and discharge them into secondary drains.

Secondary Drains
These drains are bigger than the tertiary drains and collect
water from tertiary drains and discharge them into the other
secondary drains or tertiary drains

Primary drains
These are the biggest drains in the drain hierarchy and
collect storm water and in turn discharge them into the
outfall.

Hydraulic Analysis

The actual design of the Drain is being carried out. The

following formulae were employed in the design;

Manning’s Formula

V = 1*R0.67S0.5
n

Where:
V = velocity (m/s)
R = Hydraulic Radius (m) `
S = slope of energy grade line (slope of bottom
of the drain)
n = Coefficient of roughness (Manning’s n)

Assumption of Manning’s formula

The flow is considered to be uniform

Continuity Equation
This is given as
Q = AV
. 7 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

Where

A = cross-sectional area of drain

V = velocity of Flow in drain

Q = Qhydraulics

If Qhydraulics > Qhydrology then the designed drain can carry the
flow coming into it.

EROSION AND FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES

Erosion control

As a result of the undulating nature of the site, lawns will

be planted at vantage points to minimize the rapidity with
which rainwater moves on the soil surface.

Flood Control

Flood control was considered in the design since the area

has a high rainfall pattern and there might be the
possibility of one occurring. Floods do not only damage
property and endanger human lives but can also cause
financial loss if it should happen that roads get flooded to
hinder movement. Some of the causes of flooding include;

 High intensity and long-duration rainfall events

 Vegetation growth and silt in drains resulting in

reduction of the carrying capacity of the drains

 Lack of routine and periodic maintenance of drainage

facilities

. 8 .
Drainage design
Civil Engineering Design

Control measures

 Regular desilting and clearing of vegetation growth in

all drains to avoid chocking

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Negative Impact

 Digging of trenches during construction will endanger

the lives of living organisms in the soil.

 Desilting of drains will create bad odour.

Positive Impact
 Cases of flooding will be minimized

 Elimination of Stagnant water which will help in

reducing malaria cases.

. 9 .
Drainage design