A closed-loop analysis approach for ensuring stormwater source control design solution to achieve the intended goals

Stormwater source controls have been adopted worldwide to address hydrological and environmental impairments caused by the spread of impervious surfaces in cities. Current design method in China uses 30-year daily rainfall records to generate relationship of rainfall volume capture ratio (alpha g) and daily design storm, and then uses design storm to propose design solution. However, source control performance differs from rain to rain, and hence the design solution's actual effect may deviate from alpha g. Borrowing closed-loop feedback concept from business domain, this study proposes closed-loop analysis (CLA) which uses design solution's 30-year simulated result as data feedback to check design solution's effectiveness and then make improvements if necessary. It consists of four methods: 1) hourly design storm statistical method, for addressing the weakness of current daily design storm; 2) design solution model credibility examination method, for guaranteeing credibility of 30-year simulated results for CLA; 3) appropriate design storms determination method for source control without underdrain; 4) additional design parameters optimization method for source control with underdrain. Taking Xiamen city for example, case study results shows that design solution's 30-year simulated results were consistent/comparable with sizing calculation formula that was used to propose design solution, and therefore they were credible for CLA. Appropriate design storms ensured design solutions without underdrain to achieve the intended alpha g +/- 3 %. Optimal design parameters combinations ensured design solutions with underdrain to achieve alpha g but also restore natural runoff events with pre-and post-development runoff frequency spectra similarity being 0.670-0.691. Based on stormwater mathematical model, CLA can drive source control design computation to a new methodological stage.

Automated summary

Stormwater source controls have been adopted worldwide to address hydrological and environmental impairments caused by the spread of impervious surfaces in cities. This study proposes a closed-loop analysis method that uses simulated results to check the effectiveness of design solutions and make improvements if necessary. Case study results validate the feasibility of this method and provide corresponding findings.