CHAPTER 3

contents
1. FLOW MASTER
2. STORMCAD
3. SEWER CAD

By Feyisa N.
May 2018
 1. FLOW MASTER
• Flow Master is an easy-to-use program that helps
WRIE engineers with the hydraulic design and analysis
of pipes, ditches, open channels,Irrigation canals and
more.
• To do this, Flow Master computes flows and pressures
based on several well-known equations such as Darcy-
Weisbach, Manning's, Kutter's, and Hazen-Williams.
 1. FLOW MASTER
• The program's flexibility allows the user to
choose an unknown variable, and then
automatically compute the solution after entering
known parameters.
• Flow Master also calculates rating tables, and
plots curves and cross sections. You can view
the output on the screen, copy it to the Windows
clipboard, save it to a file, or print it on any
standard printer.
• Flow Master allows you to create an unlimited
number of worksheets to analyze uniform
sections of pressure pipe or open channel,
including irregular sections (such as natural
streams or odd-shaped man made sections).
Flow Master does not work with networked
systems, such as a storm sewer network or a
pressure pipe network. For these types of
analysis, see the Storm CAD and Water CAD
programs, respectively.
 HOW CAN YOU USE FLOW MASTER?
• Flow Master replaces solutions such as nomographs,
spreadsheets, and "BASIC" programs. Because
Flow Master gives you immediate results, you can
quickly generate different output. Not only that, but
you perform your hydraulic calculations while
taking advantage of Window's many features. Some
examples of ways you can use Flow Master are to:
 Analyze various hydraulic designs
 Evaluate different kinds of flow elements
 Generate professional-looking reports for clients
 Tutorial Example Problem

• Using Manning's equation, design a concrete

triangular channel with equal side slopes, a
longitudinal slope of 5%, a peak flow capacity of
0.6 m3/s and a maximum depth of 0.3 meters.
Also, design a concrete trapezoidal channel with
equal side slopes and a base width of 0.2 meters
that meets the same criteria. Draw the cross
sections of each channel. Create a curve of
discharge versus depth for each channel and
compare them. Assume water is at 20°C.
 Tutorial Example Problem

Click on "Create New Project" in the

"Welcome to Flow Master" dialog box. Create
a file name and click "Save."
Select "Triangular Channel" from the "Create a
New Worksheet" dialog box and click "OK."
 In the "Triangular Channel" dialog, scroll
through the friction methods and select the
Manning's Formula. Enter a description for the
worksheet and click "OK."
 Tutorial Example Problem

 Select "Global Options" from the "Options" menu

and change the "Unit System" to "SI." In addition,
ensure that the "Operation mode" under "Global
options" is set to "Expert mode" in order to allow
for graph merging capabilities.
 The worksheet dialog should appear. Since
discharge, channel slope, and depth are given, the
variable you need to solve for is the slope of the
sides of the channel. Scroll down through the
"Solve For" choices at the top of the dialog box
and select and "Equal Side Slopes."
Tutorial Example Problem
Enter the "Channel Slope," "Depth," and "Discharge" into the
appropriate fields and select the Manning's n for concrete. Click
on "Solve." Your dialog box should match Figure 2-1, as shown
below.
 Tutorial Example Problem
• To design the trapezoidal section, first click "Close" on the
triangular section worksheet. Then click "Create worksheet" at
the bottom of the "Worksheet List."
• Select the "Trapezoidal Channel" and then repeat the same
steps that you did to design the triangular channel. Your
completed worksheet should match the one shown below in
Figure 2-2.
Tutorial Example Problem
Creating channel cross sections:
 Click the "Output..." button on the bottom of
the worksheet (see Figure 2-2).
 Select "Plot Cross Section."
 Choose a title and click "OK." Figure 1-8
provides a graphical representation of both the
triangular and trapezoidal channel designs.
 Tutorial Example Problem
Creating Discharge Vs. Depth curves:
• Since discharge needs to be the ordinate, you need
to change “Equal sides slopes” in
• the “solve for” field to “Discharge.”
• Click “output” at the bottom of the work sheet for
the trapezoidal section. In the next dialog box
click the “plot Curves” button.
• In the “curve setup” dialog box, change the output
title to “Trapezoidal channel.” Scroll through the
list of possible ordinates in the „Vs.” field and
select depth.
 Tutorial Example Problem
• To scale the plot properly, make the minimum
depth 0m and the maximum depth 0.4m.
• Choose an increment of 0.1 will give the plot 3
points, and an increment of 0.01 will give the
plot 30 points, etc. Click “Ok”. Be sure not to
close the graph.
• Perform the same procedure for the triangular
section.
 exercise
Problems1:
Solve the following questions using Flow Master Software.
1. A paved highway drainage channel has the geometry shown in the
following figure. The
maximum allowable flow depth is 0.75 feet (to prevent the flow from
encroaching on
traffic), and the Manning's n value is 0.018 for the type of pavement used.

a) What is the capacity of the

channel for a 2% longitudinal
slope?
b) Create a rating curve to
demonstrate how the capacity
varies as the channel slope
c) varies from 0.5% to 5%. Choose
a slope interval that will generate
a reasonably smooth curve.
 Excercise
Problems2:
A channel with a cross section, as shown in the following figure, has a
Manning's Coefficient of 0.040 from station 0 to 3 and 0.054 from station 3 to 8.
The flow through the channel is 13 m3/s and the water surface is 1.7 meters
high. Find the following:
a) Weighted Manning's Coefficient b) slope of the channel c) top width
d) Wetted perimeter e) Flow regime (supercritical or sub critical)
 Excercise
Problems3:
A stream with a cross section, as shown in the above figure, has a flow rate of 5 m3/s.
The stream has a longitudinal slope of 0.002 m/m and a natural stony bottom (n = 0.050,
Stations 0 to 8).:
a) Using Manning's equation, what is the water surface elevation of the stream?
b) What is the maximum capacity of the channel? c) How would the capacity of the
channel be effected if you were to pave the center of the channel (n = 0.013, Stations 3 to
5)?
1. FLOW MASTER
2. STORMCAD

3. SEWER CAD
 What Does StormCAD Do?
• StormCAD is an extremely powerful, yet easy-to-
use program that helps hydraulic engineers design
and analyzes storm sewer systems. Just draw your
network on the screen using the tool palette, right
click on any element to enter data, and click to
calculate the network. It's really that easy.
• Rainfall information is calculated using rainfall
tables, equations, or the National Weather
Service's Hydro-35 data. StormCAD also plots
Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves.
 What Does StormCAD Do?
• You have a choice of conveyance elements
including circular pipes, pipe arches, boxes and
more. Flow calculations handle pressure and
varied flow situations including hydraulic jumps,
backwater, and drawdown curves. StormCAD's
flexible reporting feature allows you to customize
and print the design and analysis results in report
format or as a graphical plot.
 How Can You Use StormCAD?
• StormCAD is so flexible you can use it for all
phases of your project, from the feasibility report
to the final design drawings. During the
feasibility phase, you can use StormCAD to
create several different system layouts with an
AutoCAD or MicroStation drawing as the
background. For the final design, StormCAD lets
you complete detailed drawings with notes that
can be used to develop construction plans. In
summary, you can use StormCAD to:
 you can use StormCAD to:
• Design storm sewer systems
• Analyze various design scenarios for storm
sewer systems
• Import and export AutoCAD and MicroStation
.DXF files.
• Predict rainfall runoff rates
• Generate professional-looking reports for
clients.
• Generate plan and profile plots of the network
 Analysis and Design

• There are three basic methods used to solve a

storm sewer system, as shown in the following
three topics:
1. Fixed Inverts and Diameters
2. Fixed Inverts, Solve for Diameters
3. Solve for Inverts, Solve for Diameters
 Fixed Inverts and Diameters

• This is used for situations where the engineer

already has a set of pipe conditions, and
wishes to analyze the system without adjusting
these characteristics. Examples of this type of
calculation include the analysis of an existing
storm sewer, or a design review based on
another engineer's proposed piping.
 Fixed Inverts, Solve for Diameters

• In design situations where utilities or other site

constraints may affect the chosen pipe
alignment, the engineer may wish to assume
pipe inverts and have the model recommenc
pipe sizes to adequately convey the flow.
 Solve for Inverts, Solve for Diameters

• A proposed storm system can be designed

solving for both invert and pipe diameter.
Constraints must be set for pipe diameter,
velocity and pipe slope. This is the method that
is generally used when designing a new storm
sewer system.
 Profile
• StormCAD also includes an option to
automatically generate storm sewer profiles -
longitudinal plots of the storm sewer. Profiles
allow the design engineer, the reviewing agency,
the contractor and others to visualize the storm
system, and are useful for several purposes;
including viewing the
• hydraulic grade line and determining if the
proposed storm sewer is in conflict with other
existing or proposed underground utilities.
Tutorial Example
Part 1 - Creating a New 5. Click the File menu and
Schematic Project File select Project Properties.
1. Start StormCAD. 6. Enter the information as
2. When the Welcome to pictured below, then click
StormCAD dialog appears, OK.
click the Create New Project
button. If it does not appear,
choose File\New from the
pull-down menu.
3. Click the File menu and
select Save As.
4. Enter a file name such as
Lesson.stc for your project,
and click Save.
Part 2 - Laying Out the Network
Tutorial Example Problem
5. Move the cursor onto the drawing space and click once to
place the catchbasin representing catchbasin CB-1.
6. Move the cursor to the location of the next catchbasin, CB-2,
and click again to place the element. A conduit will
automatically be drawn between the two catchbasins.
7. Place the third catchbasin, CB-3, in the same fashion.
8. Right-click anywhere in the drawing pane to open a pop-up
menu. This menu is used to change the element type while
laying out a system. We will use it to place the outfall, OF-1,
at the end of the next conduit. From the pop-up menu, click
Outfall and click the drawing pane to place the outlet at the
desired location.
 Tutorial Example Problem
9. Right-click again and select the Done command to stop
laying out elements.
10. Click the Catchment button on the toolbar. You can lay out
catchment elements in either of two ways:
a. Click each corner of the catchment polygon, then select Done from
the right-click popup menu, or
b. Hold down the Ctrl button, then click in the drawing view to define
where the center of the catchment polygon will be. Drag the mouse
to define the size of the catchment, then click again.
11. Lay out 3 catchments, one around each of the catch basin
elements
Part 3 - Entering Data
There are four ways to enter and modify element data in StormCAD:

• Properties Editor - You may use the Select tool and double-click an
element to bring up its Properties Editor.
• FlexTables - Click the View menu and select FlexTables, or click the
FlexTables button to bring up dynamic tables that show all the editable and
non-editable attributes of elements of a similar type, such as nodes and
links. You can edit the data as you would in a spreadsheet.
• ModelBuilder - ModelBuilder allows the direct import and export of
element data from outside sources such as Excel spreadsheets, GIS, Jet
Databases like Microsoft Access, and many others. This is further explained
in the chapter on ModelBuilder.
• Alternative Editors - Alternatives are used for entering data for different
"What If?" situations for use in Scenario Management. This is covered
extensively in the Scenarios and Alternatives chapter and a later Lesson.
 Part 3 - Entering Data
Entering Data through the Properties Editor
To access an element's Properties Editor, double-click the
element in the drawing pane with the cursor. If the
Properties Editor dialog is already open, a single click will
switch the editor to display the attributes for the newly
highlighted element.
1. Open the Properties Editor for the outfall, OF-1.
2. Enter 94.0 ft for the Elevation (Ground).
3. Enter 83.0 ft for the Elevation (Invert). If the Set Invert to
Ground Elevation field is marked True, StormCAD will
automatically set the invert elevation to the ground elevation.
4. Enter for all data for Catchbasins 1, 2, 3 for with the
same procedure
Part 3 - Entering Data
Finally, ensure that Free Outfall is selected from the
Boundary Condition Type choice list.
All other elements can be modified in the same way using
the input data from the following tables. If a value is not
specified for a particular attribute, leave the default value
Part 3 - Entering Data
Inlet data is associated with Catch basin elements. When
selecting an inlet, you can choose a generic Maximum Capacity
or Percent Capture inlet type, or you can define a custom inlet in
the Inlets Catalog dialog. After an inlet is defined in the Inlets
Catalog dialog, it can be reused for any number of catch basin
elements
6. Click the Components menu
and select Inlet Catalog.
7. In the Inlets Catalog dialog,
click the New button. Leave
the default name of Inlet - 1.
8. Change the Inlet Type to
Grate.
Part 3 - Entering Data
9. Enter the remaining data in the appropriate fields as shown in
the screen below:
10.Click the Close button.
11. double Click CB-1.
12.Change the Inlet Type to Catalog Inlet.
13.In the Inlet field, choose Inlet - 1.
14.Enter the remaining inlet data according to the values in the
table below. Inlet Data.pptx Use the Catalog Inlet type and
Inlet - 1 for each catch basin.
Part 3 - Entering Data
15. Double Click on CM-1.
16. In the Outflow Node field, click <Select...>.
17. Click CB-1 in the drawing pane to select it as the outflow
node for CM-1.
18. Enter the remaining data for CM-1 and the other catchment
elements (including ourflow node assignment) using the
values in the following table 2.3:

Table 2-3: Catchment Input Data

Part 3 - Entering Data
19. Conduits can be one of two types: User Defined or a
Catalog Conduit. The attributes of User Defined conduits
are edited directly. The attributes of a Catalog Conduit are
associated with the definition created in the Conduit
Catalog dialog
20. Click the Components menu and select Conduit Catalog.
21. Click the New button. Leave the default name of Catalog
Conduit - 1.
22. Change the Conduit Shape to Circle.
23. Enter a Diameter of 24 in.
24. Click the ellipsis (...) button next to the Material Field.
This will open the Materials Engineering Libraries
25. Highlight the Concrete library entry and click the Select
button
26. catalog conduit has now been defined. Click the Close
button
Part 3 - Entering Data
Now we will assign the properties associated with the catalog
conduit we just created to the conduits in the model.
28. Click conduit CO-1.
29. Under Conduit Type, select Catalog Conduit.
30. Under Material, select the only available entry, Concrete.
31. Click Section Size and select Conduit Catalog - 1.
32. Repeat steps 28-31 for CO-2 and CO-3.
Part 3 - Entering Data
Entering Data using FlexTables
• It is often more convenient to enter data for similar elements
into a tabular form rather than to individually click each
element, enter the data through the Properties editor, and then
move on to the next element.
1. Click the View menu and select FlexTables
2. Double-click the Conduit table under the Tables -
Predefined category.
3. The upstream and downstream inverts and the length still
need to be defined for the conduits. These attributes are not
in the predefined table, so we must add them. Click the Edit
button.
Part 3 - Entering Data
Entering Data using FlexTables
4. In the table editor, the left pane lists the available
attributes, and the right pane lists the attributes displayed
in the table. Double-click the following attributes in the
left pane to add them to the right pane: Invert
(Downstream), Invert (Upstream), Length (User
Defined), Set Invert to Downstream?, and Set Invert to
Upstream?. Click OK.
5. The newly added attributes are now displayed at the right
side of the table. Uncheck the boxes under Set Invert to
Downstream? and Set Invert to Upstream? for all three
conduits and enter the remaining data as shown in the
screen below.
6. Close the FlexTable and the FlexTables manager.
Part 3 - Entering Data
Entering Data using FlexTables
Part 3 - Entering Data
Defining Storm Events
The last piece of information we need to enter is the rainfall data.
Rainfall data is applied to the model by creating storm data
definitions and then defining global storm events using the storm
data.
1. Click the Components menu and select Storm Data.
2. Click the New button and select User Defined IDF Table. A
blank IDF table is created.
 Part 4 - Defining Storm Events
Defining Storm Events
3. Now we must modify the return periods and durations of the table.
Click the Add/Remove Return Periods button and select Add
Return Period. In the Add Return Period dialog that appears,
enter a value of 10 and click OK. Also add a 20 and 100 year
return period.
4. Click the Add/Remove Durations button and select Add Duration.
In the Add Duration dialog that appears, enter a value of 10 and
click OK. Also add a 20 minute duration. Your IDF Table should
now look like this:
5. Fill in the values for the IDF table using the data from the table
below.
6. Your Storm Data dialog should look like the screen below. Click the
Close button
Part 4 - Defining Storm Events
Part 4 - Defining Storm Events
Storm Data definitions created in the Storm Data Dialog Box need
to be assigned to Global Storm Events. Global Storm Events are
applied to all catchments during analysis.
6. Click the Components menu and select Global Storm
Events.
7. The Global Storm Events dialog consists of a table that
displays a list of all of the Rainfall Runoff Alternatives and
their associated global storm events. The storm event source is
also displayed, showing whether the storm event was created
manually for the project or if it was imported from an
engineering library entry.
8. In the Global Storm Events dialog, click the Global Storm
Event field and select User Defined IDF Table - 1 - 20 Year.
9. Click the Close button.
Part 5 - Analyzing the System
VALIDATE AND COMPUTE
Now that all of the required input data has been entered, the
model can be calculated. Before computing the model, it is a
good idea to validate it first. Validation runs a diagnostic check
on the network data to alert you to possible problems that may
be encountered during calculation. This is the manual validation
command, and it checks for input data errors. It differs in this
respect from the automatic validation that StormCAD runs when
the Compute command is initiated, which checks for network
connectivity errors as well as many other things beyond what
the manual validation checks.
Part 5 - Analyzing the System
1. Click the Validate button.
2. An error message appears, notifying you that problems were
found during validation. Click the OK button.
3. The User Notifications manager opens, displaying a list of
warnings that were generated during the validation routine.
Warnings are shown in yellow, and do not prevent the model
from being successfully calculated. Errors, shown in red.
Errors must be corrected before the model can be computed.
For now, let's ignore the warnings.
Part 5 - Analyzing the System
4. Click the Compute button to calculate the model.
5. After the calculation is complete, the Calculation
Executive Summary is displayed. The Calculation
Executive Summary displays the scenario name,
rainfall alternative, and storm event information
for the analysis. It also displays some engine
messages relating to convergence.
6. Click the Close button.
7. Before proceeding to the next lesson, click the
Save button.
END