S-hydrograph method

CIVL4017 : SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY

S-hydrograph
A S-hydrograph is a hydrograph generated by a continuous net rainfall
occurring at a uniform rate for an indefinite period.
Volume of net rainfall during D duration= 1/D mm/hr* D hr = 1mm

Generation of S-curve
500 D-hr UH
1/D 450
D-hr unit UH lagged by D-hr
Rainfall intensity (mm/hr)

D D D D D D D D D D D D 400
D-hr UH lagged by 2D-hr

D-hr UH lagged by 3D-hr

350
D-hr UH lagged by 4D-hr

Discharge (m3/s)
300
D-hr UH lagged by 5D-hr
250
D-hr UH lagged by 6D-hr
200 D-hr UH lagged by 7D-hr
150 D-hr UH lagged by 8D-hr

100 D-hr UH lagged by 9D-hr

50 D-hr UH lagged by 10D-hr

D-hr UH lagged by 11D-hr

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 S-curve
Time (hr)

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CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
S-hydrograph method
Development of D’-hr UH from a D-hr UH
Can be used to convert shorter period UH to longer period UH and vice versa
Can also be used when D’/D is not an integer

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CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
S-hydrograph method
Development of D’-hr UH from a D-hr UH
Can be used to generate shorter period UH from longer period UH and vice versa.
Can also be used when D’/D is not an integer.

Steps:
1. Construct a D-hour unit hydrograph
2. Determine minimum number of UHs required to generate S-curve.
Minimum number of UHs required (m)=Time base of UH/D
2. Construct a second D-hour unit hydrograph by lagging the unit hydrograph
by D-hour
3. Construct a third D-hour unit hydrograph by lagging the unit hydrograph by
2D hours
4. Continue the steps above m number of times
5. Sum all unit hydrograph ordinates (superposition principle) to obtain S-
curve
6. Lag S-curve by desired duration.
7. Find the difference in ordinates between S-curve and lagged S-curve.
8. Multiply the ordinates obtained in step 7 with D and divide by required
duration D’ 4
CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
S-hydrograph method
Volume of NET Rainfall =1/D mm/hr*D hr= 1 mm

S-curve
500
1/D
450
Rainfall intensity (mm/hr)

D 400

350

Discharge (m3/s)
300

250

200

150

100

50

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Time (hr)

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CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
S-hydrograph method
Volume of NET rainfall =1/D mm/hr*D hr= 1 mm

500
1/D
450
Rainfall intensity (mm/hr)

D
400
1/D 350 S-curve

Discharge (m3/s)
D’ 300

250
S-curve lagged by D' hour
200

150

100

50

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Time (hr)

6
CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
S-hydrograph method
Difference between rainfall excess block for D-hr S-curve and D-hr S-curve lagged by D’ hr

Volume of NET rainfall =1/D mm/hr*D’ hr= D’/D mm

500 S-curve
450
Rainfall intensity (mm/hr)

400

350
1/D

Discharge (m3/s)
300 S-curve lagged by D' hour
D’ 250

200

150

100 Difference between S-

curve and lagged S-curve
50

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Time (hr)

***Difference between S-curve and lagged S-curve represents a hydrograph corresponding

to D’/D mm of net rainfall (excess rainfall).
How can we convert it to D'-hr Unit hydrograph? Recall that UH is obtained by dividing the
hydrograph ordinates by amount of rainfall. In this case, amount of rainfall is D’/D mm.
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CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
S-hydrograph method
Difference between rainfall excess block for D-hr S-curve and D-hr S-curve lagged by D’ hr

Volume of NET rainfall =1/D mm/hr*D’ hr= D’/D mm

Volume of NET rainfall =1/D’ mm/hr*D’ hr= 1 mm
500

450
Rainfall intensity (mm/hr)

400 Difference between S-

350 curve and lagged S-curve
1/D

Discharge (m3/s)
300
D’ D'-hr UH obtained as:
Rainfall excess block for D’-hr Unit Hydrograph 250
1/D’ difference between S-
200
curve and lagged S-curve
D’-hr unit hydrograph 150 ordinates *D/D'
D’
100

50

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Time (hr)
Ordinates of hydrograph obtained by calculating difference between S−curve and lagged S−curve
D’-hr unit hydrograph =
𝐷 ′ /𝐷

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CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
 Example question:
# Develop 45 min UH from 15 min UH
given in table below. Also convert the
obtained 15-min UH back to 45 min UH.
Time 15-min UH ordinates
(minutes) (m3/s)
0 0.00
15 0.30
30 1.80
45 4.30
60 8.30
75 12.30
90 15.50
105 17.50
120 12.60
135 5.70
150 2.50
165 0.75
180 0.00
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CIVL4017: SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY