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Rational Method

The rational method is commonly used to design storm sewers. It assumes peak runoff occurs when the entire watershed is contributing flow at the outlet, which is the time of concentration. Runoff is calculated as the rainfall intensity multiplied by the drainage area and a runoff coefficient. The rainfall intensity used depends on the time of concentration and design storm duration.

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Etienne Corelie
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360 views7 pages

Rational Method

The rational method is commonly used to design storm sewers. It assumes peak runoff occurs when the entire watershed is contributing flow at the outlet, which is the time of concentration. Runoff is calculated as the rainfall intensity multiplied by the drainage area and a runoff coefficient. The rainfall intensity used depends on the time of concentration and design storm duration.

Uploaded by

Etienne Corelie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Rational 

Method

• The rational method is still probably the most widely 


used method for design of storm sewers.
• The idea behind the rational method is that if a
rainfall intensity i begins instantaneously and
continues indefinitely, the rate of runoff will increase 
until the time of concentration tc, when all of the 
watershed is contributing to flow at the outlet.
n
Q = CiA Q = i å C j Aj
j =1
Assumptions associated with rational
method
• The computed peak rate of runoff at the outlet point is a
function of the average rainfall rate during the time of 
concentration, 
– that is, the peak discharge does not result from a more intense storm 
of shorter duration, during which only a portion of the watershed is 
contributing to runoff at the outlet.
• The time of concentration employed is the time for the runoff to 
become established and flow from the most remote part of the 
drainage area to the inflow point of the sewer being designed.
• Rainfall intensity is constant throughout the storm duration.
Runoff coefficient (C)
• It indicates the proportion of the total rainfall that 
will reach the storm drains  and depends on the
– percent imperviousness, 
– ground slope, and 
– ponding character of the surface (depression storage)
– rainfall intensity
– proximity of the ground water table
• Impervious surfaces, such as asphalt pavements and
roofs of buildings, will produce nearly 100 percent 
runoff after the surface has become thoroughly wet, 
regardless of the slope.
Rainfall intensity

• The rainfall intensity i is the average rainfall rate in 
mm/hr for a particular drainage basin or sub basin.
• The intensity is selected on the basis of the design rainfall 
duration and return period.
• The design duration is equal to the time of concentration 
for the drainage area under consideration.
• Runoff is assumed to reach a peak at the time of
concentration tc when the entire watershed is 
contributing to flow at the outlet.
Rainfall intensity

• The time of concentration to any point in a storm
drainage system is the sum of the inlet time to (the time 
it takes for flow from the remotest point to reach the 
sewer inlet), and the flow time tf in the upstream sewers 
connected to the outer point.
n
Li
t c = ti + t f tf = å
i =1 Vi

• where Li is the length of the  ith pipe/channel along the flow 


path, and flow velocity in the pipe/channel .
Drainage area

• It is  the area of  the catchment where surface runoff 
from rainfall converges to the system being designed 
channel capacity

• The hydraulic capacity of a drainage channel is 
dependent on the size, shape, slope and roughness 
of the channel section
– Manning equation
1
Q = AR 2 /3 s1/ 2
n
– Chézy formula

Q = CAR s1/ 2 1/ 2

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