Preliminary studies of the development of a clogging prediction method for stormwater infiltration systems

Infiltration systems have become a popular approach to managing stormwater. However, a high incidence of failure due to clogging has been found in these systems. A study has thus been undertaken to develop a fundamental understanding of the clogging processes, by conducting one dimensional (1D-Rig) and two dimensional (2D-Rig) laboratory experiments, and based on this knowledge, to develop a new method for clogging prediction. So far, constant and fluctuating stormwater level flow regimes in the systems have been studied. This paper presents the methods and compares the results of 1D and 2D rig constant water level experiments. It was found that a clogging layer was formed at the interface between the filter and underlying soil, irrespective of sediment distribution within the filter. It was also found that the very fine sediments were enough to clog the system.