Assessment of grate sag inlets in a residential area based on return period and clogging factor

Storm in-sag inlets, which typically have inflow capture efficiency of 100%, can violate the allowable water spread criterion of roadways, thus slowing the traffic movement and contributing to accidents. This is especially evident during severe storms of high return periods and when a storm sewer inlet of grate type is adopted, because it is subject to debris and trash clogging factors. In this study, the water spread on pavement for in-sag grates located in a residential area in Kuwait is analyzed in terms of return period and clogging factor. It is found that for a single grate inlet with a return period of 10 years, a clogging factor of 50% can lead to a water spread value exceeding the local design constraint assigned for residential areas, which is one traffic lane of 4 m width. It is also shown that for in-sag locations, a double-grate inlet is more preferable than the single one, because the former tends to reduce the adverse hydraulic effect of total inflow on water spread width. The effect of clogging factor on a multiple-grate inlet located in sag is determined from a simple expression suggested in this study.