Rainfall Intensity

• Rainfall intensity is defined as the ratio of the total amount of rain (rainfall
depth) falling over a time.
• The intensity of rain is measured in the height of the water layer covering the
ground in a period of time (mm/h).

• Rainfall intensity, duration curve and frequency curves are necessary to use the
rational method.
• Regional IDF curves need to be developed for the catchment in question.
Cont…
Time of concentration
• The time of concentration (𝑡𝑐 ), is the time required for water to travel from the
hydraulically most remote point of the basin to the point of interest /measuring
point of river/
• It is defined as the time it takes for runoff to travel from the hydraulically most
distant point in the watershed to the point of reference downstream.

• Thus, after time 𝑡𝑐 from the commencement of rain, the whole of the catchment is
taken to be contributing to the flow.

• The value of i, the mean intensity, assumed that the rate of rainfall is constant during
𝑡𝑐 , and that all the measured rainfall over the catchment area contributes to the
peak flow.

• The peak flow 𝑄𝑃 occurs after the period 𝑡𝑐.

 Cont…
• Formula of time of concentration:
Assumptions and limitation of Rational methods

• The peak flow occurs when the entire watershed is contributing to

the flow
• The rainfall distributed uniformly over the entire drainage area.
• The rainfall intensity is uniform over a time duration at least to the tc.
• The method is applicable if tc for the drainage area is less than the
duration of peak rainfall intensity.
 Cont…
• The calculated runoff is directly proportional to the rainfall intensity.
• Rainfall intensity is uniform throughout the duration of the storm.
• The minimum duration to be used for computation of rainfall intensity
is 10 minutes
• The rational method does not account for storage in drainage area. It
assumed to be filled.
 Cont…
• The frequency of the computed peak flow is the same as that of the rainfall intensity,
i.e., the 10-yr rainfall intensity is assumed to produce the 10-yr peak flow

• The coefficient of runoff is the same for all storms of all recurrence probabilities

• Because of these inherent assumptions, the Rational formula should only be applied
to drainage areas smaller than 80 ha
• Initial losses (interception, depression storage, etc). are not considered
 Example:

• Example 1: Calculate the peak storm water runoff rate from a watershed of 15
acres, with a runoff coefficient of 0.35, from a storm of intensity 2.4 in/hr.
• Solution: Q = (0.35)(2.4)(15) = 12.6 cfts