Estimating the Design Flow

Ad

1) Estimation of watershed area

from a topographic map.

2) Obtain cover factor c from tables. It may be necessary to obtain the weighted average in
the drainage area, by weighting each c value with the proportion of the drainage area it
covers.
Lh

3) Hydraulic length,

and slope G obtained from the site map. It may also be necessary

to determine the different

4) Obtain the

cg

Lh

and G values for different cover factors, c.

factor for each homogenous portion along the hydraulic length.

5) Determination of the concentration time,

t c =c g L0.5
h

for each

cg

value, and

aggregate the values.

6) Use of the IDF graphs to obtain intensity in mm/hr for different return periods and
concentration times.
q p = Ad ci

7) Peak rate of runoff.

Pipe sizing
If using Darch-Weisbach formula (any consistent unit):

1/ 5

D 0.811
Q
g So

2 useful relationships to relate Mannings n and Darcy f

1/ 6
n 0.031es

f 0.18 es
D

1/ 3

Where es = equivalent sand grain roughness in ft

D = pipe diameter in ft

Junctions
1) Located at every change of pipe size, horizontal direction or vertical alignment.
2) Spaced at no more than 400 ft.
3) Minimum diameter of 36-48 inches to allow access and maintenance activities, at least
large enough to accommodate all pipes connected with a minimum of 3 inches of wall
thickness on both sides of all pipes.
Loss Coefficient for Junctions
1) At junctions, the losses may be classified as pipe exit loss and entrance loss.
2) There are 2-way, 3-way, and 4-way junctions most commonly seen.
2-way Junction
1) Same size pipes upstream and downstream of junction
2) No change in direction of flow
3) Noticeable high head loss and vortex and instability when ratio of junction depth (Y) to
pipe diameter (D) is between 1 and 2.
4) Head Loss = K V2/2g
Pump Sizing
A properly sized pump is critical. Too small and it will not be able to keep up with water
flowing into the sump. Too large and it creates unnecessary expense. An oversized pump will
also short-cycle turning on and off in rapid succession, which leads to premature pump failure.
The size of the pump is based on the volume of water to be removed in the sump pit. In this
particular study, half of the peak discharge will be considered. The total dynamic head of the
discharge pipe will then be determined. This is the sum of the static head which is the height
between the pump and the end of the discharge pipe.