IMPROVEMENT IN THE SELECTION OF DESIGN STORMS FOR THE NEW MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN OF BARCELONA

In 1988 Barcelona finished its Master Drainage Plan, where a modified Chicago storm of 10 years return period was used. Nowadays, a new Mast er Drainage Plan has started due to enormous urbanistic changes with t he Olympics, the increasing concern for CSO problems, etc. For this Pl an the use of a 67 year record from an intensity raingauge, and long-t erm simulation models allows a change in the traditional concept of de sign storms, working with historical storms. In spite of that, the com plexity of the urban drainage system of Barcelona advises the use of d esign storms for predesign purposes. Because of that, a study has been carried out to select new design storms to solve the problem that the Chicago storm is too unfavourable as it has all its maximum medium in tensities corresponding to a 10-year return period, which is not reali stic.