UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

WR213: HYDRAULIC & WATER QUALITY PRACTICALS

PRACTICAL No. 04: INFILTRATION RATE

STUDENT’S NAME: IBORU, HUDDY SARAJI

REGISTRATION NO: 2021-04-02475

DEGREE PROGRAMME: BSc. In Mining engineering

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 23rd MAY, 2023

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTOR: MR SHADRACK

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INTRODUCTION

Infiltration rate is influenced by soil properties and moisture content. Initial infiltration is rapid in
a dry soil as the moisture tension at the surface is high, exerting a significance downward force.
However as the surface layers become wetted the moisture tension falls off until finally the water
percolates through the soil under gravity.

Flow rates in later stages of infiltration are also impeded by a structural breakdown and segregation
of particles and a compressing of the surface layers.

Soils with a high clay content have small pores spaces, leading to lower rates of diffusion further
compounded by absorption of the water by the clay. If an appreciable amount of water is drawn
into inter-layer spaces, swelling occurs.

Sandy soils, in contrast have larger pore spaces and tend to have lower levels of water retention.

It is important to note however, that in the field, clay soils can have high infiltration rates due to
weathering.

In dry conditions, expansive clays frequently have large cracks down which water can run freely.

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the principles of the relationship of soil types and infiltration and penetration rates.

APPARATUS

1. Column of three soil types; sand, loam and clay soil.

2. A sieve.
3. Laboratory infiltration apparatus.
4. Stop watch.
5. Marker pen
6. A beaker
7. Felt pad
8. Filter paper

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PROCEDURES

i. We used three contrasting soil types; sandy, loam, and clay soil (the samples had fine
particles).
ii. The soils were air dried to ensure that all soils were under the same moisture content.
iii. The soils were sieved through a 2mm sieve to obtain a uniform particle size.
iv. The perforated plate was screwed into the base of the cylinder.
v. The filter paper was placed in the tubes.
vi. The soil sample was then poured into the cylinder in 2 increments and stirred to avoid
segregation of soil particles.
vii. The cylinder was filled to 350mm mark.
viii. The cylinders were lightly tapped to compact the soil and avoid undesirable settlement of
the soil.
ix. A sheet of filter paper was placed on top of the soil and the wire mesh baffle was inserted
into the cylinder so as to minimize erosion of the soil sample.
x. 500ml of water was poured into each cylinder quickly so that each infiltration column
began with an equal head of water.
xi. The initial soil and water surface was immediately marked with a marking pen.
xii. Timing began.
xiii. The advance of the wetting front and the difference between water surface levels and soil
surface level was noted.

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TABLE OF RESULTS:

 CLAY

Time Height Height Depth of Accumulated Depth of Infiltration Log of Log of Cumulative
(min) of of soil water intake penetration rate time infiltration infiltration
water (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm/ hr) (mins) rate (cm)
(cm) (c m/hr)

43.00 36.00 7.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00
2.00 41.80 31.00 10.80 -3.80 5.00 150.00 0.30 2.18 3.80

4.00 41.10 28.50 12.60 -5.60 7.50 112.50 0.60 2.05 5.60

6.00 40.70 27.00 13.70 -6.70 9.00 90.00 0.78 1.95 6.70

8.00 40.40 26.00 14.40 -7.40 10.00 75.00 0.90 1.88 7.40

10.00 39.80 24.20 15.60 -8.60 11.80 70.80 1.00 1.85 8.60

12.00 39.50 23.00 16.50 -9.50 13.00 65.00 1.08 1.81 9.50

14.00 39.20 21.50 17.70 -10.70 14.50 62.14 1.15 1.79 10.70

16.00 38.80 20.30 18.50 -11.50 15.70 58.88 1.20 1.77 11.50

18.00 38.50 19.10 19.40 -12.40 16.90 56.33 1.26 1.75 12.40

20.00 38.20 18.00 20.20 -13.20 18.00 54.00 1.30 1.73 13.20

22.00 37.80 16.50 21.30 -14.30 19.50 53.18 1.34 1.73 14.30

24.00 37.50 15.70 21.80 -14.80 20.30 50.75 1.38 1.71 14.80

26.00 37.20 14.60 22.60 -15.60 21.40 49.38 1.41 1.69 15.60

28.00 37.00 13.60 23.40 -16.40 22.40 48.00 1.45 1.68 16.40

30.00 36.70 12.50 24.20 -17.20 23.50 47.00 1.48 1.67 17.20

32.00 36.40 11.60 24.80 -17.80 24.40 45.75 1.51 1.66 17.80

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  SAND

Time Height Height Depth of Accumulated Depth of Infiltratio Log of Log of Cumulative
(min) of of soil water intake penetration n rate time infiltration infiltration
water (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm/ hr) (mins) rate (cm)
(cm) (cm/hr)

43.00 36.00 7.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00
0.50 41.90 31.00 10.90 -3.90 5.00 600.00 -0.30 2.78 3.90

1.00 41.00 29.00 12.00 -5.00 7.00 420.00 0.00 2.62 5.00

1.50 40.00 27.00 13.00 -6.00 9.00 360.00 0.18 2.56 6.00

2.00 39.50 25.00 14.50 -7.50 11.00 330.00 0.30 2.52 7.50

2.50 39.00 23.30 15.70 -8.70 12.70 304.80 0.40 2.48 8.70

3.00 38.60 22.00 16.60 -9.60 14.00 280.00 0.48 2.45 9.60

3.50 38.00 20.30 17.70 -10.70 15.70 269.14 0.54 2.43 10.70

4.00 37.50 19.00 18.50 -11.50 17.00 255.00 0.60 2.41 11.50

4.50 37.00 17.00 20.00 -13.00 19.00 253.33 0.65 2.40 13.00

5.00 36.50 16.00 20.50 -13.50 20.00 240.00 0.70 2.38 13.50

5.50 36.00 14.50 21.50 -14.50 21.50 234.55 0.74 2.37 14.50

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  LOAM

Time Height Height Depth Accumulated Depth of Infiltration Log of Log of Cumulative
(min) of of soil of water intake penetration rate time infiltration infiltration
water (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm/ hr) (mins) rate (cm)
(cm) (c m/hr)

43.00 36.00 7.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00
1.00 41.40 31.40 10.00 -3.00 4.60 276.00 0.00 2.44 3.00

2.00 40.50 28.50 12.00 -5.00 7.50 225.00 0.30 2.35 5.00

3.00 40.00 28.00 12.00 -5.00 8.00 160.00 0.48 2.20 5.00

4.00 39.50 26.00 13.50 -6.50 10.00 150.00 0.60 2.18 6.50

5.00 39.00 25.00 14.00 -7.00 11.00 132.00 0.70 2.12 7.00

6.00 38.70 24.50 14.20 -7.20 11.50 115.00 0.78 2.06 7.20

7.00 38.50 24.30 14.20 -7.20 11.70 100.29 0.85 2.00 7.20

8.00 38.10 23.90 14.20 -7.20 12.10 90.75 0.90 1.96 7.20

9.00 37.80 21.50 16.30 -9.30 14.50 96.67 0.95 1.99 9.30

10.00 37.50 20.50 17.00 -10.00 15.50 93.00 1.00 1.97 10.00

11.00 36.00 19.90 16.10 -9.10 16.10 87.82 1.04 1.94 9.10

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From the tables above, the following graphs were plotted

GRAPH OF CUMULATIVE INFILTRATION (cm) AGAINST TIME (mins)

20.00

18.00
CUMULATIVE INFILTRATION (cm)

clay
16.00
sand
14.00

12.00
loam
10.00

8.00

6.00

4.00

2.00

0.00
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00
TIME (mins)
loam sand clay

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 THE GRAPH OF INFILTRATION RATE(cm/hr) AGAINST TIME
(mins)
700.00

600.00
INFILTRATION RATE (cm/hr)

500.00

400.00

300.00

sand
200.00

100.00 loam
clay
0.00
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00
time (mins)

GRAPH OF DEPTH OF PENETRATION (cm) AGAINST TIME

(mins)
30.00
DEPTH OF PENETRATION (cm)

25.00 clay
sand
20.00

loam
15.00

10.00

5.00

0.00
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00

time (mins)

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 GRAPH OF LOG INFILTRATION RATE (cm/hr) AGAINST LOG TIME
(mins)
3.00

y = -0.3793x + 2.6386
LOG INFILTRATION RATE (cm/hr)

2.50
(sand)

2.00
(loam) y = -0.513x + 2.4646

(clay)
1.50 y = -0.4242x + 2.2874

1.00

0.50

0.00
-0.40 -0.20 0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20 1.40 1.60
LOG TIME (mins)

INFILTRATION RATE USING HORTONS EQUATION:

Consider the following Horton’s equation which relates the infiltration rate with time,

𝑓=𝑓𝑐+𝐴𝑒−𝐾𝑡
Where
f =infiltration rate at any time (mm/hr)
fc =infiltration rate at large value of time
(mm/hr)
A = fo – fc
fo = initial infiltration rate at t=o (mm/hr)
t = time from beginning of infiltration (min)
k = constant for a particular soil and surface
(mm-1)
From the graph of infiltration rate against time; the values of fo and fc are obtained directly by
reading from the graph

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Also from the graph of log infiltration against log time, the slopes are the K- values. These
values are summarized below;

fo fc A= fo-fc K f = (fc + Ae−kt )

SAND 8000 2200 5800 0.3351 2200+5800e(-0.3351t)

LOAM 5600 700 4900 0.513 700+4900e(-0.513t)

CLAY 2500 300 2200 0.4623 300+2200e(-0.4623t)

From Horton’s equation the following results were obtained for each soil type:

SAND LOAM CLAY

Time Infiltration rate Time Infiltration rate Time Infiltration rate

0 8000 0 5600 0 2500

0.5 7105.3 1 3633.614 2 1369
1 6348.5 2 2456.345 4 819.41
1.5 5708.6 3 1751.518 6 552.38
2 5167.3 4 1329.541 8 422.63
2.5 4709.6 5 1076.904 10 359.59
3 4322.4 6 925.6512 12 328.95
3.5 3995 7 835.0967 14 314.07
4 3718.1 8 780.8819 16 306.84
4.5 3483.9 9 748.4238 18 303.32
5 3285.8 10 728.9911 20 301.61
5.5 3118.3 11 717.3569 22 300.78
24 300.38
26 300.19
28 300.09
30 300.04
32 300.02

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 THE GRAPH OF INFILTRATION RATE(cm/hr) AGAINST
TIME (mins)
9000

8000

7000
INFILTRATION RATE (cm/hr)

6000

5000

4000

3000 sand

2000

1000
loam
clay
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
TIME (mins)

SOURCE OF ERRORS:
 Parallax error when taking readings from the soil columns.
 When the filter paper is not properly kept, it causes the water to fall unevenly and hence
leading to obtain different values at the same level of the column.
 Variations in the size of the columns used in the infiltration apparatus lead to many
errors when conducting this experiment.

CONCLUSION

Variations in the size of the cylinders used in the infiltration devices and other factors lead to
many errors when conducting this experiment. Therefore all the necessity were done to avoid all
kinds’ errors in order to make the experiment standard.

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