Bioretention: Sizing

This article is specific to bioretention, vegetated systems that infiltrate water to the native soil.
If you are designing a planted system which does not infiltrate water, see advice on Planters: Sizing.

The vertical storage zones in a bioretention cell include: ponding, mulch, filter media, choker layer, embedded pipe diameter depth and the storage reservoir.

Many of the dimensions in a bioretention system can be predetermined according to the function of the component. There is greatest flexibility in the ponding depth and the depth of the storage reservoir beneath the optional underdrain pipe. The table below describes some recommended values to use to begin the design process.

Component	Recommended depth (with underdrain pipe)	Recommended depth (no underdrain pipe)	Typical porosity (n)
Surface ponding, maximum (dp, max)	300 mm; filter media Blend A 350 mm; filter media Blend B	See below	1
Mulch	75 ± 25 mm		0.7 for wood based 0.4 for stone
Filter media (dm)	300 mm to support turf grass and accept only roof runoff 600 mm to support shrubs, flowering perennials and deeply rooting decorative grasses and accept both roof and pavement runoff 1000 mm to support trees and accept both roof and pavement runoff		0.4 for sandier Blend A (drainage rate priority) 0.35 for more loamy Blend B (water quality treatment priority)
Choker layer	100 mm		0.4
Perforated pipe and surrounding aggregate	200 mm (i.e. pipe diameter)	Not applicable	0.4
Storage reservoir (ds)	See below	See below	0.4

Before you begin you will need to know the following;

• Catchment area (i.e. contributing drainage area), A_c (m²⁾
• Catchment runoff coefficient, C
• Catchment impervious area, A_i (m²⁾
• Design storm intensity, i (mm/h)
• Design storm duration, D (h)
• Infiltration target for design storm event, I_d (mm)
• Drainage time t (h) to fully drain the active storage of the practice, based on provincial or municipal criteria or average inter-event period for the location
• Field infiltration rate of the underlying native soil f_f (mm/h), median of field measurements or based on interpolation from median grain-size distribution results
• Design infiltration rate of the underlying native soil f' (mm/h), median field measured value divided by a safety factor (z)
• Safety factor, z (dimensionless value between 2 and 3) chosen by designer based on consideration of risk of failure factors
• Proposed surface grade elevation at the practice location (metres above sea level, masl)
• Elevation of the seasonally high water table or bedrock surface (metres above sea level, masl), below the practice location
• Effective porosity of any void-producing structure system (e.g. soil cells, chambers and associated aggregate) included, n' (if applicable)
• Types of plants to be supported by the filter media bed (i.e. grasses vs. mix of grasses, plants and shrubs vs. trees)
• How runoff will be delivered to the practice (i.e. to surface ponding area, or directly to storage reservoir)

Decide if an underdrain will be included

• Step 1: Based on the median measured infiltration rate of the native soil at the estimated location and bottom elevation of the practice, or estimated from the median grain-size distribution results, decide if an underdrain will be included in the design.
  

If the median measured or field estimated infiltration rate of the underlying native soil (f_f) is less than 15 mm/h, include an underdrain.

Select a surface ponding depth to begin sizing with

• Step 2: Determine a maximum surface ponding depth (d_{p, max})

For practices without underdrains: $d_{p,max}=f'\times 48$

Where:

• f' = Design infiltration rate (mm/h), and
• 48 = Maximum permissible drainage time for ponded water (h)

Note that in designs without underdrains, when filled to their maximum storage capacity, drainage of ponded water is limited by the infiltration rate at the base of the practice.

For practices with underdrains see recommended maximum surface ponding depth for each filter media blend in the table above.

• Step 3: Select a design surface ponding depth, d_p' (m) to begin sizing with:
  

For practices with soft (i.e. landscaped) edges and bowl-shaped ponding areas calculate the mean surface ponding depth: $d_{p}'=d_{p,max}\times 1/2$

Where:

• d_{p, max} = maximum surface ponding depth (m)

For practices with hard edges and vertical-walled ponding areas (e.g., stormwater planter, soil cell) use the maximum ponding depth: $d_{p}'=d_{p,max}$

Determine the active water storage depth of the practice

• Step 4: Identify and calculate the active water storage depth of the practice, d_a
  

For practices without an underdrain, the active water storage components include the surface ponding, mulch and filter media depths (i.e. total depth of the practice). The active water storage depth of the practice can be calculated as: $d_{a}=d_{p}'+(d_{m}\times n_{m})+(d_{f}\times n_{f})$

Where:

• d_p' = Design surface ponding depth (m)
• d_m = Depth of mulch (m)
• n_m = Porosity of mulch
• d_f = Depth of filter media (m)
• n_f = Porosity of filter media

For practices with the underdrain perforated pipe elevated off the bottom of the storage reservoir, the active storage component is the depth of storage reservoir below the invert of the underdrain perforated pipe that can reliably drain within the specified drainage time. The active water storage of the practice can be calculated as: $d_{a}=f't$

Where:

• f' = Design infiltration rate of underlying native soil (m/h)
• t = Drainage time (h). Check provincial or local criteria for drainage time requirements

For practices with the underdrain perforated pipe installed on the bottom of the storage reservoir and connected to a riser (e.g., standpipe and 90 degree coupling), the active storage component is the storage reservoir depth between the inverts of the reservoir bottom and riser outlet (i.e invert elevation of the 90 degree coupling) and is calculated the same way as above.

To boost drainage performance on fine-textured, low permeability soils, consider designing storage reservoirs even deeper than those calculated using the above approach, that many not fully drain between storm events, which increases hydraulic head and infiltration rate at the base of the practice. See Low permeability soils for more information.

Calculate the total depth of the practice, d_T

• Step 5: Determine what the planting needs are and assign an appropriate depth of filter media, using the table above.
• Step 6: Select an underdrain perforated pipe diameter (typically 100 or 200 mm), assign this as an 'embedded' depth equal to the pipe diameter. The perforated pipe depth can be made part of the active storage of the practice when a riser (standpipe and 90 degree coupling) are used to design the underdrain.
• Step 7: Sum total depth of bioretention components, and compare to available space (i.e. depth) between the proposed surface grade and one (1) metre above the seasonally high water table or top of bedrock elevation in the practice location.
• Step 8: Adjust component depths to maintain a separation of one (1) metre between the base of the practice and the seasonally high water table or top of bedrock elevation, or a lesser or greater value based on groundwater mounding analysis. See below and Groundwater for more information.
  

For practices without an underdrain in locations constrained in the vertical dimension, consider decreasing filter media depth (and supported plant types) and/or catchment impervious area.
For practices with an underdrain in locations constrained in the vertical dimension, consider installing the perforated pipe on the bottom of the storage reservoir and including a riser (saves the depth of aggregate needed to embed the pipe), and/or decreasing filter media depth (and supported plant types), ponding depth and/or catchment impervious area.

Determine the required surface area of the practice

• Step 10: Calculate the surface (i.e footprint) area of the practice (A_p) needed to capture the runoff volume produced from the catchment during the design storm event
  

For practices where flow is delivered to a surface ponding area: $A_{p}=i\times D\times A_{i}/[d_{p}'+(f_{f,min}\times D)]$

Where:

• i = Design storm intensity (m/h)
• D = Design storm duration (h)
• A_i = Catchment impervious area (m²)
• d_p' = Design surface ponding depth (m)
• f_{f, min} = minimum infiltration rate (i.e. saturated hydraulic conductivity) of the filter media (m/h), see Filter media for guidance

For practices where flow is delivered directly to the storage reservoir: $A_{p}=i\times D\times A_{i}/[d_{a}+(f'\times D)]$

Where:

• d_a = Active water storage depth (m)
• n' = effective porosity of the active storage fill material(s), (effective porosity of surface ponding depth and filter media depth combined for practices with no underdrain; porosity of storage reservoir aggregate or effective porosity of void-producing structure system for practices with an underdrain)
• f' = design infiltration rate of the underlying native soil (m/h)
• D = Design storm duration (h)

• Step 11: Compare required surface area of the practice to available space.
  

To decrease A_p, consider increasing ponding depth if feasible and would not create a safety hazard, or decreasing catchment impervious area.

• Step 12: Calculate catchment impervious area to practice permeable (footprint) area ratio:

$R=A_{i}/A_{p}$
Adjust either A_i or A_p to keep R between 5 and 20.

Calculate peak flow rates

• Step 13. Calculate the peak flow rate through the perforated pipe,
• Step 14. Calculate the peak flow rate through the filter media,
• Step 15. Determine if downstream flow control is required to achieve hydrologic objectives.

Calculating infiltration practice drainage in 1 dimension

This spreadsheet compares drainage in a single dimension under zero head conditions, mean head conditions and falling head conditions. It provides a more conservative measurement of the drainage time for the purposes of groundwater mounding (where a shorter drainage time causes a greater impact).

Download drainage time calculator(.xlsx)

Drainage time (3D)

Two practice areas of 9 m².
x = 12 m (left), x = 20 m (right)

In some situations, it may be desirable to reduce the size of the bioretention required, by accounting for rapid drainage. Typically, this is only worth exploring over sandy textured native subsoils with rapid infiltration.

Note that narrow, linear bioretention features (or bioswales) drain faster than round or blocky footprint geometries.

• Begin the drainage time calculation by dividing the area of the practice (A_p) by the perimeter (x).
• To estimate the time (t) to fully drain the facility:

$t={\frac {nA_{p}}{f'x}}ln\left[{\frac {\left(d_{T}+{\frac {A_{p}}{x}}\right)}{\left({\frac {A_{p}}{x}}\right)}}\right]$

Where:

• n is the porosity of the filter media,
• A_p is the area of the practice (m²),
• f' is the design infiltration rate (mm/hr),
• x is the perimeter of the practice (m), and
• d_T is the total depth of the practice, including the surface ponding depth (m).

Groundwater mounding

When you wish to model the extent of groundwater mounding beneath an infiltration facility. This tool uses Hantush's derivation (1967).
Download groundwater mounding calculator(.xlsm)
Note that this is a minor adaptation (metric units and formatting) from the original tool, written and hosted by the USGS.

---

The natural ground material characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin.

A shallow excavated surface depression containing prepared filter media, mulch, and planted with selected vegetation.

a top dressing over vegetation beds that provides suppresses weeds and helps retain soil moisture in bioretention cells, stormwater planters and dry swales.

The engineered soil component of bioretention cell or dry swale designs, typically with a high rate of infiltration and designed to retain contaminants through filtration and adsorption to particles.

An underlying bed filled with aggregate or other void-forming fill material that temporarily stores stormwater before infiltrating into the native soil or being conveyed by an underdrain pipe.

A perforated pipe used to assist the draining of soils.

The porosity (n) of a mixture is the ratio of the volume of void-space to the total or bulk volume of the mixture. It is closely related to the concept of void ratio (e) where void ratio is the ratio of the volume of void-space to the volume of solids. n = Volume of voids/Total volume of mixture = e/(1+e)

The portion of water precipitated onto a catchment area, which then flows as surface discharge from the catchment area past a specified point.

Water from rain, snow melt, or irrigation that flows over the land surface.

An underlying bed filled with aggregate or other void-forming fill material that temporarily stores stormwater before infiltrating into the native soil or being conveyed by an underdrain pipe.

The land draining to a single reference point (usually a structural BMP); similar to a subwatershed, but on a smaller scale.

The total surface area upstream of a point on a stream that drains toward that point. Not to be confused with watershed. The drainage area may include one or more watersheds.

A hard surface area (e.g., road, parking area or rooftop) that prevents or retards the infiltration of water into the soil.

The period between the maximum water level and the minimum level (dry weather or antecedent level).

The rate at which stormwater percolates into the subsoil measured in inches per hour.

The upper surface of the zone of saturation, except where the surface is formed by an impermeable body.

Subsurface water level which is defined by the level below which all the spaces in the soil are filled with water; The entire region below the water table is called the saturated zone.

A broad category of particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates, and available in various particulate size gradations.

The period between the maximum water level and the minimum level (dry weather or antecedent level).

A vegetated practice that collects and treats stormwater through sedimentation and filtration. Contributions to water cycle/water balance are through evapotranspiration only; no infiltration.

The porosity (n) of a mixture is the ratio of the volume of void-space to the total or bulk volume of the mixture. It is closely related to the concept of void ratio (e) where void ratio is the ratio of the volume of void-space to the volume of solids. n = Volume of voids/Total volume of mixture = e/(1+e)

The land draining to a single reference point (usually a structural BMP); similar to a subwatershed, but on a smaller scale.

A parameter that describes the capability of a medium to transmit water.

Natural or artificial means of intercepting and removing surface or subsurface water (usually by gravity).

The slow movement of water into or through a soil or drainage system.

Penetration of water through the ground surface.