Monthly Archives: December 2015

Different Types of Water Basin-Consideration for Alternative Design

  • Detention Basin is a type of drainage basin that collects and temporarily stores the excess surface runoff then slowly release the runoff into a nearby stream.
  • Infiltration Basin is also a type of drainage basin but the runoff is discharge into an underground aquifer instead of a stream. The infiltration basin  is currently favored in the industry because of the simplicity of the design and high pollutant removal capability.
  • Retention Basin is a form of storage basin that permanently stores the surface runoff and partially release the runoff into a drainage system when necessary. Retention basin is usually design to alleviate flooding condition while adding aesthetic value to the surrounding area.

Burmister Classification of the Soil Samples

According to the Burmister classification system, soil is classified based on its grain size distribution for granular soil and plasticity index for cohesive soil. Figure-1 showed the results of the Atterberg limits test from the laboratory. The plasticity index of the soil was calculated using the liquid limit and plastic limit values.

Boring Location Elevation Liquid Limit % Plastic Limit % Plasticity Index
#1 0′-6′ 61.8 22.67 39
6′ – 8′ 81.7 29.81 52
#2 0′-6′ 54.8 23.14 32
6′-8′ 45.2 18.4 27

Based on the plasticity index from Figure-1, the cohesive soil was classified as Black Silty CLAY and the granular soil was classified as Yellow SAND trace Gravel.