ECE 2410

W1-2-60-1-6

JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

OF
AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

University Examinations 2014/2015

FOURTH YEAR SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR THE

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

ECE 2410 : HYDROLOGY II

DATE: APRIL 2015 TIME: 2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS: ANSWER QUESTION ONE (COMPULSORY) AND

ANY OTHER TWO QUESTIONS.
______________________________________________________________________

QUESTION ONE (30 MARKS)

(a) Briefly discuss drainage density and its effect on hydrograph

shape.
[6 marks]

(b) Using suitable sketches, explain three methods of base flow

separation. [6 marks]

(c) Define a unit hydrograph and state its application in hydrology.

[5 marks]

(d) Briefly explain the derivation of a unit hydrogen from ordinates of a

storm hydrograph. [5 marks]

(e) Table 1 shows ordinates of a storm hydrograph resulting from a 4

hour storm in a catchment area of 450km 2. Determine the

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ordinates of a 4 hour unit hydrograph for the basin.

[8 marks]

Table 1: Storm hydrograph ordinates

Time from start 7 storm (hrs) Discharge m3/s

0 10.00
4 30.00
8 87.50
12 115.50
16 102.50
20 85.00
24 71.00
28 59.00
32 47.50
36 39.00
40 31.50
44 26.00
48 21.50
52 17.50
56 15.00
60 12.50
64 12.00
68 12.00

QUESTION TWO (20 MARKS)

(a) Define the term flood routing and distinguish between reservoir
and channel flood routings. [3
marks]

(b) State five applications of flood routing in water resources. [5

marks]

(c) The following inflow hydrograph (Table 2) was recorded for a river.
Route the flood in the reach given K = 10hrs, X = 0.2 and initial
outflow as 10m3/s. Also determine the attenuate of peak flow and
its lag time. [12
marks]

Table 2
Time (hrs) 0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66
Inflow (m3/s) 10 25 50 75 80 74 65 50 40 30 20 10

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QUESTION THREE (20 MARKS)

(a) Outline three factors that have led to increased flood disasters in
Kenya. [6 marks]

(b) Give five steps necessary in the design of flood mitigation projects.
[5 marks]

(c) Discuss the use of reservoirs in flood control. [3 marks]

(d) Outline three structural and three non-structural measures

commonly adopted in flood control. [6 marks]

QUESTION FOUR (20 MARKS)

(a) Briefly explain the Gumbel’s method of determining the Tr year

flood. [6 marks]

(b) (i) A coffer dam under construction is based on a 50 year flood.

If the construction period is expected to be 10 years,
determine the risk that the dam may fail before completion.

(ii) Determine the appropriate return period to reduce the risk of

failure to 10%. [6 marks]

(c) Table 3 shows observed annual flood peaks of a stream for the
period 1959 to 1993. Using probability plotting approach and an
ordinary graph paper, determine the magnitudes of 50 and 100
year floods.

Table 3

58 43 64 39 42 50 33 90 30 60 50 39 51 42
8 2 8 6 0 0 6 0 0 0 4 6 8 0
52 38 69 61 40 37 48 67 72 91 62 33 32 36
8 4 8 0 8 2 0 2 0 2 4 6 4 0
69 45 63 68 75 50
6 6 6 4 6 7
[8 marks]

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