JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

OF
AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, CONSTRUCTION AND

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

NAME: ODHIAMBO BRIAN ODHIAMBO

REG NO: EN 251-0427/2014.
UNIT CODE: ECE 2405.
TITTLE: DOUBLE RING INFILTROMETER TEST.
INSTRUCTOR: Dr MESSO.
SUBMISSION DATE: 15/12/2017.
GROUP C.
 Infiltration Determination Using Double Ring Inflitrometer.
A. Objectives.
1.To successfully complete field test infiltration determination using a double ring Inflitrometer.
2.To appreciate the importance of Infiltration determination in Irrigation engineering.
3.To analyze the infiltration data to obtain essential information for irrigation system design.
B. Theoretical Background.
Infiltration is the downward entry of water from the soil surface into the soil. The infiltration
characteristics of the soil is one dominant variables influencing irrigation. It does not only
control the amount of water entering the soil but also the overland flow. Infiltration rate is the
maximum rate at which water can enter the soil under specific conditions, including presence of
excess water. Accumulated infiltration is the total quantity of water that enters soil in a given
time. Infiltration rate and accumulated infiltration are the two parameters commonly used in
evaluating the infiltration characteristics of a soil.
There exist various methods for estimating infiltration characteristics of soil for design of
irrigation and drainage systems. These methods may be classified into three groups:
1. Rainfall simulators: rainfall Inflitrometer simulates rainfall with the use of special spray
nozzles set a certain distance (usually 2 to 3 m) above the soil surface. The soil surface tested is
usually enclosed so that once runoff commences it can be collected at an opening and the volume
measured with time. The difference between the application rate and the runoff rate is taken to be
the infiltration.
2. Flooding Inflitrometer (Basin or Ring type Inflitrometer): Flooding Inflitrometers enclose an
area and pond water to a specified depth. The infiltration rate is calculated from the drop-in
water level per unit time or the amount of water required to maintain the specified depth or head
of water per unit time. The basin Inflitrometer uses soil from the outside of the basin to construct
the paired dykes, thus not disturbing the soil within the dyked areas. The size of the plots, 1m2 up
to 0.2 ha usually accounts for any local soil variation
3. Watershed methods which allow determination of infiltration from rainfall and runoff data.
The watershed area is basically the drainage basin as defined by topographic boundaries, all
runoff waters collects and flows out of one stream. Precipitation is measured using rainfall
collectors and snow measurements. Runoff is measured from a weir.
The method used should simulate as far as possible the mechanism of water intake during
application of water into the soil. The use of cylindrical Inflitrometer is the most common.
Infiltration rates determined by this method are influenced by cylinder diameter, thickness of
cylinder, beveling of the cylinder bottom, method of driving the cylinder into soil and installation
depth. The cylinders are usually about 25cm deep and are formed of 2mm rolled steel. The inner
cylinder, from which infiltration measurements are taken is usually 30cm in diameter. The outer
cylinder, which is used to form a buffer pond is about 60 cm in diameter. Cylinders are driven

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10cm deep into ground by falling hammer striking a wooden plank placed on top of the
cylinders. Water level inside the inner cylinder is read with field type point gauge.
C.APPARATUS.
1.A set of Inflitrometer consisting of two concentric cylinders, inner one being about 0.30m in
diameter and outer being 0.50m.
2. Water containers(buckets).
3. Impact absorbing hammer.
4. Stopwatch.
5. A driving plate.
6. 30 centimeters measuring ruler.

Fig 1. A schematic of the experimental apparatus set-up.

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Fig 2. Diagram of double ring infiltrometer at end of experiment.

D.PROCEDURE.
1.A representative area of the field to be tested was selected by avoiding disturbed surfaces,
animal burrows, stony soil paths, roads and the soil condition on the area selected were recorded.
2.The inner diameter of a given set of cylinders were measured and recorded as 30cms and the
diameter of the corresponding outer cylinder 55 cms.
3.The inner cylinder was placed onto the ground and the outer cylinder placed over the inner
cylinder with both sharp surfaces facing the ground. A driving plate was placed on top of both
cylinders, using a mallet the driving plate was knocked firmly. The impact was absorbed and
distributed so that the ring penetrated the ground at right angles up to a depth of 10cms.
4.The outer cylinder was filled with water to saturate the soil. The purpose of the water in the
outer cylinder was to moist the soil beneath the Inflitrometer and to form a buffer zone. The
water infiltrated from these zones prevented lateral seepage of the water from the inner cylinder.
Hence containing the water in the inner cylinder, where the infiltration measurements took place.
5.The inner cylinder was filled with water and a transparent 30cm ruler placed upright, parallel
and leaning on the inner cylinder walls. The water levels of both cylinders were observed to
ensure that they were the same.

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6.Measuring of the drop of water level with time began, by noting the initial position (in cms
below the reference level) against the time reference t=0, and subsequently the receding of the
water level at variables interval of 30s,1min etc. as indicated in the data.
7.The cylinders were refilled, and measurements recorded until the rate of infiltration reached a
constant reading. During pouring the additional water, the water level before and after filling was
checked in to obtain the correct water depth.
8.Once the infiltration measurements were complete, the cylinders were extracted from the soil.

E. EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS.

Location: JKUAT-JUJA FARM BLOCK C
Surface Soil Condition: DRY

INFILTRATION TEST

ELAPSED DISTANCE OF INFILTRATION DURING THE PERIOD

TIME RECEDING WATER
(MIN.) FROM REFERENCE
POINT(CM)
Before After Depth(cm) Average Rate Accumulated
Filling Filling (cm/h) Infiltration(cm)
0 17.1 0 0 0
0.5 17.5 0.4 48 0.4
1 17.7 0.2 36 0.6
1.5 18 0.3 36 0.9
2 18.2 0.2 33 1.1
2.5 18.4 0.2 31.2 1.3
3 18.6 0.2 30 1.5
3.5 18.8 0.2 29.14285714 1.7
4 19 0.2 28.5 1.9
4.5 19.2 0.2 28 2.1
5 19.3 0.1 26.4 2.2
5.5 19.4 0.1 25.09090909 2.3
6 19.6 0.2 25 2.5
6.5 19.8 0.2 24.92307692 2.7
7 20 0.2 24.85714286 2.9
7.5 20.2 0.2 24.8 3.1
8 20.3 0.1 24 3.2
8.5 20.4 0.1 23.29411765 3.3

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9 20.6 0.2 23.33333333 3.5
10 20.8 0.2 21 3.5
11 21.1 0.3 18 3.3
12 21.4 0.3 18 3.6
13 21.6 0.2 17.53846154 3.8
14 21.8 0.2 17.14285714 4
15 22.1 0.3 17.2 4.3
16 22.3 0.2 15.75 4.2
17 22.6 0.3 15.88235294 4.5
18 22.9 0.3 16 4.8
19 23 0.1 15.47368421 4.9
20 23.2 0.2 15.3 5.1
21 23.4 0.2 15.14285714 5.3
22 23.6 0.2 15 5.5
23 23.8 0.2 14.86956522 5.7
24 24 0.2 14.75 5.9
25 24.1 0.1 14.4 6
26 24.3 0.2 14.30769231 6.2
27 24.5 0.2 14.22222222 6.4
28 24.6 0.2 14.14285714 6.6
29 24.8 17.3 0.2 14.06896552 6.8
30 17.6 0.3 14.2 7.1
31 17.8 0.2 14.12903226 7.3
32 17.9 0.1 13.875 7.4
33 18 0.1 13.63636364 7.5
34 18.2 0.2 13.58823529 7.7
36 18.7 0.5 13.66666667 8.2
38 19.1 0.4 13.57894737 8.6
40 19.5 0.4 13.5 9
42 19.8 0.3 13.28571429 9.3
44 20.3 0.5 13.36363636 9.8
46 20.8 0.5 13.43478261 10.3
48 21.2 0.4 13.375 10.7
50 21.5 0.3 13.2 11
52 21.8 0.3 13.03846154 11.3
54 22.1 0.4 13 11.7
56 22.5 0.4 12.96428571 12.1
58 22.8 0.3 12.82758621 12.4
60 23.2 0.4 12.8 12.8
62 23.3 0.1 12.48387097 12.9
64 23.6 0.3 12.375 13.2

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66 24 0.4 12.36363636 13.6
68 24.3 0.3 12.26470588 13.9
70 24.6 17.2 0.3 12.17142857 14.2
71 17.6 0.4 12.33802817 14.6
76 18.2 0.6 12 15.2
81 19.1 0.3 11.48148148 15.5
86 20 0.9 11.44186047 16.4
91 20.6 0.6 11.20879121 17
96 21.4 0.8 11.125 17.8
101 22.1 0.7 10.51485149 17.7
106 22.8 0.7 10.41509434 18.4
111 23.2 17.1 0.4 10.16216216 18.8
112 17.3 0.2 9.964285714 18.6
117 18.1 0.8 9.948717949 19.4
122 18.8 0.7 9.885245902 20.1
127 19.4 0.6 9.779527559 20.7
132 20 0.6 13.77272727 30.3
137 20.6 0.6 13.53284672 30.9
142 21.1 0.5 13.26760563 31.4
147 21.5 0.4 12.97959184 31.8
152 22.6 1.1 12.98684211 32.9
157 22.7 0.1 12.61146497 33
162 23 0.3 12.33333333 33.3

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 INFILTRATION RATE VS ELAPSED TIME

60

50

40
INFILTRATION RATE(CM/H)

30

20

10 y = 37.16x-0.261
R² = 0.9147

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
ELAPSED TIME(MIN.)

Fig 3. Ordinary plot of infiltration rate against elapsed time.

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 35

30

y = 0.6193x0.7393
R² = 0.9885
25
accumulated depth(cm)

20

15

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
time(min.)

Fig 4. Ordinary plot of accumulated depth against time.

This graph is parabolic in nature.

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 100 log-log of infiltration rate against time.

10 y = 37.16x-0.261
R² = 0.9147

1
0.1 1 10 100 1000

Fig 5. Log-log plot of infiltration rate against time.

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 log-log graph of accumulated depth against time.
100

y = 0.6193x0.7393
R² = 0.9885

10

1
0.1 1 10 100 1000

0.1

Fig 6. Log-Log plot of accumulated depth against time.

The log-log plot yields a linear relationship.

NB. The choice of the nature of trend line was chosen based on existing theoretical relationships
and the trend line which yielded higher values of co-efficient of determination. (R2)

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 Intake rate= accumulated depth(cm)
Elapsed time(hour)

= 33.300
162/60
= 12.33333333 CM/Hr.

The basic infiltration rate obtained from Fig 3 is 10cm/Hr.

6. DISCUSSION.

The rate of infiltration decreases during irrigation. The rate of decrease is rapid initially and the
infiltration rate tends to approach constant value known as the basic infiltration rate.
When soil becomes saturated rate of infiltration will decrease because soil only will take in water
which can be transmitted down.
After ponding infiltration rate decreases approximately exponentially, initially driven by both
capillary gradients and gravitational gradients. However, when moisture approximately
uniformly distributed through profile capillary gradients is minimized (approaches zero)
infiltration is then driven by gravity gradients up to an asymptotic value Ksat.
The basic infiltration rate for the sample area is obtained as 10cm/Hr.
Accumulated infiltration is the total quantity of water that enters the soil in a given time. The
equation of accumulated depth against time is obtained in Fig 6 as y = 0.6193*t0.
739.Differentiating the equation we get y=0.45784849*t-0. 2607.This equation can be used to

compute the instantaneous infiltration at any time (t) after the beginning of the test.

The infiltration rates of various soils are.

. Infiltration rates for certain particle-size classes (FAO 1979).

Textural Infiltration rate (cm/h)

Class Minimum Mean Maximum

Clay 0.01 0.05 0.1

Silty Clay 0.03 0.25 0.50
Clay Loam 0.25 0.8 1.5
Loam 0.8 1.3 2.0
Sandy Loam 1.3 2.5 7.6
Sand 2.5 5.0 25.0

In general, any profile discontinuity, such as a change in texture, that affects pore size distribution,
will result in differing soil porosity size distribution and thus decreased water movement between
horizons. Where a coarse textured material such as sand overlies a finer textured material such as
a loam, the infiltration rate will be dependent upon the loam layer and water will accumulate in
the sand layer. Where a finer textured material overlies a coarse material the initial infiltration

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rate will be governed by the surface layer, then will reduce when the wetting front encounters the
larger pores in the coarse layer. Water will not enter the larger pores until it has accumulated in
the fine layer to a point where it can overcome the adhesive and cohesive forces of the finer pores
in the fine layer and flow can then take place into the larger pores of the underlying coarse layer
(Miller 1973, Gardner 1979).

The basic infiltration rate can be used to provide an estimate of run-off given rainfall data and
evaporation losses. Various cases are highlighted below:

will occur → soil never becomes saturated.

1. For rainfall rates less than saturated conductivity of soils all rainfall will infiltrate, no runoff

2. For rainfall rates > Ksat but less than the soils maximum infiltration capacity, initially all water
will infiltrate. Since rate > Ksat all water cannot be transmitted down, water storage in soil will
increase until soil is saturated.
3. For rainfall rates greater than maximum infiltration capacity get immediate ponding and
Exponential decay from maximum infiltration capacity toward minimum infiltration capacity.

There are consequences for both overestimation and underestimation of infiltration rate. If
infiltration rate is overestimated during the infiltration test, system performance suffers once the
storm water control measure is constructed. Volume reduction, mitigation of peak flow rate and
groundwater recharge will all be overestimated during the design phase resulting in a lack of
hydrologic function and pollutant mitigation. Consequences in underestimation of infiltration
rate are typically observed in increased construction costs due to the addition of under drains,
deeper bio-retention media depths and reduced ability to utilise internal water storage zones as
part of the design. Internal water storage is typically not recommended in soils with infiltration
rates less than 1.27cm per hour.
7. SOURCES OF ERRORS.
1. The occasional lack of a level water surface in both the inner ring and outer core ring.
2. Human errors developing after switching of the team conducting the experiment past the
120-min mark.
3. Settling of fines on soil surface therefore reducing the rate of infiltration.
4. Turbidity of water in inner ring making it hard to make accurate depth readings.

8. CONCLUSION.

Infiltration rate decreases with an increase in elapsed time up to a time when the infiltration rate
becomes constant due to soil saturation. At this time, the infiltration rate remains constant with an
increase in elapsed time.

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An ordinary plot of accumulated depth against time yields a parabolic relationship however if a
log-log plot is made a linear relationship is observed as in fig 6.
The basic infiltration rate was determined as 10cm/Hr. This value is generally high and may be
due to experimental errors listed above.
The instantaneous infiltration rate equation was determined as y=0.45784849*t-0.2607
The instantaneous accumulated depth equation was determined as y = 0.6193*t0.739

9.RECOMMENDATION.
1. Provision of a perforated disc in the inner ring to prevent turbidity and settling of fines on the
soils surface when carrying out the experiment.

10. REFERENCES:
1. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. 1979. Soil Survey
Investigations for Irrigation. Prepared by Soil Resources, Man. and Cons. Serv. Land and
Water Rev. Div. Rome, Italy.
2. Gardner, W.H. 1979. How water moves in the soil. Crops and Soils. 32:13-18.
3. http://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Determining_soil_infiltration_rates.
4. Irrigation Theory and Practise-A M Michael.

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