FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & BUILT ENVIRONMENT
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
WATER ENGINEERING LABORATORY
LABORATORY REPORT
Experiment INFILTRATION TEST
Course/ Subject Code BFC21201
Experiment Date 27 MAY 2024
Group Name 4
1. MUHAMMAD SYAFIQ BIN ZOLKARNAIN
(CF230051)
Group Members
2. MUHAMMAD AIMAN BIN ABDUL LATIF
(CF230074)
3. IZZ ARMAND SHAH BIN BAHARUM
(CF230025)
4. NILA A/P KARIKALAN (CF230197)
5. SHIVANI A/P SARAWANAN (CF230255)
Lecturer / Instructor/ Tutor DR. EBRAHIM HAMID HUSSEIN AL-QADAMI
Name
Submission Date 4 JUNE 2024
CLO 1: Report/ Presentation 35%
CLO 2: Equipment Handling 7.5%
Marks CLO 3: Teamwork/ Interview 7.5%
Received Stamp TOTAL
Examiner Comments
FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & BUILT ENVIRONMENT
WATER ENGINEERING LABORATORY
LABORATORY PAPER INSTRUCTION
Subject Code BFC 21201
Experiment Title INFILTRATION RATE
Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC
(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL
ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit
not to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
SYAFIQ
Student Signature
Name : MUHAMMAD SYAFIQ BIN ZOLKARNAIN
Matric No. : CF230051
STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC
(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL
ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit
not to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
AIMAN
Student Signature
Name : MUHAMMAD AIMAN BIN ABDUL LATIF
Matric No. : CF230074
STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC
(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL
ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit
not to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
ARMAND
Student Signature
Name : IZZ ARMAND SHAH BIN BAHARUM
Matric No. : CF230025
STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC
(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL
ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit
not to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
nila
Student Signature
Name : NILA A/P KARIKALAN
Matric No. : CF230197
STUDENT CODE OF
ETHIC (SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL
ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
SHIV
Student Signature
Name : SHIVANI A/P SARAWANAN
Matric No. : CF230255
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Infiltration is the process where water moves downward from the surface into the
subsurface. When precipitation falls on land, some of it penetrates the ground, eventually
stored in aquifers and flows to streams and lakes via subsurface pathways. This process
illustrates how water reaches the soil surface. Due to its importance in irrigation, pollutant
transfer, groundwater replenishment, and ecosystem sustainability, infiltration has received
significant attention. The rate at which water enters the soil, regardless of the pressures or
gradients involved, is known as the infiltration rate, measured in meters per unit of time.
1.1 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this experiment are as follows:
i. to recognize the features of water infiltration rate into soils under natural
conditions.
ii. to examine the notion of water infiltration into the soil.
iii. to pinpoint the factors that impact the rate of infiltration.
1.2 LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of this test, students should be capable of applying their acquired knowledge and
skills to:
i. Grasping the concept of water infiltration into soils.
ii. Comprehending the factors influencing the speed of infiltration rate.
1.3 THEORY
Infiltration is the process wherein water enters the soil, usually by moving downward
over either the entire or a portion of the soil surface. The rate at which this occurs, relative to
the water supply rate, determines how much water will seep into the root zone and how much
might runoff. The evaluation of infiltration is becoming increasingly important in hydrologic
studies as there is a growing need for more accurate data across all phases of the hydrologic
cycle.
2.0 EQUIPMENT
Ring infiltrometer
Driving plate
(inner and outer rings)
Hammer Pail with water
Ruler Stopwatch
3.0 PROCEDURES
1. The inner ring is placed on the ground. Make sure all unwanted things such as
stones and soil in the inner ring are cleared up.
2. The driving p l a t e w i l l b e placed on top of the inner ring and makes
sure the pin on the bottom driving plate is secured with the inner ring.
3. The driving plate is tapped with a hammer until the inner ring is inserted into
the ground by 5cm.
4. Then, the outer ring is centered and makes sure all unwanted things are cleared up.
5. The driving plate is placed on top of the outer ring and tapped the outer
ring with a hammer until the outer ring is inserted the same as the inner ring.
6. Marked 10cm in the outer and inner ring for a water level.
7. The test began with pouring water into the outer ring until 10 cm then
observed the water level until it reached 5cm.
8. Then, pour water again at the same time into the outer and inner ring.
Both rings are filled with 10cm depth of water.
9. The stopwatch starts with 10cm. The infiltration rate is measured for every
60 seconds until it reaches a constant measurement for 3 to 4 times.
4.0 RESULT AND DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 INFILTRATION RATE EXPERIMENT RESULT
Infiltration Infiltration
Time (s) Inner Ring (mm) Capacity Rate
(mm) (mm/s)
60 100 0 1.667
120 100 0 0.833
180 100 0 0.555
240 100 0 0.417
300 100 0 0.333
360 100 0 0.278
420 99 1 0.236
480 99 1 0.206
540 99 1 0.183
600 98 2 0.163
660 98 2 0.148
720 98 2 0.136
780 97 3 0.124
840 97 3 0.115
900 97 3 0.107
960 96 4 0.100
1020 96 4 0.094
1080 96 4 0.089
1140 95 5 0.083
1200 95 5 0.079
4.2 CALCULATION
Depth of water = 100 mm
Infiltration Rate = 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷ℎ 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 (𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚)
𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 (𝑠𝑠)
100𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
Infiltration Rate =
60𝑠𝑠
= 1.667 mm/s
Infiltration Capacity = Depth of water - Inner depth of water
Infiltration Capacity = 100 mm - 100 mm
= 0 mm
4.3 DATA ANALYSIS
I. Graph for infiltration rate VS time
Infiltration Rate (mm/s) VS Time (s)
1.8
1.6
1.4
Infiltration Rate (mm/s)
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Time (s)
II. Graph for infiltration capacity VS time
Infiltration Capacity (mm) VS Time (s)
6
5
Infiltration Capacity (mm)
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Time (s)
5.0 DISCUSSION
From the data we collected, we can infer that a variety of factors influenced the
experiment's outcomes. We can infer that the type of soil is one of the factors that can
affect the amount of water infiltration. Dry soils have more voids than wet or saturated
soils, allowing water to penetrate and be absorbed more quickly. In contrast, moist soil,
already containing water, allows for faster infiltration compared to dry and saturated
soils. Therefore, water seeps into the soil gradually. For saturated or moist soil, like in
our test case, infiltration occurs very slowly because such soil already contains a
significant amount of water. From our experiment, we assumed the soil was wet, and
after plotting the graph of infiltration rate versus time, we observed that the infiltration
process was very slow due to the pre-existing water in the soil. Consequently, the
amount of water absorbed during the experiment was minimal.
During our experiments, we encountered some errors or conditions that led to
poor graph data. These issues were caused by several factors, including the type of soil
used, which affected the resulting graph. Additionally, human error played a role, as
different individuals collected data, and the angle of observation was not always
perfectly horizontal at 90 degrees with the water level.
6.0 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the infiltration rate observed in this experiment is essential for
evaluating the soil's ability to absorb water. However, it was affected by factors such as the
amount of vegetation and soil moisture content. Laboratory studies on infiltration rates
contribute to promoting sustainable land use and water management practices. The results
indicate that the infiltration rate decreases over time, showing an inverse relationship
between infiltration rate and time. Infiltration capacity refers to the total depth of water
that has permeated the soil. As infiltration capacity increases, the rate of infiltration
decreases, highlighting an inverse relationship between infiltration rate and capacity.
7.0 OPEN ENDED QUESTION
I. State two purposes of infiltration test.
• to evaluate the soil's ability to absorb water.
• to recognize the features of water infiltration rate into soils under natural
conditions.
II. Describe the importance of infiltration tests in soil investigation.
• Infiltration tests are vital in soil investigation as they assess soil permeability,
drainage characteristics, and environmental impacts. They offer crucial data for
engineering tasks, such determining the suitability of the soil for construction and
designing drainage plans. These tests also support resource conservation efforts by
monitoring the environmental effects of changing land uses, predicting runoff and
erosion threats, and informing the creation of sustainable land management
techniques.
