HEC-RAS

http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ras/hecras-hecras.html

US Army Corps of Engineers

Legend Hydrologic Engineering
WS 10 yr
Center
WS 50 yr

WS 100 yr
River Analysis System
Ground
Bank Station
School of Civil and
Monroe L. Weber-Shirk Environmental Engineering
 Software for Steady-State Water
Surface Profiles
 HEC-RAS analyzes networks of natural and man-
made channels and computes water surface profiles
based on steady one-dimensional flow hydraulics.
 includes
 composite channels
 supercritical-to-subcritical flows
 multi-waterway bridges
 culvert options
 Stable channel design
 Hydraulic Analysis Components
 Steady Flow Water Surface Profiles
 flood plain management
 flood insurance studies
 effects of channel modifications
 Unsteady Flow Simulation
storage
 model __________
 levee failures
 Sediment Transport/Movable Boundary
 long term trends of scour and deposition
 maximum scour during large flood events
 design channels to maintain navigation depths
 Steady Flow Water Surface
Profiles
 Systems of channels
network
dendritic branching
single river reach
 Subcritical, Supercritical, and Mixed
 Channel Controls/Obstructions
bridge piers
culverts
weirs
 Computational Procedure

 One-dimensional energy equation (_______ ___)

standard step
V12 V22
y1   S o x  y2   S f x
2g 2g
 energy losses
1V12  2V22
 friction - Manning Equation he  LS f  C 
 contraction/expansion - loss coefficient 2g 2g
 Momentum equation
 hydraulic jumps
 hydraulics of bridges
 stream junctions
 Computational Procedure (1)

 Assume a water surface elevation at the

upstream cross section (or downstream
cross section if a supercritical profile is
being calculated)
 Based on the assumed water surface
elevation, determine the corresponding total
conveyance and velocity head.
1 1 Q  KS 1f / 2
Q  2/3
R
h AS 1/ 2
f
K 2/3
R
h A
n n
 Computational Procedure (2)

 Compute Sf and solve for losses

1V12  2V22
he  LS f  C 
2g 2g
 Solve the energy equation for the water
surface y1 
V12
 S o x  y2 
V22
 S f x = he
2g 2g

 Compare the computed value of depth with

iterate until the
the assumed value and ______
values agree within 0.01 feet.
 Data Requirements

 Channel description
 length of reach
 channel roughness
 channel cross-section geometry
 Boundary conditions
 Structure geometry
 bridges
 culverts
 weirs
 River Reach
0.2
10

Tributary
F al l

Upper Reach 0.1

.
R Cr
iv
River Stations

te
9.9

Bu t
er

Numeric labels
9.8
0.0 increase upstream
Sutter
Fa

l 9.7
l

R Lower Reach
i ve
r
9.6

9.5
 Cross Section Data

 x-y coordinates of
channel bottom
 distance to
downstream cross-
section
 Manning’s n
 Channel Cross Section
Manning n for overbank areas
usually higher than for main
channel
Composite channel
calculations...

1
Q  Rh2 / 3 AS 1f / 2
n
S f  S f  S f  ...
1 2 N 1 
Q  Q1  Q2  ...
Q  Sf 
i 1
 Rh Ai 
 ni
2/3
i

 Channel Section Interpolation

 Water surfaces are calculated at each river

station
 If water depth changes too much between
river stations then the calculations are
imprecise
 Interpolate between rivers stations of
known geometry
Inline Weir Station Elevation
Editor
Weir Editor Resulting cross section
 Boundary Conditions

 Ways to specify Boundary Conditions

Known Water Surface Elevations
Critical Depth _______________
Mild to Steep Transition
Normal Depth Uniform
_______________
flow
Rating Curve _______________
Control structure
 Boundary Condition Requirements
Supercritical Flow ______________
Upstream depth
Subcritical Flow ______________
Downstream depth
Mixed Flow Upstream and Downstream
______________
 Program Structure

Input Output
Cross Sections
Channel geometry
Profiles
Flows and boundary Computed Rating Curves
conditions for each profile
3-D Cross Sections

Other Analysis Tabular Data

Scour at bridges Errors

 Change from Mild to Steep Slope
homework homework plan 2 4/26/99
Legend
0.2
From this plot how can you know if EG PF#1
WS PF#1

0.0
flow is super or sub critical? Ground

-0.2

M2
Elevation (m)

-0.4

S2
-0.6

2
-0.8
yc  E
3
-1.0

-1020 -1015 -1010 -1005 -1000 -995 -990 -985

Main Channel Distance (m)
Mild slope behind Obstruction
homework homework plan 2 4/21/99
Legend

EG PF#1

1.0 WS PF#1
Ground

0.8

M1
Elevation (m)

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

0 200 400 600 800 1000

Main Channel Distance (m)
 Additional Capabilities

 Stable Channel Design

Sediment transport problem
 Perform Channel Modifications
Cut and fill calculations
 HEC-RAS Summary

 HEC-RAS solves the energy and

momentum equations to calculate water
surface profiles
 Modeling natural rivers is made difficult by
the need to obtain and enter the geometric
data
 Wee Stinky Creek Problems

 What is wrong with Wee Stinky Creek?

 Bank erosion
 Is channel bed eroding also?
 Why is erosion a concern?
 Local - land/soil loss
 Downstream – sediment deposition
 What could be causing the erosion?
 Steep slope
 Impermeable surfaces with high runoff
 Lack of bank vegetation
 Lawn mowers
 Wee Stinky Creek Solutions

 Decrease stream slope

 Meander
 Raise downstream sill
 Increase bottom width
 Decrease side slope
 Plant vegetation with deep roots next to stream
 Keep the lawn equipment away from the stream
 Wee Stinky Design

 How will you provide evidence that your

design will solve the problem?
Water Surface Profiles
 Broad-crested Weir

 3-D Cross Sections

homework homework plan 2 4/21/99
Legend

WS PF#1
Ground
Bank Sta

Ground
 Boundary Condition Editor

 Known Water Surface

 Critical Depth
 Normal Depth
 Rating Curve