Practical Coursework 4

Use the Green-Ampt method to evaluate the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration depth for a silty
clay soil at 0.1-hour increments up to 6 hours from the beginning of the infiltration. Assume the initial
effective saturation 20% and continuous ponding.

Soil Class Porosity (n) Effective porosity Wetting front soil Hydraulic
(θe) suction (ψ), cm Conductivity (K),
cm/hr
Silty clay 0.476 0.423 29.22 0.05

Table:

Time (hr) Infiltration rate f (cm/hr) Infiltration depth F (cm)

0.1 1.78 0.29
0.2 1.20 0.43
0.3 0.97 0.54
0.4 0.84 0.63
0.5 0.75 0.71
1.0 0.54 1.02
1.5 0.44 1.26
2.0 0.39 1.47
2.5 0.35 1.65
3.0 0.32 1.82
3.5 0.30 1.97
4.0 0.28 2.12
4.5 0.27 2.26
5.0 0.26 2.39
5.5 0.25 2.51
6.0 0.24 2.64

Formulas:

 ∆𝜃 = (1 − 𝑆𝑒 )𝜃𝑒

𝐹(𝑡) 𝜓∆𝜃
 𝐹(𝑡) = 𝐾𝑡 + 𝜓∆𝜃𝑙𝑛 [1 + 𝜓∆𝜃
] ; f(t) = 𝐾 [ 𝐹(𝑡) + 1]

Computations:

 ∆𝜃 = (1 − 0.20) 0.423 𝜓∆𝜃 = 29.22 (0.338)

∆𝜃 = 0.338 𝜓∆𝜃 = 9.88 𝑐𝑚

The cumulative infiltration is calculated employing the method of successive substitution. Take a trial
value of F(t) = K = 0.05

@ t = 0.1 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(0.1) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟗 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.055

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [0.29 + 1]
f(t) = 1.78 cm/hr
@ t=0.2 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(0.2) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟑 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.060

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [ + 1]
0.43
f(t) = 1.20 cm/hr

@ t=0.3 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(0.3) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟒 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.065

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [0.54 + 1]
f(t) = 0.97 cm/hr

@ t=0.4 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(0.4) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟑 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.070

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [ + 1]
0.63
f(t) = 0.84 cm/hr

@ t=0.5 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(0.5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟎. 𝟕𝟏 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.075

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [0.71 + 1]
f(t) = 0.75 cm/hr

@ t=1.0 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(1.0) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏. 𝟎𝟐 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.10

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [1.02 + 1]
f(t) = 0.54 cm/hr

@ t=1.5 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(1.5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏. 𝟐𝟔 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.12

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [1.26 + 1]
f(t) = 0.44 cm/hr
@ t=2.0 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(2) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏. 𝟒𝟕 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.15

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [ + 1]
1.47
f(t) = 0.39 cm/hr

@ t=2.5 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(2.5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.17

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [1.65 + 1]
f(t) = 0.35 cm/hr

@ t=3.0 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(3) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏. 𝟖𝟐 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.20

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [ + 1]
1.82
f(t) = 0.32 cm/hr

@ t=3.5 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(3.5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏. 𝟗𝟕 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.22

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [1.97 + 1]
f(t) = 0.30 cm/hr

@ t=4.0 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(4.0) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟐 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.25

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [2.12 + 1]
f(t) = 0.28 cm/hr

@ t=4.5 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(4.5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + 9.88
] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟐. 𝟐𝟔 cm
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.27

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [2.26 + 1]
f(t) = 0.27 cm/hr
@ t=5.0 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟐. 𝟑𝟗 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.30

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [ + 1]
2.39
f(t) = 0.26 cm/hr

@ t=5.5 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(5.5) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟐. 𝟓𝟏 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.32

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [2.51 + 1]
f(t) = 0.25 cm/hr

@ t=6.0 hr
0.05
 𝐹(𝑡) = 0.05(6.0) + 9.88𝑙𝑛 [1 + ] Final value 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟒 cm
9.88
𝐹(𝑡) = 0.35

9.88
 f(t) = 0.05 [ + 1]
2.64
f(t) = 0.24 cm/hr