Updating Rainfall IDF Relationships to Maintain Urban Drainage Design Standards
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 11, Issue 5
Abstract
The hydrologic design standards for urban drainage systems are commonly based on the frequency of occurrence of heavy rainfall events. Observations of recent climate history indicate that the frequency of occurrence of heavy rainfall events is increasing. This increasing trend will likely continue in the future due to global warming. In this study, extending from previous analysis results for Chicago, the rainfall intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) relationships were determined to represent the climate conditions of the first and second halves of the last century. Using these IDF relationships, the impact of the observed increase in heavy rainfall events on the design and performance of urban drainage systems were quantified. This quantification demonstrated the need for updating rainfall IDF relationships to reflect changing climate conditions. In the design of new and retrofitting or replacement of old urban drainage systems, up to date IDF relationships need to be used to maintain design standards.
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Acknowledgment
The writer gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided for this study by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.NRC
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 11 • Issue 5 • September 2006
Pages: 506 - 509
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 28, 2004
Accepted: Dec 13, 2005
Published online: Sep 1, 2006
Published in print: Sep 2006
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