Book II Section 1

BOOK II DESIGN RAINFALL CONSIDERATIONS

BOOK II SECTION 1 Design intensity-frequency-duration rainfall

Extracted from Australian Rainfall and Runoff - Volume 1.

Book II Section 1
Part A: A.1 A.1.1 A.2 A.3 A.4 A.4.1 A.4.2 A.4.3 A.4.4 Part B: B.1 B.1.1 B.2 B.3 B.4 B.4.1 B.4.2 B.4.3 B.4.4 1.4 1.4.1 1.4.2 1.4.3 1.5 1.6 Algebraic Procedures Introduction Terminology and Abbreviations Input Data Required to Determine IFD Information for a Given Location Procedural Steps for Determining a Complete Set of IFD Information: Algebraic IFD Information for Selected Durations and ARI General Procedure Durations between 12 hours and 72 hours Durations between 1 hour and 12 hours Durations less than 1 hour Graphical Procedures Introduction Terminology and Abbreviations Input Data Required to Determine IFD Information for a Given Location Procedural Steps for Determining a Complete Set of IFD Information: Graphical IFD Information for Selected Durations and ARI General Procedure Durations between 12 hours and 72 hours Durations between 1 hour and 12 hours Durations less than 1 hour

SELECTED EXAMPLES OF GRAPHICAL AND ALGEBRAIC PROCEDURES Canberra: Algebraic Procedure: Complete IFD Information Canberra: Graphical Procedure: Complete IFD Information Determination of Specific IFD Design Rainfalls ASSESSMENT OF THE ACCURACY OF IFD RAINFALL INFORMATION PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING DESIGN RAINFALLS FOR ARI GREATER THAN 100 YEARS; UP TO 500 YEARS AREAL REDUCTION CURVES SEASONAL IFD INFORMATION REFERENCES Appendix Acknowledgements

1.7 1.8 1.9

Extracted from Australian Rainfall and Runoff - Volume 1.

Book II Section 1

Key to (i) (ii) (i) Figure 1.1

FIGURES AND TABLES USED TO PRESENT TECHNIQUES; AND DIAGRAMS AND DESIGN RAINFALL MAPS USED FOR CALCULATIONS Figures and Tables (Volume 1 unless stated otherwise)

Figure 1.2a, b and c Figure 1.3a and b Figure 2.4 (Volume 2) Figure 2.5 (Volume 2) Figure 1.6 Figure 1.7

Table 1.1 Table 1.2a, b and c Table 1.3a, b and c Table 1.4 Table A1

Example of IFD design rainfall curves as produced by the Bureau of Meteorology, Hydrology Branch, for client requests. Tabulated data, a polynomial equation and its coefficients accompany these curves. Representation of IFD design rainfall curve development. Representation of procedures for STEPs 3 and 5, Graphical (PART B). Calculations for Canberra using Diagram 2.2. Canberra IFD design rainfall curves using Diagram 2.1. Depth-area ratios for use in Australia (except Zone 5 of Figure 2.2, Section 2, Book 2). (From U.S. NOAA Tech. Report, NWS 24, 1980) Depth-area ratios for use in inland Australia (Zone 5 of Figure 2.2, Section 2, Book 2). (From U.S. NOAA Tech. Memo, NWS Hydro-40, 1984) Summary of Procedures to Derive IFD Design Rainfall Data: Algebraic and Graphical. LPIII rainfall intensities for ARIs and durations calculated from STEPs 1-7. LPIII rainfall intensities for Canberra for ARIs and durations calculated in STEPs 1-7. Number of decimal places to be used in expressing IFD design rainfalls. Table of parameters L, U and N for use in equation A(3.9), STEP 7 (Part A). (Appendix).

(ii) Diagrams and Design Rainfall Maps used for calculations (all in Volume 2) Diagram 2.1 Duration Interpolation Diagram Diagram 2.2 LPIII Interpolation Diagram Design * MAP 1 region * MAP 2 region * MAP 3 region * MAP 4 region * MAP 5 region * MAP 6 region * MAP 7a,b,c and d * MAP 8 * MAP 9 Design rainfall isopleths ARI 2 yr and Duration 1 h Design rainfall isopleths ARI 2 yr and Duration 12 h Design rainfall isopleths ARI 2 yr and Duration 72 h Design rainfall isopleths ARI 50 yr and Duration 1 h Design rainfall isopleths ARI 50 yr and Duration 12 h Design rainfall isopleths ARI 50 yr and Duration 72 h Regional Map of Average Coefficient of Skewness. Contours of F2 for determining 6 minute rainfall intensities from 60 minute intensities for an ARI of 2 yr. Contours of F50 for determining 6 minute rainfall intensities from 60 minute intensities for an ARI of 50 yr.

* region = 1 to 14, and refers to the region of Australia covered by each map. These regions are shown on the index to MAPs in Volume 2. MAPs are referred to in Volume 1 with the region removed, i.e., as MAP 1, MAP 2, etc. because once a user has chosen a region of interest, reference to the first single digit is all that is necessary. These first single digits have been drafted in a larger size on the MAPs (see Volume 2). For example, MAP 3.8 in Volume 2 refers to MAP 3 (ARI 2 yr, Duration 72 h) for region 8. 1.1 INTRODUCTION

The procedures used to obtain accurate, temporally and spatially consistent, intensity-frequency-duration (IFD) design rainfall curves for Australia are presented in this section. These IFD design rainfall curves are used by design engineers and scientists as input to a wide range of design flood models and environmental studies. The basic annual maximum rainfall data for durations of 5 minutes to 72 hours are fitted using a log-Pearson Type III distribution with a small positive skewness of up to 0.8. In most inland areas of Australia the skewness is close to zero, in which case the distribution reduces to a log-normal distribution. Due to the sparsity of

Extracted from Australian Rainfall and Runoff - Volume 1.

Book II Section 1

recording rain gauges, various regression techniques were used to estimate short duration data at daily read rain gauge sites to supplement the available information. These research and development procedures are discussed in Section 1.2, along with the production of six master charts of rainfall intensity for various durations and average recurrence intervals (ARI) covering all Australia. Section 1.3 is the main sub-section of Section 1 for those wishing to obtain IFD design rainfall curves, and can be used independently without the necessity to refer to other sections. Section 1.3 details how, using the six master charts, a map of regionalised skewness and two charts relating to the determination of short duration intensities, a full set of IFD curves can be obtained for any location using appropriate extrapolation and interpolation procedures. The IFD design curves extend from five minutes to 72 hours and ARI from one year to 100 years. The section also briefly outlines the automation of this development work which resulted in CDIRS (Computerised Design IFD Rainfall System). Although not included in Section 1, CDIRS was developed by the Bureau of Meteorology to allow automatic determination of a full set of IFD curves, tabulated data and polynomial coefficients for any location in Australia, simply by supplying its latitude and longitude. This service is provided by the Bureau for a set fee for each location. It is compatible with the manual procedures given in Section 1. 1.1.1 Scope of Section

The frequency analysis of rainfall data is an important part of hydrological design procedures. It is used as input to the design of a wide range of hydraulic structures to determine design sizes and risks of overtopping or failure. Analysis of data from single stations is often unreliable, is not temporally or spatially consistent and should generally not be used for design purposes. In order that rainfall intensity data be practical for design purposes, it is necessary that accurate, consistent intensity-frequency-duration (IFD) rainfall design curves be available for any location in Australia. This can be achieved by the generalised technique discussed in Section 1.2. An example of the IFD design curves provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for clients is shown in Figure 1.1. Section 1 describes the derivation of IFD design curves for any location in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology commenced the project in 1982 to update existing design information which had been developed from a restricted set of data and which was inadequate for many areas of the country. The aim of the IFD design rainfall project was to provide a full coverage of Australia, with IFD data for probabilities of exceedance down to the one percent level, (alternatively described as average recurrence intervals (ARIs) up to 100 years) and for durations from five minutes to 72 hours. In addition, a special section is included for extrapolation to an ARI of 500 years. 1.1.2 Approach Adopted

A major aim of the project was for the final methods for obtaining spatially and temporally consistent IFD design rainfall information to be comprehensive, yet relatively simple to use. The procedures developed are listed below. Dependent on the particular requirements, any of the following procedures can be used to generate the same design rainfall information: (i) algebraic equations procedure; (ii) graphical procedure; (iii) computerised technique (CDIRS). The development of three procedures was carried out in order to satisfy a wide range of users. The first two methods are given in Section 1.3 and the third, termed CDIRS (Computerised Design IFD Rainfall System), has been implemented on the Bureau's mainframe computer. The algebraic and graphical procedures involve 8 steps to obtain complete IFD information for any location using input data from the detailed rainfall intensity maps (master charts) given in Volume 2. The procedural steps calculate the same parameters in each method, allowing the user full flexibility to interchange between the two methods, if desired, in arriving at the required design figures. CDIRS enables the Bureau to efficiently provide clients with a full set of IFD curves derived automatically for any given latitude and longitude. It incorporates a large data base which covers Australia at a latitude and longitude resolution of 0.025 degrees (for high rainfall gradient areas) or 0.05 degrees (elsewhere). With CDIRS there is no need to read data from the design rainfall maps, since they have been digitised and grided using a Laplacian smoothing spline technique. Grid point values were calculated iteratively using a technique described by Hutchinson (1984). The design rainfall maps provided in Volume 2 were obtained by contouring these grided data and so are consistent with the grided data base of CDIRS.

Extracted from Australian Rainfall and Runoff - Volume 1.

Book II Section 1

Figure 1.1. Example of IFD Design Rainfall Curves as produced by the Bureau of Meteorology, Hydrology Branch, for client requests. Tabulated data, a polynomial equation and its coefficients accompany these curves. In Section 1.2, the various components of research and development work that were necessary to arrive at a practical service for designers are described. It gives an outline of the extensive work that was required to produce topographically, spatially and temporally consistent IFD information; termed the generalised technique. Such consistency is not achieved with the publication of single station analyses of rainfall data (as was also found in the USA: Miller, personal communication, 1983). The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has adopted generalised techniques which are similar to those adopted in the U.S.A. (Miller et al., 1973) although there are a number of major differences, including the use of more sophisticated statistical methods for short duration data. In addition the procedures were developed along lines such that the final product was completely automated (CDIRS). The flow diagram in Section 1.2.1 shows the stages of development of the design rainfall IFD information, incorporating the generalised technique. The following sections on data (Section 1.2.1), statistical analysis (Section 1.2.2) and meteorological analysis (Section 1.2.3), can be related to this diagram. The generalised technique is based on charts of rainfall intensity for six specific combinations of duration and ARI; viz. durations of 1 hour, 12 hours and 72 hours and ARIs of 2 years and 50 years. These are the master charts referred to in the flow diagram. For any given location, the six specific intensities are obtained from the master charts, along with a regionalised skewness (discussed in Section 1.2.2), and interpolation procedures are then used to obtain a full set of IFD curves. A full description of the techniques used is given in Section 1.3.

Extracted from Australian Rainfall and Runoff - Volume 1.