In: Civil Engineering
What are Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF Curves)?
what is their used for and why do they matter in the engineering world?
What are the primary strengths or weaknesses of the method or concept?
What would have made it easier for you to understand the method or concept?
IDF curve estimates the rainfall intensities of different durations and reoccurrence interval. These curves are used by engineers for risk assessment of dams, bridges, etc
They can also be used as a prediction tool to identify when a certain rainfall rate or a specific volume of flow will recur in the future that will create flood in an area.
It is used to express the severity of a single rainfall event.
Curves are used in design with the assumption that past rainfall statistics continue to represent statistics into the future.
The main advantage of IDF curves is that for a particular duration intensity can be obtained and the usin rational formula simple design can be carried out.
The difficulty is faced while plotting IDF curve as data availability is scarce thats why we dont see a lot of IDF curves.