Comments on contour lab

• If contour lab done successfully then you are

done with 50% Engineering survey
• Maintain your project area
• You will have to do contours again using a Total
Station and Handheld GPS and compare the
three results

Phiri L.
Civil Engineering, CBU (2015)
 Comments on contour lab
Applications
• Rainfall contours plotting using point data rain
gauge data
• Concentration (Pollutant concentration)
contours
• Mineral concentration contours
• Soil type contours
• Groundwater contours

Phiri L.
Civil Engineering, CBU (2015)
 Comments on contour lab
Applications
• Groundwater contours
• Groundwater flow direction from groundwater
contours i.e. Equipotential lines & Flow lines
• Bernoulli's equation:
 Total hydraulic head = Pressure head + Elevation head +
Velocity Head
• For groundwater the velocity head is negligible
• Therefore:
 Total hydraulic head = Pressure head + Elevation head

•
Phiri L.
Civil Engineering, CBU (2015)
 Comments on contour lab
Applications
• Groundwater contours
• The pressure head is:
i. Positive in saturated zones below the groundwater table,
ii. Zero at the watertable
iii. Negative above the groundwater table in the capillary zone
• Therefore at the watertable, Bernoulli's equation
becomes:
 Total hydraulic head = Elevation head of the watertable
• This implies that contours of the groundwater
table represent the variation of the total hydraulic
head of groundwater
• And lines which intersect the groundwater
contours at 90o represent groundwater flow
direction Phiri L.
Civil Engineering, CBU (2015)