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Infiltration and Indices

Infiltration

Infiltration is the flow of water into the ground through the soil surface. The distribution of soil
moisture within the soil pro- file during the infiltration process is illustrated in Fig. 1

Figure 1 Distribution of Soil Moisture in the Infiltration Process

Infiltration capacity
The maximum rate at which a given soil at a given time can absorb water is defined as the infiltration
capacity. It is designated as fp and is expressed in units of cm/h. The actual rate of infiltration f can be
expressed as:

f = fp when i ≥ fp
f = i when i < fp
Where i = intensity of rainfall.
The infiltration capacity of an area is dependent on a large number of factors:

1. Characteristics of the soil (Texture, porosity and hydraulic conductivity)

2. Condition of the soil surface
3. Current moisture content
4. Vegetative cover and
5. Soil temperature

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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Measurement of infiltration
Infiltration characteristics of a soil at a given location can be estimated by:

1. Using flooding type infiltrometers

2. Measurement of subsidence of free water in a large basin or pond
3. Rainfall simulator
4. Hydrograph analysis

Using flooding type infiltrometers

1. Simple (tube type) infiltrometer

This is a simple instrument consisting essentially of a metal cylinder, 30 cm diameter and 60 cm long, open at
both ends. The cylinder is driven into the ground to a depth of 50 cm (Fig.2). Water is poured into the top
part to a depth of 5 cm and a pointer is set to mark the water level. As infiltration proceeds, the volume is
made up by adding water from a burette to keep the water level at the tip of the pointer. Knowing the
volume of water added during different time intervals, the plot of the infiltration capacity vs time is
obtained. The experiments are continued till a uniform rate of infiltration is obtained and this may take 2-
3 hours. The surface of the soil is usually protected by a perforated disc to prevent formation of turbidity
and its settling on the soil surface

Figure 2 Simple (tube type) infiltrometer

2. Double-ring infiltrometer

This most commonly used infiltrometer is de- signed to overcome the basic objection of the tube
infiltrometer, viz. the tube area is not representative of the infiltrating area. In this, two sets of
concentrating rings with diameters of 30 cm and 60 cm and of a minimum length of 25 cm, as shown
in Fig. 3 ,are used. The two rings are inserted into the ground and water is applied into both the rings
to maintain a constant depth of about 5.0 cm. The outer ring provides water jacket to the infiltering

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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water from the inner ring and hence prevents the spreading out of the infiltering water of the inner
ring. The water depths in the inner and outer rings are kept the same during the observation period.
The measurement of the water volume is done on the inner ring only. The experiment is carried out
until a constant infiltration rate is obtained

Figure 3 Double-ring infiltrometer

Some of the chief drawbacks of flooding-type infiltrometers are:

1. The raindrop impact effect is not simulated

2. The driving of the tube or rings disturbs the soil structure; and
3. The results of the infiltrometers depend to some extent on their size with the larger meters giving less
rates than the smaller ones.

Rainfall simulator
In this a small plot of land, of about 2 m x 4 m size, is provided with a series of nozzles on the longer
side with arrangements to collect and measure the surface runoff rate. The specially designed nozzles
produce raindrops falling from a height of 2 m and are capable of producing various intensities of
rainfall. Experiments are conducted under controlled conditions with various combinations of
intensities and durations and the surface runoff rates and volumes are measured in each case. Using
the water budget equation involving the volume of rainfall, infiltration and runoff, the infiltration rate
and its variation with time are estimated. If the rainfall intensity is higher than the infiltration rate,
infiltration capacity values are obtained.

Rainfall simulator type infiltrometers give lower values than flooding type infiltrometers. This is due
to effect of the rainfall impact and turbidity of the surface water present in the former.

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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Hydrograph analysis
Analysing measured runoff hydrographs and corresponding rainfall records can obtain reasonable
estimation of the infiltration capacity of a small watershed. If sufficiently good rainfall records and
runoff hydrographs corresponding to isolated storms in a small watershed with homogeneous soils are
available, water budget equation can be applied to simulate the abstraction by infiltration. In this the
evapotranspiration losses are estimated by knowing the land cover/use of the watershed.

Modelling infiltration capacity

Horton s equation (1933)

Horton expressed the decay of infiltration capacity with time as an exponential decay given by:

𝒕
𝒇𝒑 = 𝒇𝒄 + (𝒇𝟎 + 𝒇𝑪 )𝒆−𝒌𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝟎 ≥ 𝒕 ≤ 𝒕𝒄

Figure 4 Graphical representation of Horton formula.

Example 1
Infiltration capacity data obtained in a flooding type infiltration test is given below:

Time since start 15

(minutes) 5 10 25 45 60 75 90 110 130
Cumulative
infiltration depth
(Cm) 1.75 3 3.95 5.5 7.25 8.3 9.3 10.2 11.28 12.36

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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(a) For this data plot the curves of (i) infiltration capacity vs time, (ii) infiltration capacity vs
cumulative infiltration, and (iii) cumulative infiltration vs time.

(B) Obtain the best values of the parameters in Horton's infiltration capacity equation to represent this
data set.

Solution

Incremental
Infiltration
Time F,Cum. Depth in the ln (Fp- Time
rate,
(minutes) depth (Cm) interval Fc) in Hr.
(Cm/hr)
(cm)
0 0
5.00 1.75 1.75 21.00 2.877 0.083
10.00 3.00 1.25 15.00 2.465 0.167
15.00 3.95 0.95 11.40 2.099 0.250
25.00 5.50 1.55 9.30 1.802 0.417
45.00 7.25 1.75 5.25 0.698 0.750
60.00 8.30 1.05 4.20 -0.041 1.000
75.00 9.30 1.00 4.00 -0.274 1.250
90.00 10.20 0.90 3.60 -1.022 1.500
110.00 11.28 1.08 3.24 1.833
130.00 12.36 1.08 3.24 2.167

A) Plots of 𝐹 vs time and 𝑓𝑝 vs time are shown in Fig. 5. Best fitting curve for plotted points
are also shown in the Fig. 5
Plot of F vs Fp is shown in Fig.6

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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25.00
CUMULATIVE INFILTRATION (CM) AND INFILTRATION RATE

20.00

15.00
(CM/H)

10.00

5.00

0.00
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
TIME SINCE START (HR.)

Figure 5 Plot of F vs Time and fp vs Time

25.00
FP=INFILTRATION CAPACITY (CM/HR)

20.00

15.00

10.00

5.00

0.00
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00
F = CUMULATIVE DEPTH OF INFILTRATION (CM)

Figure 6 Plot of fp vs F

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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B) By observation from Table above fc = 3.24 cm/h

Ln(fp - fc) is plotted against time t as shown in Fig. 7 The best fit line through The plotted
points is drawn and its equation is obtained as

3.500

3.000
y = -2.6751x + 2.8868
2.500
R² = 0.9859
2.000

1.500
lin fp-fc)

1.000

0.500

0.000

-0.500

-1.000

-1.500
0.000 0.200 0.400 0.600 0.800 1.000 1.200 1.400 1.600
time t (hr)

Figure 7 Horton's Equation. Plot of ln (fp - fc) vs Time

ln (fp - fc) = 2.8868 - 2.6751 t

-Kh = slope of the best fit line = -2.6751, thus Kh = 2.6751 h-1

ln (f0 - fc) = intercept = 2.8868, thus f0 - fc = 17.94,

Form above Fc = fc = 3.24 cm/hr → f0 =17.94 + 3.24 = 21.18 cm/h

 Horton’s Formula can be rearranged to find Cumulative infiltration

(𝒇𝟎 − 𝒇𝒄 )
𝑭(𝒕) = 𝒇𝒄 𝒕 +
𝒌𝒉

Example 2
The infiltration capacity of soil in a small watershed was found to ae 6 cm/h before a rainfall event. It
was found to ae I.2 cm/h at the end of 8 hours of storm. If the total infiltration during the 8 hours
period of storm was 15 cm, estimate the value of the decay coefficient Kh in Horton's infiltration
capacity equation.

Solution:

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
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(𝒇𝟎 −𝒇𝒄 ) (𝟔−𝟏.𝟐) 𝟒.𝟖

𝑭(𝒕) = 𝒇𝒄 𝒕 + = 𝟏𝟓 = (𝟏. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟖) + → 𝒌𝒉 = = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟖𝟖 𝒉−𝟏
𝒌𝒉 𝒌𝒉 𝟓.𝟒

Table 1 Classification of Infiltration Capacities

Infiltration Infiltration Capacity Remarks

Class mm/hr
Very Low < 2.5 Highly clayey soils

Low 2.5 to 25.0 Shallow soils, Clay soils, Soils low in

organic matter

Medium 12.5 to 25.0 Sandy loam, Silt

High >25.0 Deep sands, well drained aggregated soils

Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 3rd stage Lecture Four (4) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin