PREFACE

The rules and design criteria contained herein shall be known as the Drainage Criteria Manual. The purpose of this drainage manual is to establish standard principles and practices for the design and construction of drainage systems within the City of Austin, Texas and within its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The design factors, formulae, graphs and procedures are intended for use only as engineering guides in the solution of drainage problems involving determination of the quantity, rate of flow, method of collection, storage, conveyance and disposal of storm water. Responsibility for actual design remains primarily with the design engineer. Users of this manual should be knowledgeable and experienced in the theory and application of drainage engineering.

Methods of design other than those indicated herein may be considered in those cases where experience indicates they are appropriate. However, any variations from the practices established herein must have the expressed written approval of the Director of the Watershed Protection and Development Review Department or his designated representative.

This manual represents the application of accepted principles of surface drainage engineering and is complementary to basic information obtainable from standard references on hydrology, hydraulics and water resources. It is presented in a format that assists in the logical development of solutions to the problems of storm drainage.

Principal authors and compilers include C.K. Taur, Ph.D, Andrea Faucett, Greg Toth, Franklin C. Houston, P.E., Jose M. Guerrero, and George E. Oswald, P.E. Special appreciation is given to Rachel Davila who typed and retyped the seemingly endless draft with patience and care. Randy Farthing is also acknowledged for his skillful CADD drafting technique in preparing the figures.

Special recognition goes to the two Technical Review Committees organized by the Austin Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Texas Capital Area Builders Association for their in-depth technical review and comments on the manual.