CENGR 3250 - HYDROLOGY

INFILTRATION

ENGR. JHOREENE A. JULIAN

ENGR. ERICKA V. MARCOS
Instructor
Department of Civil Engineering, CLSU
COURSE OUTLINE:

• Infiltration
• Moisture Zones
• Analogy of Infiltration
• Infiltration Capacity
• Measurement of Infiltration
• Modelling of Infiltration Capacity
• Estimation of Parameters of Infiltration Model
• Sample Problems
 INFILTRATION
Infiltration is the process of water penetrating from the ground surface into the soil. Many factors
influence the infiltration rate, such as

• Condition of the soil surface

• Vegetative Cover
• Properties of the soil (Porosity, Hydraulic Conductivity)
• Current moisture content of the soil
 INFILTRATION
Soil strata with different physical
properties may overlay each other,
forming horizons.

Soils exhibit great spatial variability

even within relatively small areas such
as fields. As a result of these great
spatial variations, and the time
variations in soil properties that occur
as the soil moisture content changes,
infiltration is a very complex process
that can be describes only
approximately with mathematical
equations.
FOUR MOISTURE ZONES
Zone I

Zone II

Zone III

Zone IV
ANALOGY OF INFILTRATION
 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 = when i < 𝑓𝑃
where i = intensity of rainfall. The infiltration capacity of the soil is high at the beginning
of a storm and has exponential decay as the time elapses.
INFILTRATION CAPACITY
The infiltration capacity 𝑓𝑃 of a soil
with time is shown in the Figure. The
infiltration capacity of an area is
dependent on many factors, chief of
them are:
• Characteristics of the soil (Texture,
porosity and hydraulic
conductivity)
• Condition of the soil surface
• Current moisture content
• Vegetative cover
• Soil temperature
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL
The type of soil, viz. sand, silt or clay,
its texture, structure, permeability
and underdrainage are the important
characteristics under this category. A
loose, permeable, sandy soil will
have a larger infiltration capacity
than a tight, clayey soil. A soil with
good underdrainage, i.e., the facility
to transmit the infiltered water
downward to a groundwater storage
would obviously have a higher
infiltration capacity.
 SURFACE ENTRY
At the soil surface, the impact of
raindrops causes the fines in the soil
to be displaced and these in turn can
clog the pore spaces in the upper
layers of the soil. This is an important
factor affecting the infiltration
capacity. Thus, a surface covered with
grass and other vegetation which can
reduce this process has a pronounced
influence on the value of 𝑓𝑃 .
FLUID CHARACTERISTICS
Water infiltrating into the soil will
have many impurities, both in
solution and in suspension. The
turbidity of the water, especially
the clay and colloid content, is an
important factor and such
suspended particles block the fine
pores in the soil and reduce its
infiltration capacity
 MEASUREMENT OF INFILTRATION
Infiltration characteristics of a soil at a given location can be estimated by
• Using flooding type infiltrometers

• Measurement of subsidence of free water in a large basin or pond

• Rainfall simulator
• Hydrograph analysis
 FLOODING TYPE INFILTROMETERS
Flooding-type infiltrometers are experimental devices used to obtain data relating to
variation of infiltration capacity with time. Two types of flooding type infiltrometers are
in common use. These are (a) Tube-type (or Simple) infiltrometer and (b) Double-ring
infiltrometer.
 FLOODING TYPE INFILTROMETERS
a. 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. 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.
 FLOODING TYPE INFILTROMETERS
b. Double-Ring Infiltrometer
This most used infiltrometer is
designed 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, are
used.
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 can produce
various intensities of rainfall.
 HYDROGRAPH ANALYSIS
Reasonable estimation of the infiltration capacity of a small watershed can be obtained
by analyzing measured runoff hydrographs and corresponding rainfall records. If
sufficiently good rainfall records and runoff hydrographs corresponding to isolated
storms in a small watershed with fairly homogeneous soils are available, water budget
equation can be applied to estimate the abstraction by infiltration. In this the
evapotranspiration losses are estimated by knowing the land cover/use of the
watershed.
 MODELING INFILTRATION CAPACITY
Cumulative infiltration capacity 𝑓𝑃 (t) is defined as the accumulation of infiltration
volume over a time period since the start of the process and is given by
𝑡
𝐹𝑝= න 𝑓𝑝 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
0
Thus, the curve 𝑓𝑃 (t) vs time in the Figure below is the mass curve of infiltration. It may
be noted that from the first equation, it follows that
𝑑𝐹𝑝 𝑡
𝑓𝑝 𝑡 =
𝑑𝑡

Many equations have been proposed to express the curves

𝑓𝑃 (t) for use in hydrological analysis.
 HORTON’S EQUATION (1993)
Horton expressed the decay of infiltration capacity with time as an exponential decay given by

𝑓𝑝 = 𝑓𝑐 + 𝑓𝑜 − 𝑓𝑐 𝑒 −𝐾ℎ𝑡
for 0 ≥t≤𝑡𝑐
Where:
𝑓𝑝 = infiltration capacity at any time t from the start of the rainfall
𝑓0 = initial infiltration capacity at t = 0
𝑓𝑐 = final capacity/final steady state infiltration capacity occurring at t = 𝑡𝑐
Also, 𝑓𝑐 is sometimes known as constant rate or ultimate infiltration capacity.
𝐾ℎ = Horton’s decay coefficient which depends upon soil characteristics and vegetation cover. (ℎ𝑟 −1 )
The difficulty of determining the variation of the three parameters 𝑓0 , 𝑓𝑐 , 𝐾ℎ with soil
characteristics and antecedent moisture conditions preclude the general use of the equation.
 PHILIP’S EQUATION (1957)
Philip’s two term model related 𝑓𝑝 (t) as

1
𝐹𝑝 = 𝑠𝑡 2 + 𝐾𝑡
where:
s = a function of soil suction potential and called as sorptivity
K = Darcy’s hydraulic conductivity
This could also be expressed as
1 1
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑠𝑡 2 + 𝐾
2
 KOSTIAKOV EQUATION (1932)
Kostiakov model expresses cumulative infiltration capacity as

𝐹𝑝 = 𝑎𝑡 𝑏

where a and b are local parameters with a > 0 and 0 < b < . The infiltration capacity
would be now expressed as
𝑓𝑝 = (𝑎𝑏)𝑡 (𝑏−1)
 GREEN-AMPT EQUATION (1911)
Green and Ampt proposed a model for infiltration capacity based on Darcy’s law as:

ղ𝑆𝑐
𝑓𝑝 = 𝐾 1 +
𝑓𝑝
where:
ղ = porosity of the soil
𝑆𝑐 = capillary suction at the wetting front and
K = Darcy’s hydraulic conductivity
This equation can also be considered as, where m and n are Green-Ampt parameters of
infiltration model
ղ
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑚 +
𝐹𝑝
 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS OF
INFILTRATION MODELS
Data from infiltrometer experiments can be processed to generate data sets 𝑓𝑝 and
𝐹𝑝 values for various time t values. The following procedures are convenient to evaluate
the parameters of the infiltration models.
 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS OF
INFILTRATION MODELS
a. Horton’s Model
Value of 𝑓𝑐 in a test is obtained from inspection of the data. Horton’s Equation is
rearranged to read as
𝑓𝑝 − 𝑓𝑐 = 𝑓𝑜 − 𝑓𝑐 𝑒 −𝐾ℎ 𝑡

• Taking logarithms ln 𝑓𝑝 − 𝑓𝑐 = 𝑙𝑛 𝑓𝑜 − 𝑓𝑐 𝑒 −𝐾ℎ𝑡

• Plot ln 𝑓𝑝 − 𝑓𝑐 against t and fit the best straight line through the plotted points
• The intercept gives ln 𝑓𝑜 − 𝑓𝑐 and the slope of the straight line is 𝐾ℎ .
 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS OF
INFILTRATION MODELS
b. Philip’s Model
Use the expression for 𝑓𝑝 as
1 1
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑠𝑡 2 + 𝐾
2
−1
• Plot the observed values of 𝑓𝑝 against 𝑡 2 on an arithmetic graph paper.
• The best fitting straight line through the plotted points gives K as the intercept and
𝑆
( ) as the slope of the line.
2
• While fitting Philip's model it is necessary to note that K is positive and to achieve this
it may be necessary to neglect a few data points at the initial stages (viz. at small
values of t) of the infiltration experiment.
• K will be of the order of magnitude of the asymptotic value of 𝑓𝑝 .
 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS OF
INFILTRATION MODELS
c. Kostiakov Model
Kostiakov model 𝐹𝑝 to t as
𝐹𝑝 = 𝑎𝑡 𝑏

• Taking logarithms of both sides of the equation 𝑙𝑛𝐹𝑝 = ln 𝑎 + 𝑏 ln( 𝑡)

• The data is plotted as ln(𝐹𝑝 ) vs ln(t) on an arithmetic graph paper and the best fit
straight through the plotted points gives ln a as intercept and the slope is b.
• Note that b is a positive quantity such that 0 < b < 1.
 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS OF
INFILTRATION MODELS
d. Green-Ampt Model
Green-Ampt equation is considered in the form

ղ
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑚 +
𝐹𝑝
• Values of 𝑓𝑝 are plotted against (1/ 𝐹𝑝 ) on a simple arithmetic graph paper and the
𝐹𝑝 best fit straight line is drawn through the plotted points.
• The intercept and the slope of the line are the coefficients m and n respectively.
• Sometimes values of 𝑓𝑝 and corresponding 𝐹𝑝 at very low values of t may have to be
omitted to get best fitting straight line with reasonably good correlation coefficient.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 1
The initial infiltration capacity 𝑓𝑜 of a watershed is estimated as 1.5 in/hr and the time
constant is taken to be 0.35 ℎ𝑟.−1 . The equilibrium capacity 𝑓𝑐 is 0.2 in/hr. use Horton’s
equation to find (a) the values of 𝑓𝑝 at t = 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, and 6 hr, and (b)
the total volume of infiltration over the 6-hr period.

t (hr) 𝑓𝑝 (in/hr)
1/6
½
1
2
6
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
Infiltration capacity data obtained in a flooding type infiltration test is given below:

a. For this data, plot the curves of

(i) infiltration capacity/rate vs time,
(ii) infiltration capacity vs cumulative infiltration
(iii) cumulative infiltration vs time

b. Obtain the best values of the parameters in Horton's infiltration capacity equation to
represent this data set.
SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
Time in Cumulative Incremental Infiltration ln 𝑓𝑝 − 𝑓𝑐 Time in hours
minutes Depth, 𝐹𝑝 (cm) Depth in the Rate, 𝑓𝑝 (cm/h)
interval (cm)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
0 0

5 1.75

10 3.00

15 3.95

25 5.50

45 7.25

60 8.30

75 9.30

90 10.20

110 11.28

130 12.36
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
Plot the curve
(i) infiltration capacity/rate vs time, 𝑓𝑝 vs time
25

20
Infiltration Rate (cm/hr)

15

10

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time (hr)
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
Plot the curve
(ii) infiltration capacity/rate vs cumulative depth of infiltration
25

20
fp = Infiltration Rate (cm/hr)

15

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Fp = Cumulative Depth of Infiltration (cm)
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
Plot the curve
(iii) cumulative depth of infiltration vs time

14

Fp = Cumulative Depth of Infiltration

12

10

8
(cm)

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time (hr)
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
Obtain the best values of the parameters in Horton's infiltration capacity equation to
represent this data set.

1
ln (fp - fc)

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
-1
y = -2.6754x + 2.8871
-2 R² = 0.9859

-3

-4
TIME (HR)
 SAMPLE PROBLEM NO. 2
The broken line shown (Chart 4) interprets as the best fitted line. Equation of the line
can be obtained by plotting the chart in Excel for accuracy or you can solve it
manually. Refer to figure below
Thank you!