Hydraulic performance of grass swales for managing highway runoff

Davis, Allen P.; Stagge, James H.; Jamil, Eliea; Kim, Hunho

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2011.10.017

Cited by 109 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Particularly, the small differences in SWC under dry conditions indicated potentially significant reductions in swale infiltration volume. The pattern of flow volume attenuation in our study follows that described by Davis et al () for swale drainage during intermediate‐to‐severe rainfalls. The relative swale volume reductions decreased with increasing inflows, that is, for rainstorms with longer return periods, as the infiltration capacity of swale soils was quickly reached and exceeded.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Deviations of 0.05–0.10 m from the uniform slope line were common and created depression storage on the swale bottom, with estimated volumes of 0.35 and 0.61 m 3 in Swales 1 and 2, respectively. Such storage acts similarly as that in swales with check dams, generally contributing to higher run‐off infiltration volumes and greater delays of outflow hydrographs as, for example, reported by Davis et al (). The role of temporary water storage in surface depressions and in the top soil layer bears more importance for buffering run‐off from small rainstorms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Such volumes represented 7–18% and 12–31% of the inflow volume for Swales 1 and 2, respectively. These depressions function in a similar way as storage created by check berms used in some swale designs and are recognized for increasing flow attenuation (Davis et al, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Depending on the relative magnitude of the total inflow and hydrologic abstractions, there may be no outflow from the swale (i.e., the inflow fully infiltrates), or there is an outflow in the form of saturation excess flow (Dunne & Leopold, ). Besides rainfall characteristics, the swale hydrology is affected by the channel geometry, vegetation, and depressions (or check dams; Davis et al, ); by the saturated hydraulic conductivity K s of swale soils (Ahmed, Gulliver, & Nieber, ); and by the antecedent wetness (Nishat, Guo, & Baetz, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of initial soil moisture conditions on swale flow hydrographs

Rujner

Maršálek

Perttu

et al. 2018

Hydrological Processes

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The effects of soil water content (SWC) on the formation of run‐off in grass swales draining into a storm sewer system were studied in two 30‐m test swales with trapezoidal cross sections. Swale 1 was built in a loamy fine‐sand soil, on a slope of 1.5%, and Swale 2 was built in a sandy loam soil, on a slope of 0.7%. In experimental runs, the swales were irrigated with 2 flow rates reproducing run‐off from block rainfalls with intensities approximately corresponding to 2‐month and 3‐year events. Run‐off experiments were conducted for initial SWC (SWCini) ranging from 0.18 to 0.43 m3/m3. For low SWCini, the run‐off volume was greatly reduced by up to 82%, but at high SWCini, the volume reduction was as low as 15%. The relative swale flow volume reductions decreased with increasing SWCini and, for the conditions studied, indicated a transition of the dominating swale functions from run‐off dissipation to conveyance. Run‐off flow peaks were reduced proportionally to the flow volume reductions, in the range from 4% to 55%. The swale outflow hydrograph lag times varied from 5 to 15 min, with the high values corresponding to low SWCini. Analysis of swale inflow/outflow hydrographs for high SWCini allowed estimations of the saturated hydraulic conductivities as 3.27 and 4.84 cm/hr in Swales 1 and 2, respectively. Such estimates differed from averages (N = 9) of double‐ring infiltrometer measurements (9.41 and 1.78 cm/hr). Irregularities in swale bottom slopes created bottom surface depression storage of 0.35 and 0.61 m3 for Swales 1 and 2, respectively, and functioned similarly as check berms contributing to run‐off attenuation. The experimental findings offer implications for drainage swale planning and design: (a) SWCini strongly affect swale functioning in run‐off dissipation and conveyance during the early phase of run‐off, which is particularly important for design storms and their antecedent moisture conditions, and (b) concerning the longevity of swale operation, Swale 1 remains fully functional even after almost 60 years of operation, as judged from its attractive appearance, good infiltration rates (3.27 cm/hr), and high flow capacity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of initial soil moisture conditions on swale flow hydrographs

Rujner

Maršálek

Perttu

et al. 2018

Hydrological Processes

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“…It was estimated that if 10% of roofs in Brussels were vegetated with a substrate of 100 mm, annual urban runoff in Brussels would decrease by 2.7%. Constructed wetlands, infiltration basins and swales also have the capacity, in varying degrees, to reduce runoff through increasing infiltration, storage and evapotranspiration and to reduce pollutant loads through filtration and absorption through roots (Davis et al, 2012;Terzakis et al, 2008). Pavements of this type have can significantly reduce runoff (between 30% -over 90% reduction) and limit the migration of pollutants and suspended solids (Dreelin et al, 2006;Newton et al, 2003;Scholz & Grabowiecki, 2007).…”

Section: Implications For Managing Urban Runoffmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating the effects of climate change, economic and urban planning scenarios on urban runoff patterns of a metropolitan region

Willuweit

Shahumyan

2015

Urban Water Journal

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Urban development and climate change are expected to have significant effects on urban stormwater runoff. In this study, the Dynamic Urban Water Simulation Model (DUWSiM) is applied to Dublin, Ireland, to explore urban runoff patterns under varying urban growth and climate scenarios. Results show that annual urban runoff could decrease by 3.0% from climate change and monthly runoff could increase by 30% in winter and decrease by 28% in summer. Results also indicate that urban growth could increase annual runoff by up to 15%. The combined effect of climatic and land-use change generated runoff may potentially increase annual totals from between 2.9% to 21%. Monthly changes in runoff totals could increase by up to 57%. Accommodating these variations in runoff between the scenarios, flexible decentralised systems such as green roofs and pervious pavements, have a vital role in increasing the adaptability and long term sustainability of water infrastructure.

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