DOUBLE RING INFILTRATION TEST

HYDROLOGY
Final project

By:
Andrés Fabian Higuera Bautista
115529
Freddy Alonso Pérez Gonzales
11353
Edna Daniela Carmona Martínez
115513

JORGE JULIAN VELEZ UPEGUI

Teacher

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBIA

Manizales headquarters

2019

1. INTRODUCTION
The soil is the primary environment on which life develops, with multiple
uses ranging from economic to recreational, all essential for life on earth,
it possesses different characteristics with which it is possible to classify it and thus carry out
their correct use in certain actions, the structure and form of their particles
there are two important physical characteristics, from these parameters one can start
to begin to say what type of soil one has.
The amount of water that enters a soil from the surface to the deeper layers
Inferiors is an important variable to consider when determining fitness for
a ground for certain objectives, this phenomenon is called infiltration;
depends on factors such as porosity, granulometry, and permeability, which
In the same way, they will control the structure and shape of the soil, useful parameters for
As mentioned earlier, start classifying the soil. The infiltration
it is also important in environmental considerations such as underground flows,
irrigation time, soil moisture, etc.… and other related phenomena such as
the runoff.
This report collects information about the experience of a trial of
double ring infiltrometer carried out in a field located in the laboratory of
hydraulics of the National University of Colombia Manizales campus, in addition to a
comparison of this practice with the information that can be obtained by applying
different empirical models such as Green and Ampt, Kosiakov, Horton, etc. to conclude
Which of these could get closer to the information obtained in the field.

2. OBJECTIVES
Through the academic concepts studied on infiltration, carry out in
Field a double ring infiltrometer essay and calculate the rate for the soil.
of infiltration.
• Investigate the ASTM standard (D3385–94) Double ring, understand the
procedure and carry it out in the field for a specific soil.
• Create a graph of infiltration against time in millimeters
per second, with the information obtained in the field.
• Apply some empirical models and graph along with the information of
field to obtain the equation that best fits the real data.

3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Infiltration is the process by which surface water penetrates into the internal layers.
from the ground due to gravitational or capillary forces.
It is determinant in the recharge of aquifers and directly affects runoff.
It can return to the atmosphere through evaporation or transpiration or remain retained in the
soil.
Parameters such as the vegetation cover of the area, the intensity and duration of the rain
and the characteristics of the soil such as being composed of a permeable material
help the infiltration to develop, a certain grain size and a
interconnection between the pores of the material.

Illustration 1 Evolution of the infiltration rate

The infiltration capacity or the speed at which water penetrates the soil, is
expressed in mm/h and directly depends on the degree of humidity of its layers, if
the superiors they are
saturated, will occur in
function of the
permeability of strata
inferior.
Humidity is measurable.
through the point of
Illustration 2 Soil moisture
wither where the water
contained in the soil cannot be used by plants and with field capacity
where the water no longer circulates by gravity.

Double ring method

According to Selker et al. (1999), the double method
ring is the most common test for the
estimation of soil hydraulic properties.
For its determination the two rings (outer and
interior) are introduced into the ground at a
depth of 10 to 15 cm, until achieving that
they are perfectly buried and leveled. The
the inner space of the rings fills with water.
There are two basic types of tests: load
constant or variable load. In this research
the variable load case was used, in which Illustration 3 Double trial model
ring
allows the water level to drop along
from the test. The method consists of taking readings of the decline in water level
in the inner ring. When the infiltration rate is made constant,
the test is over.

Empirical models
Some of the most well-known and useful methodologies in the determination of the
infiltration rates are as follows:
Horton (1939) establishes that the curve representing the infiltration capacity
it manifests, only if the intensity of precipitation is greater than the capacity of
infiltration of the analyzed soil. This principle or postulate is duly respected
In the double ring infiltration test, why is there always water on the surface?
that satisfies the absorption capacity of the soil at its maximum degree or
potential, regardless of the time that elapses since the beginning of the trial.
Kostiakov (1932) proposed an exponential model, which he developed in a way
empirical, as shown in the following equation: = ( )of great − use

in irrigation practices, whose empirical constants are interpreted as

physics the variation of the water sheet and the infiltration rate over time.
Mezencev (1948) overcomes the limitations of the Kostiakov equation, which does not provide
good results in the case of extended measurement periods.
Philip (1957) numerically solved the Richards equation, studying the
vertical infiltration comparing it initially with the horizontal, where it does not have
gravity effect; the solution indicates that, for small times, infiltration is
proportional to the square root of time (horizontal infiltration).
Green-Ampt (1911), although simple in the process, is the first expression of
infiltration based on physics, was published in 1911. It is still widely used, as
consider the fundamental aspects, and it has been important for the development of the
hydrology and soil physics. Although it presents adaptability in its application
for different scenarios, it remains to precisely determine the parameters that
they define it.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD

On February 13 of this year, the

the rehearsal took place at hours of
the afternoon, in a plot already prepared
in the hydraulic laboratory of the
same university, the rings of
the infiltrometer was already present
installed on the ground; a was carried out
assembly of the equipment composed of
two calibrated cylinders or tubes of
Mariotte of different diameters that
Illustration 4 Assembly of the essay they will help to take the data from
procedure, these must be leveled on the ground. With hoses of
plastic connects the cylinders to the rings of the infiltrometer where the cylinder of
smaller diameter will be connected to the smaller diameter ring and in the same way with
the other tube. One must be careful with the air that remains inside the
hoses expelling all residue with the help of water before starting with the
essay as it can affect the measurements.
After this, the water is drained in the rings to a certain level of
marked reference, it is expected that part of the liquid will pass into the tubes and stabilize
at a constant level (it should be noted that the constant level of the tubes is reached
at the same value), when this happens, the measurement time begins.
Data will be taken for 3 continuous hours as follows, the first hour will be
They will take level variation data in the cylinders every 15 minutes; the next
hour every 10 minutes and finally every 5 minutes. The water level must
remain in its initial state, in this case, in which the water level was recorded
As it infiltrated, the idea was not to let it dry completely.
the tubes by adding water on one occasion.
As the rehearsal progressed, the...
changes in the infiltration rate; the soil had already
has been previously studied by other people for
the same procedure because what is started from the
premise that it was saturated. At the end
the measurement procedure is carried out to
dismantle the assembly and perform the calculations and the
interpretation of the recorded data. Illustration 5 Procedure

5. MATERIALS
• Concentric rings or infiltrometer rings: These must be made of a material
resistant and on occasions requiring strong materials that
corrosive fluids. Their diameter and height must be proportional to
the measurements of Mariotte's tubes.

Illustration 6 Rings of
infiltrometer

• Graduated cylinders or Mariotte tubes: They are tubes of

Plastic of height proportional to the content that
they can keep the rings, one next to the other united
for a common base to easily carry out the
calibration, each must have a tap that
obstruct the flow of water when necessary, by
the hoses must be able to be introduced into this same
made of plastic that will connect with the rings of the
infiltrometer, also for practicality in the
the procedure is useful to have on its surface
a tape measure or decameter that allows determining Illustration 7 Tubes of
the variations in elevation, do not matter the Mariotte
 units that I manage as they can be converted into the
calculation procedure.
• Stopwatch: To keep control over the times between measurements,
looking to achieve better results for the different hours, one
They established different time intervals to take a data point.
• Water: It is necessary to have a nearby water supply to maintain
the required level in both rings.
• Plastic hoses: Of different lengths to allow connection
easily each ring with a respective tube.

Illustration 8 Hoses

• Container: If necessary, have control over the amount of water

what is poured into the rings must be counted with a properly suitable container
trained to have more precision in the handling of volume and the sheet
of water.

6. RESULTS
After the data collection, the following information is gathered in columns 3 and
Tube No. 1 corresponds to the outer ring (the tube with the largest diameter) and Tube No. 2
to the inner ring (the tube of smaller diameter), these represent the water levels
in the cylinders after the defined time intervals, with this information in
the following columns, the difference between the data was made, with this already
we can find the values of the infiltration:

Infiltration Time in
Hour Differences
(mm)1 Hours
Tube 1 Tube 2 Tube 1 Tube 2
3:25 14.7 14.7 0
3:40 13.7 13.9 1 0.8 8 0.25
3:55 15 12.7 13.3 1 0.6 6 0.5
4:10 11.8 12.6 0.9 0.7 7 0.75
4:25 10.9 11.9 0.9 0.7 7 1
4:35 10.2 11.5 0.7 0.4 4 1.16
10
4:45 9.7 11.1 0.5 0.4 4 1.33

1
Only from the inner ring.
 4:55 9.1 10.7 0.6 0.4 4 1.5
5:05 8.6 10.2 0.5 0.5 5 1.66
5:15 8 9.7 0.6 0.5 5 1.83
5:25 7.6 9.2 0.4 0.5 5 2
5:30 7.2 8.7 0.4 0.5 5 2.08
5:35 6.8 8.4 0.4 0.3 3 2
5:40 6.4 8.1 0.4 0.3 3 2.25
5:45 6.1 7.9 0.3 0.2 2 2.33
5:50 5.8 7.6 0.3 0.3 3 2.42
5:55 5.3 7.3 0.5 0.3 3 2.5
5
6:00 5 7 0.3 0.3 3 2.58
6:05 4.8 6.8 0.2 0.2 2 2.67
6:10 4.4 6.6 0.4 0.2 2 2.75
6:15 4.2 6.3 0.2 0.3 3 2.83
6:20 3.8 6 0.4 0.3 3 2.92
6:25 3.5 5.7 0.3 0.3 3 3
Table 1 Field Measurements

However, by recommendation of the ASTM D 3385–94 standard, the use of the

information collected only by tube No. 2 (inner ring), the differences
calculated are converted to units of millimeters and in turn the time to hours
(columns 7 and 8), to subsequently create a graph that relates them,
thus obtaining the following points:

Infiltration Essay
9
8
7
6
5
4
3 Field
2
1
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Time (hr)

Graph 1 Field Data

Now through the empirical models learned in the course, the aim is to obtain
an equation that approximates the data obtained in the field; to each of these
methods their respective error calculation was performed, for this the method was used
quadratic, a term that refers to:
 = ∑( − )2
=1

Where
Calculated infiltration by the respective method
Infiltration measured in the test.
The calculation of the error helps us to obtain the most optimal coefficients, allowing
its use as a parameter in the iterations of empirical coefficients reviewing
as long as it remains at its lowest possible value.
Kostiakov model

This model is based on the equation: ( )=α −

where i represents the rate of
infiltration at time t, α and β are empirical values that must satisfy α(α>0) and
β(0< β<1), which are obtained from an iterative process, following the application
from the equation the error is calculated using the quadratic method, for
relate this value to the one obtained in the field and thus obtain more results
precise looking to be within acceptable margins, for this modifications are made
the values of α,β until achieving the smallest possible error (summation of the last one
column whose values change when the parameters varyα y β).
The table represents the data calculated with the parameters on the left,
finally this is plotted (Kostiakov on Graph 1

Infiltration
Time in
measure in the Kostiakov Error
Hours
essay (mm)
α 0.021916
0
β 0.4164431
8 0.25 8.743844 0.553304
Error 20,209279
6 0.5 6.551497 0.304149
7 0.75 5.533610 2,150299
7 1 4.908838 4,372959
4 1.16 4.614616 0.377753
4 1.33 4,359147 0.128987
4 1.5 4.146166 0.021365
5 1.66 3,974808 1,051018
5 1.83 3.816654 1,400308
5 2 3.678043 1.747570
5 2.08 3.618457 1,908661
3 2 3.557919 0.311274
3 2.25 3.501989 0.251993
 2 2.33 3.451405 2.106575
3 2.42 3,397359 0.157894
3 2.5 3.351655 0.123661
3 2.58 3.307977 0.094850
2 2.67 3.261077 1,590315
2 2,75 3.221229 1,491401
3 2.83 3.182991 0.033486
3 2.92 3.141762 0.020096
3 3 3.106597 0.011363
Table 2 Calculations by Kostiakov

Infiltration Test
10
9
8
7
6
5
4 Field
3 Kosiakov
2
1
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Time (hr)

Graph 2 Kostiakov model with field

Horton Model
The Horton model presents us with the following equation:

( ) = +( 0− )−
In this case represents the initial infiltration, and the final infiltration, which
are estimates of field information and therefore of their own judgment for their
selection, the empirical constant as was done in the previous case, it is iterated,
and subsequently it is analyzed through the error if it is necessary to make adjustments to
that this decreases, until finding the most accurate information.
It is important to clarify that none of these models are being used for the
equation for accumulated infiltration. Similarly to Kostiakov, it is represented as
table and the Horton vs t data is graphed on the same graph with the data from
field:
 Infiltration
Time in
measure in the Horton Error
Hours
essay (mm) I 10
0 If 2
8 0,25 8,554573 0,307551 γ 0.7971144
6 0,5 7,370303 1,877730 Error 16.499311
7 0,75 6,400005 0,359994
7 1 5.605019 1.945971
4 1.16
4 1,33 4,771197 0,594745
4 1,5 4,420006 0,176405
5 1,66 4,130234 0,756494
5 1,83 3,860271 1,298982
5 2 3,624521 1,891944
5 2,08 3,524160 2,178103
3 2 3,423177 0,179079
3 2,25 3,331005 0,109564
2 2,33 3,248777 1,559445
3 2,42 3,162328 0,026350
3 2,5 3,090521 0,008194
3 2,58 3,023150 0,000536
2 2,67 2,952320 0,906914
2 2,75 2,893487 0,798320
3 2,83 2,838289 0,026150
3 2,92 2,780257 0,048287
3 3 2.732053 0.071795
Table 3 Calculations by Horton

Infiltration Test
9
8
7
6
5
4 Field
3
2 Horton
1
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Time (hr)

Graph 3 Horton model with field

Mezencev Model

( ) = + α−β
To use the Mezencev equation, parameters such as the must be known.
empirical constants α and β, the time and the final infiltration rate in a steady state
permanent; for this case, we take the lower infiltration rate from Graph 1,
corresponding to 2 mm and values were assigned to the constants until they
they would give the least margin of error; it is worth noting that the constants must comply with
(α > 0) and (0 < β < 1).

Infiltration
Time in
measure in the Mecenzev Error
Hours
essay (mm) α 0.2158985
0 β 0.6539856
8 0.25 8.747296 0.558451 If 2
6 0.5 6.288056 0.082976 Error 23.206575
7 0.75 5.289268 2.926602
7 1 4,725155 5.174920
4 1.16 4.473071 0.223796
4 1.33 4.261486 0.068375
4 1.5 4,090403 0.008173
5 1.66 3.956337 1.089233
5 1.83 3.835490 1,356084
5 2 3.731896 1,608087
5 2.08 3,688038 1,721243
3 2 3.643900 0.414607
3 2.25 3,603,500 0.364212
2 2.33 3.567277 2,456356
3 2.42 3.528908 0.279744
3 2.5 3.496732 0.246743
3 2.58 3.466216 0.217357
2 2.67 3.433702 2.055502
2 2.75 3.406287 1.977643
3 2,83 3,380160 0.144521
3 2.92 3.352189 0.124037
3 3 3.328498 0.107911
Table 4 Calculations by Mecenzev
 Infiltration Test
10
9
8
7
6
5
Field
4
3 Mecenzev
2
1
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Time (hr)

Graph 4 Mecenzev Model with field

Philip Method
1 1
( ) = 2 −+
2
Philip takes into account that the intensity of the precipitation is greater than the
infiltration capacity of the soil. To use this formula, it is necessary to know
parameters A and B that depend on the type of terrain and the time; like one of the
difficulties is finding these parameters correctly, the method used was
iteration until the error was the smallest.

Infiltration
Weather in
measure in the Philip Error
Hours
test (mm)
A 8.29102785
0 B 0.70515739
8 0,25 8,996185 0,992385 Error 21.0524932
6 0.5 6.567799 0.322396
7 0,75 5,491985 2,274111
7 1 4,850671 4,619614
4 1.16 4.554170 0.307105
4 1,33 4,299774 0,089864
4 1,5 4,089955 0,008092
5 1,66 3,922700 1,160575
5 1,83 3,769609 1,513861
5 2 3.636478 1.859191
5 2,08 3,579554 2,017666
 3 2
3 2,25 3,468833 0,219805
2 2,33 3,420974 2,019167
3 2,42 3,369995 0,136896
3 2,5 3,327011 0,106936
3 2,58 3,286042 0,081820
2 2,67 3,242171 1,542988
2 2,75 3,204996 1,452016
3 2,83 3,169410 0,028700
3 2,92 3,131136 0,017197
3 3 3.098571 0.009716
Table 5 Calculations by Philip

Infiltration Test
10
9
8
7
6
5
Field
4
3 Philip
2
1
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Time (hr)

Graph 5 Phillips Model with field

Finally, the following graph relates all the equations together.

with field data to more broadly observe the proximity relationship
among all the applied methods and the points of the essay information.
Therefore, by observing the models in the graph, it can be affirmed that the methods
Kostiakov and Phillip present a better distribution in relation to the points.
corresponding to the field values, also in both cases the
formulations require a smaller number of parameters than in the
Moreover, this is very favorable for the accuracy of calculations, reasons for the
that these methods are preferred over others for determining the rate
of infiltration.
 Infiltration Test
10

6
Field
5 Kosiakov
Horton
4
Mecenzev
3 Philip

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Time (hr)

Graph 6 Comparison between empirical models with field data on Infiltration vs time

7. CONCLUSIONS

• It is always very beneficial to clarify before conducting the test that the
the conditions of the land where it is intended to carry out should be the best
possible, in search of obtaining more accurate results; in this case
In particular, the same test had been conducted in the area at hours
previously because the ground was already at a certain degree of
saturation, which means that the measured data may not represent
the true or optimal conditions of the land.

• The comparison between empirical methods with the information is important.

What can be obtained in a laboratory practice like this for
observe how information can vary between itself and the scope of each
methodology taking into account the limitations, since in each case there are
some; it is also advisable to observe the number of parameters and
its type, since these make an equation more precise, for example in
the Horton equation handles more parameters and makes its
operation is often inferior on many occasions.
 • Iteration methods may seem to lack a true
mathematical foundation in relation to these applications, but they are
reliable thanks to the error calculations, which in this case could be
compare with the information from the measurements taken, although due to the
soil conditions may not be correct in a different environment
these same formulations can be applied, and certainty can be had about their
veracity.
• The infiltration test, according to various sources, has a large number
of variations in its application process, there is a wide variety of
ways to do it, and it is not necessary to have a large amount of
complex instruments; the primary thing is to have good control over the
information that is being taken and taking care of the conditions of the place, a
A way to be sure that you are doing it correctly is to notice a
pattern that the measurements follow, and be aware of when this happens
changes (decreases or increases).

8. REFERENCES

• Alvarado B. Cesar, Barahona P. Marco; Comparison of three methods of

infiltration to calculate the soil water balance, in the river basin
Suquiapa, El Salvador
• Sayah Boumediene; Solutions for infiltration and redistribution in the
surface irrigation: simplified approaches and modeling.
Department of Forestry Engineering, Higher Technical School of Engineering
Agronomic, Food and Biosystems; Madrid, 2017.
• Standard test method for the infiltration rate of soils in the field
with double ring infiltrometer (ASTM D 3385–94)