Hydraulic Gradient Equation

Introduction to Hydraulic Gradient Equation

The hydraulic gradient equation is used to calculate the slope of a hydraulic head over a defined distance. In this formula, i represents the hydraulic gradient, h1 and h2 are the respective elevation heads at each end of the distance, and L represents the distance along the flow path. The result is generally expressed in meters per meter (m/m) or other length by length units.

Parameter Usage:

• h1 = elevation head at one end
• h2 = elevation head at the other end
• L = distance along the flow path

Output:

• i = hydraulic gradient

Data Validation

The elevation heads and distance should be non-negative numbers. Additionally, the distance should not be zero.

Summary

This calculator takes into account the elevation heads at both ends of a flow path and the distance between them to calculate the hydraulic gradient, which is a measure of the slope of the hydraulic head.