Effects of Green–Gray–Blue Infrastructure Adjustments on Urban Drainage Performance: Time Lag and H–Q Curve Regulation

Yang Yu, Yi Yao (), Chentao Li and Dayang Li
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Yang Yu: School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yi Yao: The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210029, China
Chentao Li: The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Dayang Li: School of Civil Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: With the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events, enhancing urban drainage systems’ regulation capacity is crucial for mitigating urban flooding. Existing studies primarily analyze infrastructure impacts on peak flow delay but often lack a systematic exploration of time-lag mechanisms. This study introduces the time-lag parameter, using the hysteresis curve of the water level–flow rate relationship to quantify drainage system dynamics. An SWMM-based drainage model was developed for the Rongdong area of Xiong’an New District to evaluate the independent roles of green, gray, and blue infrastructures in peak flow reduction and time-lag modulation. The results indicate that green infrastructure extends the horizontal width and reduces the vertical height of the hysteresis curve, prolonging time lag and making it effective for small-to-medium rainfall. Gray infrastructure enhances drainage efficiency by compressing the hysteresis curve horizontally and increasing its vertical height, facilitating rapid drainage but offering limited peak reduction. Blue infrastructure, by lowering outlet water levels, improves drainage capacity and reduces time lag, demonstrating adaptability across various rainfall scenarios. This study systematically quantifies the role of each infrastructure type in time-lag regulation and proposes a collaborative optimization strategy for urban drainage system design.

Keywords: urban drainage system; hysteresis curve; time-lag effect; infrastructure optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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