Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026

A Protocol for Conducting Rainfall Simulation to Study Soil Runoff
Published on: April 3, 2014
Analysis of rainfall infiltration law in unsaturated soil slope
Gui-rong Zhang1, Ya-jun Qian1, Zhang-chun Wang1
1Geotechnical Engineering Institute of Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210024, China ; State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing 210024, China.
Abstract:
In the study of unsaturated soil slope stability under rainfall infiltration, it is worth continuing to explore how much rainfall infiltrates into the slope in a rain process, and the amount of rainfall infiltrating into slope is the important factor influencing the stability. Therefore, rainfall infiltration capacity is an important issue of unsaturated seepage analysis for slope. On the basis of previous studies, rainfall infiltration law of unsaturated soil slope is analyzed. Considering the characteristics of slope and rainfall, the key factors affecting rainfall infiltration of slope, including hydraulic properties, water storage capacity (θs - θr), soil types, rainfall intensities, and antecedent and subsequent infiltration rates on unsaturated soil slope, are discussed by using theory analysis and numerical simulation technology. Based on critical factors changing, this paper presents three calculation models of rainfall infiltrability for unsaturated slope, including (1) infiltration model considering rainfall intensity; (2) effective rainfall model considering antecedent rainfall; (3) infiltration model considering comprehensive factors. Based on the technology of system response, the relationship of rainfall and infiltration is described, and the prototype of regression model of rainfall infiltration is given, in order to determine the amount of rain penetration during a rain process.
Related Concept Videos
Design Example: Design of an Irrigation Channel
Uniform Depth Channel Flow
Energy Considerations in Open Channel Flow
Uniform Depth Channel Flow: Problem Solving
Conservation of Mass in Moving, Nondeforming Control Volume
In the context of a detention basin, the conservation of mass states that the total mass of water entering the basin must equal the mass leaving the basin plus any accumulation of...
Design Example: Maintaining Level of an Embankment

