Subject Code: WER300S

Subject Name: Engineering Hydrology

Chapter 4 - Infiltration

Dr. Yaw O-Asante Mr. R M Mambwe

Civil Engineering Dept., Civil Engineering Dept.,
CPUT, Bellville Campus. CPUT, Bellville Campus.
ABC Building ABC Building
Room 1.34 Room 1.06
 SOME DEFINIITONS
INFILTRATION RATE:

The amount of water infiltrate/penetrate the soil

per unit time.

Units = (L/T) = (often measured in mm/h)

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 SOME DEFINIITONS
INFILTRATION CAPACITY (fc):
Maximum rate soil can absorb water. (but fc varies
with soil wetness, rain intensity, etc.)
Units = (L/T) = (often measured in mm/h)

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 NFILTRATION PROCESS
Infiltration rate varies with time according to the
current moisture level within the soil zone and the
current rainfall intensity.
As the moisture level increases the infiltration rate
will decrease. However, at a certain moisture level, the
rate will reach a minimum value, known as the
infiltration capacity ( fc).
 Therefore in measuring infiltration, the focus is normally on
measuring either the maximum rate (the initial infiltration
rate (f0)) or the minimum rate (fc).

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 NFILTRATION PROCESS
At start of a rainfall event on dry ground (with soil fc > i), water
will infiltrate into the soil at a rate equal to the rainfall intensity
(i).
Infiltration rate will remain equal to the rainfall intensity until
the soil zone becomes saturated.
Now the actual infiltration(f) rate becomes equal to the
infiltration capacity rate (fc) [ excess rain is runoff]
Shape of infiltration vs time curve after this point will be
influenced by the initial soil moisture content and the rainfall
intensity:

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METHODS TO MEASURE INFILTRATION - INFILTROMETERS
1. Flooding Infiltrometers
They are usually rings or tubes inserted in the ground.
Water is applied and maintained at a constant level and
observations made of the rate of replenishment required.

The rings are cantered by

the welded handle on
the top of the unit; this
insures the rings stay in
place while driving them
into the soil.

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METHODS TO MEASURE INFILTRATION - INFILTROMETERS
1. Rainfall simulators
Here, artificial rainfall is simulated over a small test plot
and the infiltration calculated from observations of
rainfall and runoff, with consideration given to
depression storage and interception.
This is a special
device, combination
of the ponded ring
infiltration and
simulated rainfall
methods.
It easily and rapidly
takes measurements.

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 METHODS TO CALCULATE INFILTRATION - MODELS
1. HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
Assumption: if rainfall intensity (i) is greater than the
infiltration rate/capacity (f), f would decrease exponentially
with time. Eventually the rate would reach a minimum as time
tends to infinity:

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 METHODS TO CALCULATE INFILTRATION - MODELS
1. HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL

 kt
f t  f c  ( f o  f c )e
where:
ft = the infiltration rate (depth/time) at some time t (mm/hr);

k = a constant dependent on soil type and representing the rate

of decrease in f capacity (1/hr);

fc = the final (minimum or equilibrium) infiltration capacity

(mm/hr);

f0 = the initial infiltration capacity (mm/hr).

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 HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
1. Factors influencing fc, fo,
and k (Wilson, 2011)

k is a function of surface
texture: if vegetation is
present k is small and for a
bare surface k is large.

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 HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
1. Factors influencing fc, fo,
and k (Wilson, 2011)

fo and fc are both functions

of soil type and vegetal
cover: e.g. A bare sandy or
gravelly soil will have high
values of fo and fc whereas a
bare clayey soil have low
values low values, but both
values will increase for
both soils if they are turfed.
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 HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
1. Factors influencing fc, fo,
and k (Wilson, 2011)

fc is a function of :
 Slope, up to a range of 16% to
24% (no variation beyond this
range)
 Initial moisture content – the
dryer the soil initially, the larger
fc will be
 Rainfall intensity – if the
intensity increases, fc increases.
Rain intensity has a greater
effect than all variables
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 HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
1. representative values of fc, fo, and k (Wilson, 2011)

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 ɸ - INDEX METHOD

The ɸ-index (infiltration index )is used to obtain a

reasonable approximation of infiltration losses.

The method assumes the infiltration rate is constant.

The  index is defined as the value of average rainfall

such that any exceedence of the value will result in
surface runoff.

In simple terms, φ index is a value above which we get

runoff and below which we get infiltration.
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 ɸ - INDEX METHOD

This means that if the value of rainfall is known for a

particular storm and also the total depth of surface
runoff is known (e.g. calculated from hydrograph), the
index can be determined graphically and also through
iteration. 15
 ɸ - INDEX METHOD

The index combines interception, depression

storage and infiltration characteristics. That is:
 if: Rainfall – (ɸ-index) = Runoff
 and: Rainfall – Losses = Runoff
 and also: Losses = interception + depression storage + ET +
infiltration
 then: ɸ-index = interception + depression storage + ET +
infiltration
Although for storms of long duration, losses due to
interception, depression storage and ET tends to
minimum compared with the total amount of rain,
and φ index tends to average infiltration rate.
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ɸ - INDEX METHOD (Han, 2010)

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ɸ - INDEX METHOD (Han, 2010)

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