Sizing Stormwater Infiltration Structures

Abstract

A design aid is presented for sizing stormwater infiltration structures. The proposed procedure is based on the hydrological storage equation for an infiltration structure coupled with the Green and Ampt infiltration equation. For the filling process, the two equations are solved simultaneously using a numerical method, and the results are presented in chart form. These charts are useful to determine the maximum water depth in an infiltration structure. For the emptying process, the governing equations are integrated analytically resulting in an algebraic equation that can be solved for the emptying time explicitly. A practical application is included to demonstrate the ease of the suggested procedure.