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Section12:RationalMethod
Therationalmethodisappropriateforestimatingpeakdischargesforsmalldrainageareasofuptoabout200
acres(80hectares)withnosignificantfloodstorage.Themethodprovidesthedesignerwithapeakdischarge
value,butdoesnotprovideatimeseriesofflownorflowvolume.

AssumptionsandLimitations
Useoftherationalmethodincludesthefollowingassumptionsandlimitations:
Themethodisapplicableiftcforthedrainageareaislessthanthedurationofpeakrainfallintensity.
Thecalculatedrunoffisdirectlyproportionaltotherainfallintensity.
Rainfallintensityisuniformthroughoutthedurationofthestorm.
Thefrequencyofoccurrenceforthepeakdischargeisthesameasthefrequencyoftherainfall
producingthatevent.
Rainfallisdistributeduniformlyoverthedrainagearea.
Theminimumdurationtobeusedforcomputationofrainfallintensityis10minutes.Ifthetimeof
concentrationcomputedforthedrainageareaislessthan10minutes,then10minutesshouldbe
adoptedforrainfallintensitycomputations.
Therationalmethoddoesnotaccountforstorageinthedrainagearea.Availablestorageisassumed
tobefilled.
Theaboveassumptionsandlimitationsarethereasontherationalmethodislimitedtowatersheds200acresor
smaller.Ifanyoneoftheseconditionsisnottrueforthewatershedofinterest,thedesignershouldusean
alternativemethod.
Therationalmethodrepresentsasteadyinflowoutflowconditionofthewatershedduringthepeakintensityof
thedesignstorm.Anystoragefeatureshavingsufficientvolumethattheydonotcompletelyfillandreacha
steadyinflowoutflowconditionduringthedurationofthedesignstormcannotbeproperlyrepresentedwith
therationalmethod.Suchfeaturesincludedetentionponds,channelswithsignificantvolume,andfloodplain
storage.Whenthesefeaturesarepresent,analternaterainfallrunoffmethodisrequiredthataccountsforthe
timevaryingnatureofthedesignstormand/orfilling/emptyingoffloodplainstorage.Inthesecases,the
hydrographmethodisrecommended.
ThestepsindevelopingandapplyingtherationalmethodareillustratedinFigure48.

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Figure48.Stepsindevelopingandapplyingtherationalmethod

ProcedureforusingtheRationalMethod
Therationalformulaestimatesthepeakrateofrunoffataspecificlocationinawatershedasafunctionofthe 2/7
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Therationalformulaestimatesthepeakrateofrunoffataspecificlocationinawatershedasafunctionofthe
drainagearea,runoffcoefficient,andmeanrainfallintensityforadurationequaltothetimeofconcentration.
Therationalformulais:

Equation420.
Where:
Q=maximumrateofrunoff(cfsorm3/sec.)
C=runoffcoefficient
I=averagerainfallintensity(in./hr.ormm/hr.)
A=drainagearea(acorha)
Z=conversionfactor,1forEnglish,360formetric

RainfallIntensity
Therainfallintensity(I)istheaveragerainfallrateinin./hr.foraspecificrainfalldurationandaselected
frequency.Thedurationisassumedtobeequaltothetimeofconcentration.FordrainageareasinTexas,you
maycomputetherainfallintensityusingEquation421,whichisknownasarainfallintensityduration
frequency(IDF)relationship(powerlawmodel).

Equation421.
Where:
I=designrainfallintensity(in./hr.)
tc=timeofconcentration(min)asdiscussedinSection11
e,b,d=coefficientsforspecificfrequencieslistedbycountyintheEBDLKUP2015v2.1.xlsx
spreadsheetlookuptool(developedbyClevelandetal.2015).Thesecoefficientsarebasedonrainfall
frequencydurationdatacontainedintheAtlasofDepthDurationFrequency(DDF)ofPrecipitation
ofAnnualMaximaforTexas(TxDOT51301011).Alsoseevideo/tutorialontheuseofthe
EBDLKUP2015v2.1.xlsxspreadsheettool.
ThegeneralshapeofarainfallintensitydurationfrequencycurveisshowninFigure49.Asrainfall
durationtendstowardszero,therainfallintensitytendstowardsinfinity.Becausetherainfall
intensity/durationrelationshipisassessedbyassumingthatthedurationisequaltothetimeof
concentration,smallareaswithexceedinglyshorttimesofconcentrationcouldresultindesignrainfall
intensitiesthatareunrealisticallyhigh.Tominimizethislikelihood,useaminimumtimeof
concentrationof10minuteswhenusingthecoefficientspresentedinthehydrologydocument.Asthe
durationtendstoinfinity,thedesignrainfalltendstowardszero.Usually,thearealimitationof200acres
shouldresultindesignrainfallintensitiesthatarenotunrealisticallylow.However,iftheestimatedtime
ofconcentrationisextremelylong,suchasmayoccurinextremelyflatareas,itmaybenecessaryto
consideranupperthresholdoftimeoruseadifferenthydrologicmethod.
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Figure49.TypicalRainfallIntensityDurationFrequencyCurve
Insomeinstancesalternatemethodsofdeterminingrainfallintensitymaybedesired,especiallyfor
coordinationwithotheragencies.Ensurethatanyalternatemethodsareapplicable.

RunoffCoefficients
UrbanWatersheds
Table410suggestsrangesofCvaluesforurbanwatershedsforvariouscombinationsoflanduseand
soil/surfacetype.Thistableistypicalofdesignguidesfoundincivilengineeringtextsdealingwithhydrology.
Table410:RunoffCoefficientsforUrbanWatersheds
Typeofdrainagearea

Business:

Runoffcoefficient

Downtownareas

0.700.95

Neighborhoodareas

0.300.70

Residential:

Singlefamilyareas

0.300.50

Multiunits,detached

0.400.60

Multiunits,attached

0.600.75

Suburban

0.350.40

Apartmentdwellingareas

0.300.70

Industrial:
Lightareas
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0.300.80

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Lightareas

0.300.80

Heavyareas

0.600.90

Parks,cemeteries

0.100.25

Playgrounds

0.300.40

Railroadyards

0.300.40

Unimprovedareas:

Sandorsandyloamsoil,03%

0.150.20

Sandorsandyloamsoil,35%

0.200.25

Blackorloessialsoil,03%

0.180.25

Blackorloessialsoil,35%

0.250.30

Blackorloessialsoil,>5%

0.700.80

Deepsandarea

0.050.15

Steepgrassedslopes
Lawns:

0.70

Sandysoil,flat2%

0.050.10

Sandysoil,average27%

0.100.15

Sandysoil,steep7%

0.150.20

Heavysoil,flat2%

0.130.17

Heavysoil,average27%

0.180.22

Heavysoil,steep7%

0.250.35

Streets:

Asphaltic

0.850.95

Concrete

0.900.95

Brick

0.700.85

Drivesandwalks

0.750.95

Roofs

0.750.95

RuralandMixedUseWatershed
Table411showsanalternate,systematicapproachfordevelopingtherunoffcoefficient.Thistableappliesto
ruralwatershedsonly,addressingthewatershedasaseriesofaspects.Foreachoffouraspects,thedesigner
makesasystematicassignmentofarunoffcoefficientcomponent.UsingEquation422,thefourassigned
componentsareaddedtoformanoverallrunoffcoefficientforthespecificwatershedsegment.
Therunoffcoefficientforruralwatershedsisgivenby:
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Equation422.
Where:
C=runoffcoefficientforruralwatershed
Cr=componentofcoefficientaccountingforwatershedrelief
Ci=componentofcoefficientaccountingforsoilinfiltration
Cv=componentofcoefficientaccountingforvegetalcover
Cs=componentofcoefficientaccountingforsurfacetype
ThedesignerselectsthemostappropriatevaluesforCr,Ci,Cv,andCsfromTable411.
Table411:RunoffCoefficientsforRuralWatersheds
Watershedcharacteristic

Extreme

High

0.280.35
ReliefCr

Steep,rugged
terrainwith
averageslopes
above30%
0.120.16

SoilinfiltrationCi

Noeffectivesoil
covereitherrock
orthinsoilmantle
ofnegligible
infiltration
capacity

0.200.28
Hilly,withaverage
slopesof1030%

Slowtotakeup
water,clayor
shallowloamsoils
oflowinfiltration
capacityorpoorly
drained

SurfaceStorageCs

Low

0.140.20

0.080.14

Rolling,with
averageslopesof
510%

Relativelyflatland,
withaverageslopes
of05%

0.080.12

0.080.12

VegetalcoverCv

Normal

0.060.08

0.040.06

Deepsandorother
Normalwell
soilthattakesup
drainedlightor
waterreadilyvery
mediumtextured
light,welldrained
soils,sandyloams
soils
0.060.08

0.040.06

0.120.16

Poortofairclean
cultivation,crops
Noeffectiveplant orpoornatural
cover,bareor
cover,lessthan
verysparsecover 20%ofdrainage
areahasgood
cover

Fairtogood
about50%ofarea
ingoodgrassland
orwoodland,not
morethan50%of
areaincultivated
crops

Goodtoexcellent
about90%of
drainageareain
goodgrassland,
woodland,or
equivalentcover

0.100.12

0.060.08

0.040.06

Normal
considerable
surface
depression,e.g.,
storagelakesand
pondsand
marshes

Muchsurface
storage,drainage
systemnotsharply
definedlarge
floodplainstorage,
largenumberof
pondsormarshes

Negligible
surface
depressionsfew
andshallow,
drainageways
steepandsmall,
nomarshes

0.080.10
Welldefined
systemofsmall
drainageways,no
pondsormarshes

Table411note:Thetotalrunoffcoefficientbasedonthe4runoffcomponentsisC=Cr+Ci+Cv+Cs

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Table411note:Thetotalrunoffcoefficientbasedonthe4runoffcomponentsisC=Cr+Ci+Cv+Cs

Whilethisapproachwasdevelopedforapplicationtoruralwatersheds,itcanbeusedasacheckagainst
mixeduserunoffcoefficientscomputedusingothermethods.Insodoing,thedesignerwouldusejudgment,
primarilyinspecifyingCs,toaccountforpartiallydevelopedconditionswithinthewatershed.

MixedLandUse
Forareaswithamixtureoflanduses,acompositerunoffcoefficientshouldbeused.Thecompositerunoff
coefficientisweightedbasedontheareaofeachrespectivelanduseandcanbecalculatedas:
Equation423.
Where:
CW=weightedrunoffcoefficient
Cj=runoffcoefficientforareaj
Aj=areaforlandcoverj(ft2)
n=numberofdistinctlanduses

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