Working in ArcGIS Mode Working (Manual Bemtley)

Working in ArcGIS Mode Working in ArcGIS Mode Working in ArcGIS Mode
Working in ArcGIS Mode

Click one of the following links to learn how to use ArcGIS mode:
GIS Basics
Using ArcCatalog with a Bentley SewerCAD V8i Database
The ArcMap Client
Using GeoTables
Parent topic: Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT Edition Help
GIS Basics
Bentley SewerGEMS provides three environments in which to work: Bentley SewerCAD
V8i Modeler Mode, AutoCAD Integrated Mode, and ArcMap Integrated Mode. Each mode
provides access to differing functionality--certain capabilities that are available within
Bentley SewerGEMS Modeler mode may not be available when working in ArcMap
Integrated mode, and vice-versa. In addition, you can use ArcCatalog to perform actions on
any Bentley SewerCAD V8i database. Some of the advantages of working in GIS mode
include:
 Full functionality from within the GIS itself, without the need for data import, export, or
transformation
 The ability to view and edit multiple scenarios in the same geodatabase
 Minimizes data replication
 GIS custom querying capabilities
 Lets you build models from scratch using practically any existing data source
 Utilize the powerful reporting and presentation capabilities of GIS
A firm grasp of GIS basics will give you a clearer understanding of how Bentley
SewerGEMS interacts with GIS software. Click one the following links to learn more:
GIS Terms and Definitions
ArcGIS Integration
ArcGIS Applications
Parent topic: Working in ArcGIS Mode

GIS Terms and Definitions
ArcObjects
ArcObjects is the framework upon which ArcGIS has been built. It is a collection of
software components based on the COM protocol, which allows for the customization and
extension of the core software functionality. Coverage A collection of data that has a
common theme, and is considered a single unit.
Feature Class1. A classification describing the format of geographic features and

supporting data in a coverage. Coverage feature classes for representing geographic
features include point, arc, node, route-system, route, section, polygon and region. One or
more coverage features are used to model geographic features; for example, arcs and nodes
can be used to model linear features such as street centerlines. The tic, annotation, link, and
boundary feature classes provide supporting data for coverage data management and
viewing.
2. The conceptual representation of a geographic feature. When referring to geographic

features, feature classes include point, line, area, and surface. Feature Dataset:A feature
dataset is a collection of feature classes that share the same spatial reference. GEMS
Datastore: The relational database that Bentley SewerGEMS uses to store model data. Each
Bentley SewerGEMS model uses two main files for data storage, the datastore (.MDB) and
the Bentley SewerGEMS Modeler-specific data (.stsw). Although the Bentley SewerGEMS
datastore is an .mdb file, cannot be a geodatabase.
 Geocode - The process of identifying the coordinates of a location given its address. For
example, an address can be matched against a TIGER street network to determine the
location of a home. Also referred to as address geocoding.
 Geodatabase - Short for geographic database, a geodatabase stores spatial and descriptive
data in an efficient manner. Geodatabases are the standard file format for ArcGIS v8 and
later. Layer: Layers contain spatial data according to similar subject matter. Conceptually,
layers in a database or map library environment are exactly like coverages. Layers are the
standard GIS data format for ArcView 3.x and earlier.
 Metadata - Additional information (aside from tabular and spatial data) that makes the
data useful. Includes characteristics and information that are required to use the data but
are not contained within the data itself. Relate A temporary connection between table
records using a common item shared by both tables. Each record in one table is connected
to those records in the other table that share the same value for the common item.
 Relational Database - A database in which the data is structured in such a way as to
associate tables according to attributes that are shared by the tables. Relational Join: The
process of merging two attribute tables using a common item.
 Shapefile - A file format that stores spatial and attribute data for the spatial features
within the dataset. A shapefile consists of a main file, an index file, and a dBASE table.
Shapefiles were the standard file storage format for ArcView 3.x and earlier.
 Spatial Reference - The spatial reference for a feature class describes its coordinate system
(for example, geographic, UTM, and State Plane), its spatial domain, and its precision. The
spatial domain is best described as the allowable coordinate range for X and Y
coordinates, m- (measure) values, and z-values. The precision describes the number of
system units per one unit of measure. A spatial reference with a precision of 1 will store
integer values, while a precision of 1000 will store three decimal places.
Related Topics
 "GIS Basics"
 "ArcGIS Integration"
 "ArcGIS Applications"
Parent topic: GIS Basics
ArcGIS Integration
Bentley SewerGEMS features full integration with Esri’s ArcGIS software, including
ArcView, ArcEdit, and ArcInfo. The following is a description of the functionality
available with each of these packages:
 ArcView—ArcView provides the following capabilities:

 Data Access
 Mapping
 Customization
 Spatial Query
 Simple Feature Editing
 ArcView can edit shapefiles and personal geodatabases that contain simple features such
as points, lines, polygons, and static annotation. Rules and relationships can not be edited
with ArcView.
 ArcEdit—ArcEdit provides all of the capabilities available with ArcView in addition to the
following:
 Coverage and geodatabase editing
 ArcEdit can edit shapefiles, coverages, personal geodatabases, and multi-user
geodatabases.
 ArcInfo—ArcInfo provides all of the capabilities available with ArcEdit in addition to the
following:
 Advanced geoprocessing
 Data conversion
 ArcInfo Workstation
 ArcInfo can edit shapefiles, coverages, personal geodatabases, and multi-user
geodatabases.
ArcGIS Integration with Bentley SewerGEMS

Parent topic: GIS Basics
ArcGIS Integration with Bentley
SewerGEMS
When you install Bentley SewerGEMS after you install ArcGIS, integration between the
two is automatically configured when you install Bentley SewerGEMS .
If you install ArcGIS after you install Bentley SewerGEMS , you must manually integrate
the two by selecting Run > All Programs > Haestad Methods > Bentley SewerGEMS >
Integrate Bentley SewerGEMS with AutoCAD-ArcGIS. The integration utility runs
automatically. You can then run Bentley SewerGEMS in ArcGIS mode.
Related Topics
 "GIS Basics"
 "GIS Terms and Definitions"
 "ArcGIS Applications"
Parent topic: ArcGIS Integration
Using ArcCatalog with a Bentley

SewerCAD V8i Database
You can use ArcCatalog to manage spatial data, database design, and to view and record
metadata associated with your Bentley SewerCAD V8i databases.
For more information, see the following topic:
“ArcCatalog Geodatabase Components”
Related Topics
 “GIS Basics”
 “The Bentley SewerCAD V8i ArcMap Client”
ArcCatalog Geodatabase Components

The ArcMap Client

The ArcMap client refers to the environment in which the software is run. As the ArcMap
client, thw software runs within Esri’s ArcMap interface, allowing the full functionality of
both programs to be utilized simultaneously.
Getting Started with the ArcMap Client

Bentley SewerGEMS Toolbar
Managing Hydraulic Models In ArcMap
Attach Geodatabase Dialog
Laying out a Model in the ArcMap Client
Getting Started with the ArcMap Client

An ArcMap Bentley SewerGEMS hydraulic model consists of:
 A Bentley SewerGEMS .mdb file—this file contains all modeling data, and includes
everything needed to perform a calculation.
 A Bentley SewerGEMS hydraulic model file—this file contains data such as annotation and
color-coding definitions.
 A geodatabase association—a hydraulic model must be linked to a new or existing
geodatabase.
Note: You must be in an edit session (Click the ArcMap Editor button and select the Start Editing
command) to access the various Bentley SewerGEMS editors (dialogs accessed with an ellipsis (...)
button) through the Property Editor, Alternatives Editor, or FlexTables, even if you simply wish to
view input data and do not intend to make any changes.
There are a number of options for creating a model in the ArcMap client:
 Create a model from scratch—You can create a model in ArcMap. You’ll first need to
create a new hydraulic model and attach it to a new or existing geodatabase. See
Managing Projects In ArcMap and Attach Geodatabase Dialog for further details. You can
then lay out your network using the Bentley SewerGEMS toolbar. See Laying out a Model
in the ArcMap Client .
 Open a previously created Bentley SewerGEMS hydraulic model—You can open a
previously created Bentley SewerGEMS model. If the model was created in the Stand
Alone version, you must attach a new or existing geodatabase to the hydraulic model. See
Managing Projects In ArcMap and Attach Geodatabase Dialog for further details.
 Import a model that was created in another modeling application—You can import a
model that was created in SewerCAD or EPA SWMM. See Importing Data From Other
Models for further details.
Note: You cannot use a Bentley SewerGEMS .mdb file as a geodatabase. Make sure that you do
not attempt to use the same file name for both the Bentley SewerGEMS database (stsw.mdb) and
the geodatabase .mdb.
Parent topic: The ArcMap Client
Managing Hydraulic Models In ArcMap
The Bentley SewerGEMS ArcMap client utilizes a hydraulic Model Manager to allow you
to disconnect and reconnect a model from the underlying geodatabase, to view and edit
multiple hydraulic models, and to display multiple hydraulic models on the same map.
The Hydraulic Model Manager lists all of the hydraulic models that have been opened
during the ArcMap session. The following controls are available:
 Add—Clicking the Add button opens a submenu containing the following commands:
 Add New Hydraulic Model—Opens a Save As dialog, allowing you to specify a hydraulic
model name and directory location. After clicking the Save button, the Attach
Geodatabase dialog opens, allowing you to specify a new or existing geodatabase to be
connected to the hydraulic model.
 Add Existing Hydraulic Model—Opens an Open dialog, allowing you to browse to the
Bentley SewerGEMS hydraulic model to be added. If the Bentley SewerGEMS hydraulic
model is not associated with a geodatabase, the Attach Geodatabase dialog opens,
allowing you to specify a new or existing geodatabase to be connected to the hydraulic
model.
 Open Hydraulic Model—Opens the hydraulic model that is currently highlighted in the
Hydraulic Model Manager list pane. You can only edit hydraulic models that are currently
open. This command is available only when the currently highlighted hydraulic model is
closed.
 Save Hydraulic Model—Saves the hydraulic model that is currently highlighted in the
Hydraulic Model Manager list pane. This command is available only when changes have
been made to the currently highlighted hydraulic model.
 Close Hydraulic Model—Closes the hydraulic model that is currently highlighted in the
Hydraulic Model Manager list pane. Closed hydraulic models cannot be edited, but the
elements within the hydraulic model will still be displayed in the map. This command is
available only when the currently highlighted hydraulic model is open.
 Remove Hydraulic Model—Removes the hydraulic model that is currently highlighted in
the Hydraulic Model Manager list pane. This command permanently breaks the
connection to the geodatabase associated with the hydraulic model.
 Make Current—Makes the hydraulic model that is currently highlighted in the Hydraulic
Model Manager list pane the current hydraulic model. Edits made in the map are applied
to the current hydraulic model. This command is available only when the currently
highlighted hydraulic model is not marked current.
 Help—Opens the online help.
To add a new hydraulic model:
1. From the Hydraulic Model Manager, click the Add button and select the Add New
Hydraulic Model command. Or, from the Bentley SewerGEMS menu, click the Hydraulic
Model menu and select the Add New Hydraulic Model command.
2. In the Save As dialog that appears, specify a name and directory location for the new
hydraulic model, then click the Save button.
3. In the Attach Geodatabase dialog that appears, click the Attach Geodatabase button.
Browse to an existing geodatabase to import the new hydraulic model into, or create a
new geodatabase by entering a name for the geodatabase and specifying a directory. Click
the Save button.
4. Enter a dataset name.
5. You can assign a spatial reference to the hydraulic model by clicking the Change button,
then specifying spatial reference data in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog that
appears.
6. In the Attach Geodatabase dialog, click the OK button to create the new hydraulic model.
To add an existing hydraulic model:
1. From the Hydraulic Model Manager, click the Add button and select the Add Existing
Hydraulic Model command. Or, from the Bentley SewerGEMS menu, click the Hydraulic
Model menu and select the Add Existing Hydraulic Model command.
2. In the Open dialog that appears, browse to the location of the hydraulic model, highlight
it, then click the Open button.
3. If the hydraulic model is not associated with a geodatabase, the Attach Geodatabase
dialog opens, allowing you to specify a new or existing geodatabase to be connected to
the hydraulic model. Continue to Step 4. If the hydraulic model has already been
associated with a geodatabase, the Attach Geodatabase will not open, and the hydraulic
model will be added.
4. In the Attach Geodatabase dialog, click the Attach Geodatabase button. Browse to an
existing geodatabase to import the new hydraulic model into, or create a new
geodatabase by entering a name for the geodatabase and specifying a directory. Click the
Save button.
Attach Geodatabase Dialog

The Attach Geodatabase dialog allows you to associate a Bentley SewerGEMS model with
a new or existing geodatabase, and also provides access to the ArcMap Spatial Reference
Properties dialog, allowing you to define the spatial reference for the geodatabase.
The following controls are available:
 Geodatabase Field—This field displays the path and file name of the geodatabase that was
selected to be associated with the model.
 Geodatabase Button—This button opens an Import To or Create New Geodatabase dialog,
where you specify an existing geodatabase or enter a name and directory for a new one.
 Dataset Name—Allows you to enter a name for the dataset.
 Spatial Reference Pane—Displays the spatial reference currently assigned to the
geodatabase.
 Change Button—Opens the Spatial Reference Properties dialog, allowing you to change
the spatial reference for the geodatabase.
Laying out a Model in the ArcMap Client
The Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT toolbar contains a set of tools similar to the Stand-
Alone version. See the Layout Toolbar topic for descriptions of the various element layout
tools
You must be in an edit session (Click the ArcMap Editor button and select the Start Editing
command) to lay out elements or to enter element data in ArcMap. You must then Save the
Edits (Click the ArcMap Editor button and select the Save Edits command) when you are
done editing. The tools in the toolbar will be inactive when you are not in an edit session.
Importing Data From Other Models

Click one of the following links to learn more:
Importing Data from Bentley Wastewater

Importing a Submodel
Importing Pressure Pipes
Importing From InRoads
Importing from LandXML
Importing From MX
Importing From WinDes (SWS)
Importing from WinDes (MDX)
Importing From GEOPAK
Importing From PowerCivil
Importing Data from Bentley Wastewater

You can import data from a Bentley Wastewater data source. Before importing this data
into Bentley SewerGEMS , you must first export it from Bentley Wastewater into a set of
output files. These output files can then be imported into a model.
To export Bentley Wastewater data to a set of output files:
1. In the Bentley Wastewater toolbar, click the Export > Data command.
2. In the dialog that appears, select all of the listed element types.
3. Click the File button and select a destination output file.
4. Use the MicroStation Place Fence tool and draw a fence surrounding the model.
5. Click on the Start button in the Export Data dialog and click inside the fence you created in
step 4.
To import Bentley Wastewater data from a set of output files:
1. In Bentley SewerGEMS , click File > Import > Bentley Wastewater Import.
2. Follow the steps in the Bentley Wastewater Import Wizard that appears.
Importing a Submodel
Using the Submodel Import feature, you can import another model, or any portion thereof,
into your model. Input data stored in the Alternatives as well as any supporting data will
also be imported. It is important to notice that existing elements in the model you want to
import the submodel into (i.e. the target model) will be matched with incoming elements by
using their label. Incoming input data will override existing data in the target model for any
element matched by its label. That also applies to scenarios, alternatives, calculation
options and supporting data. Furthermore, any element in the incoming submodel that
could not be matched with any existing element by their label, will be created in the target
model.
For example, the submodel you want to import contains input data that you would like to
transfer in two Physical Alternatives named "Smaller Pipes" and "Larger Pipes". The target
model contains only one Physical Alternative named "Larger Pipes". In that case, the input
data in the alternative labeled "Larger Pipes" in the submodel will replace the alternative
with the same name in the target model. Moreover, the alternative labeled "Smaller Pipes"
as well as its input data will be added to the target model without replacing any existing
data on it because there is no existing alternative with the same label. Notice that imported
elements will be assigned default values in those existing alternatives in the target model
that could not be matched.
Notice that regular models can be imported as a submodel of a larger model as their file
format and extension are the same.
For more information about input data transfer, see Exporting a Submodel.
Note: The label-matching strategy used during submodel import will be applied to any set of
alternatives, including Active Topology alternatives. Therefore, if no Active Topology alternative
stored in the submodel matches the existing ones in the target model, the imported elements will
preserve their active topology values in the alternatives created from the submodel, but they will
be left as "Inactive" in those previously existing alternatives in the target model. That is because
the default value for the "Is Active?" attribute in active topology alternatives other than the one
that is current is "False".
User-defined data is not transferred during submodel import and export operations.
To import a submodel:
1. Click File > Import > Submodels.

2. In the Select Submodel File to Import dialog box, select the submodel file to be imported.
Click the Open button.
Importing Pressure Pipes
The following rules and considerations govern the importing of pressure pipe elements
from SWMM:
Import Rules
1. All Conduits of the type "force main" will be imported as pressure pipes regardless of their
position in the SWMM network.
2. A SWMM junction is converted to a pressure junction if all bounding links are pressure
links. Pressure links are as follows:
3. Conduits of shape "force main".
4. SWMM pump links.
5. If a catchment is emptying into a SWMM junction, that junction will be turned into a
manhole regardless of its position in the system. A user notification will be generated.
6. On the import of a SWMM pump link, two links are created to connect the pump node to
the system:
7. If the discharge node is a pressure junction - two virtual pressure links are created;
8. Otherwise two virtual conduits are created.
Pressure Pipe Considerations
 Diameter directly translates.

 The roughness value will be entered into Manning's, DarcyWeisbach, or Hazen Williams
depending on which SWMM Pressure Roughness method is selected in the calculation
options.
 "Number of Barrels" data is NOT imported.
Presssure Junction Considerations
 The invert directly translates.

 Inflow and Sanitary Flows are directly translated.
 Ground Elevation will equal Max Depth + Invert
 RDII flow data will NOT be imported.
Importing From InRoads

The following tables describe how various InRoads element attributes are mapped to their
Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT counterparts.
Note: You can import an InRoads file to both new and existing models; however, you can only
import to existing models that contain no elements in the model.
Note: If the SDB file being imported uses imperial units, you will receive a prompt asking if you
want to use Survey Feet as the unit. If so, the coordinate values for the model are set
appropriately. Conversely, if the display unit on coordinates is survey feet, then that is what is
written to the SDB file on export (coordinate values only).
Unsupported Elements During Export
Bentley InRoads doesn't support all of the storm sewer elements. Therefore, certain
elements are ignored during the export to Bentley InRoads. When elements are ignored,
User Notifications are generated for them. Following is the list of such elements:
 Variable Speed Pump Battery

 Pump Station
 Air Valve
 LID
 Pond
 Pressure Pipe
 Pressure Junction
 Cross Section
 Pond Outlet Structure (exported as manhole)
 Wet Well (exported as manhole)
Importing from LandXML

You can import a model from a LandXML format .xml file. LandXML is a non-proprietary
data standard for the persistence of civil engineering and survey measurement data
commonly used in the Land Development and Transportation Industries.
Bentley SewerGEMS utilizes the PipeNetworks functionality of the LandXML file. Bentley
SewerGEMS is primarily concerned with the overall physical structure and connectivity of
the pipe network; hence some of the available hydrologic and hydraulic data necessary for a
hydraulic analysis is not transferred during export/import.
To import a LandXML .xml file:
1. Select File > Import > LandXML.

2. In the Select LandXML File to Import dialog, browse to the LandXML file to be imported,
highlight it, and click Open.
Note: You can import a LandXML file to both new and existing models; however, you can only
Importing From WinDes (SWS)
You can import a model from a WinDes .sws / .fws / .ews file.
Bentley SewerGEMS is primarily concerned with the overall physical structure and
connectivity of the pipe network; hence some of the available hydrologic and hydraulic
data necessary for a hydraulic analysis is not transferred during import.
Bentley SewerGEMS imports section definitions from a WinDes Conduit Library file
(.SEC). If the section is open, the channel X-Y coordinates will be imported as an Irregular
Channel. However, if the section is closed the channel and cover X-Y coordinates will be
converted to a Depth-Width curve and imported as Irregular closed channel. Bentley
SewerGEMS also recognizes the WinDes shape codes 1-65. If one of those codes is
specified the appropriate shape and dimensions will be import as specified in the WinDes
documentation.
Bentley SewerGEMS imports section definitions from a WinDes Conduit Library file
(.SEC). If the section is open, the channel X-Y coordinates will be imported as an Irregular
Channel. However, if the section is closed the channel and cover X-Y coordinates will be
converted to a Depth-Width curve and imported as Irregular closed channel. Bentley
SewerGEMS also recognizes the WinDes shape codes 1-65. If one of those codes is
specified the appropriate shape and dimensions will be import as specified in the WinDes
documentation.
Note that for the shape codes 1 - 65, the "conduit.sec" file is not read. It is assumed that this
file has not been altered, and is exactly as per the documentation. If you have made
alterations to the "conduit.sec" file, it is suggested that you move the adjusted conduits to a
different Conduit Library file (.SEC), and use that in WinDes. This will mean that the
conduit diameter or section number (pipeline variable 5 in the WinDes SWS file) will be
written as a negative number, which will cause the information for it to be read from the
different Conduit Library file (.SEC).
To import a WinDes file:
1. Select File > Import > WinDes.

2. In the Select WinDes File dialog, browse to the file to be imported, highlight it, and click
Open.
Note: You can import a WinDes file to both new and existing models; however, you can only
The following table shows how the pipe attributes are mapped to Bentley SewerGEMS
elements and attributes:
Pipeline Attribute Mapping Notes
Variable
PipeLabel Label on Conduit
0 kRoughness (mm) Darcy-Weisbach roughness on

Conduit
1 PipeNumber Applied to local conduit

description
2 Length (mm) Length (User Defined) on

Conduit
4 Area (ha) Imported as the User Defined

Area of the upstream
catchment to the current
conduit. If the area is 0, then no
catchment will be created.
5 Diameter (mm) Imported as the local diameter

on the current conduit
9 Time of Imported as the single User

Concentration Defined Tc for the catchment.
(min)
15 Base Flow (lps) If the value is greater than 0

then will be applied as a fixed
flow applied to the wet weather
inflow collection list
17 Upstream Invert Will be the start invert of the Set invert to start is set to
Level (m) current pipe. false.
21 Upstream Cover Will be the ground elevation of

Level (m) the start manhole of the
current conduit.
24 Downstream Will be the stop invert of the Set invert to stop is set to false.
Invert Level (m) current pipe.
Variable
25 Downstream Will be the ground elevation of

Cover Level (m) the stop manhole of the current
conduit.
26 Upstream Applied to the label of the start If the label contains "Outfall"
Manhole Number manhole of the current conduit. or is blank then the node will
be imported as an outfall,
otherwise it will be imported
as a manhole.
27 Downstream Applied to the label of the stop If the label contains "Outfall"
Manhole Number node of the current conduit. or is blank then the node will
be imported as an outfall,
otherwise it will be imported
as a manhole.
30 Upstream Represents the diameter of the

Manhole start node if the node structure
Diameter (mm) is circular, or the length if the
structure is rectangular
31 Downstream Represents the diameter of the

Manhole stop node if the node structure
Diameter (mm) is circular, or the length if the
structure is rectangular
32 Upstream Represents the Width of the If the value is 0 then the

Manhole Width rectangular structure of the structure is circular, otherwise
(mm) start node. it is rectangular.
33 Downstream Represents the Width of the If the value is 0 then the

Manhole Width rectangular structure of the structure is circular, otherwise
(mm) stop node. it is rectangular.
41 Upstream Easting The x coordinate of the start

(m) node.
42 Upstream The y coordinate of the start

Northing (m) node.
Variable
43 Downstream The x coordinate of the stop

Easting (m) node.
44 Downstream The y coordinate of the stop

Northing (m) node.
53 Manhole Sump Subtracted from the lowest

Depth (mm) adjacent invert of the start
node to compute the invert of
the start node.
88 Mannings N Applied to the Mannings value

on the conduit.
Parent topic: Importing Data From Other Models
Importing from WinDes (MDX)

To import WinDes .MDX files:
1. Select the "File" tab.

2. Click "Import".
3. Select "WinDes" and select the .MDX file to import.
Notes on Import
Not all features in WinDes directly correlate to a feature in the Bentley application. Check
User Notifications after import to see any data that was not imported or has been modified
upon import to make sure the model is generated to your standards.
Importing From GEOPAK

In Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT, support has been added to import and export
GEOPAK drainage model data. Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT leverages the GEOPAK
runtime, so this support is only available in MicroStation with a GEOPAK license. Import
and export of GeoPAK drainage files only works in an integrated environment of Bentley
SewerGEMS CONNECT/GeoPAK/MicroStation.
A GEOPAK drainage model consists of three files:

1. GPF file for drainage preferences
2. DLB file which is the drainage library
3. GDF file which contains the drainage model data
Note: There are two variants of PowerCivil - "PowerCivil for North America" and "PowerCivil <for
Country>". For help on data transfer with PowerCivil for North America, refer to the topics on
GEOPAK, and for help on PowerCivil <for Country>, refer to the topics on InRoads.
As with any independent set of applications, there is not a perfect mapping of the data from
one system to the other. The differences are described below.
Importing GEOPAK Drainage Files
You can create a Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT model by importing a GEOPAK

drainage model. If you are in the same DGN file that contains the element references to the
GEOPAK drainage file, the geometries for the areas and links will be derived from the
MicroStation elements. If not, then the geometries will be limited to whatever is available
in the GDF file.
Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT utilizes the following mappings between GEOPAK for
importing:
Library Objects:
Note: For grate in sag, the length and width for Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT are computed from
the grate area and perimeter.
For the elements the following mappings are used:
Note: For junction loss equations and reduction, the Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT method will
be set to Absolute with a loss value of 0.0.
Other values that may not necessarily map directly into Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT
are brought in as User Defined Attributes. Some of these attributes include Network Name,
Pay Items and Pay Item Descriptions. These attributes can be used in FlexTables, Queries
and Reports in Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT.
Exporting to GEOPAK Drainage Files
You can create or update a GEOPAK Drainage File library and drainage file using this
command. If the Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT model was created using GEOPAK
import, you will be prompted if you want to sychronize back to those files. Otherwise, you
can create these files from scratch.
Note that you are prompted for two files, first is the DLB or drainage library in GEOPAK,
second is the GDF or GEOPAK drainage file. There are also no MicroStation elements
created from this export command, only the file data is written.
The mapping is the inverse of that described above.
Note: Headwalls are exported to GEOPAK but the hydraulic information is not, so you may need to
review the data and adjust it if you need to do further hydraulic calculations in GEOPAK. For
example, if the headwall represents a culvert inlet, you may need to specify the inlet
characteristics.
Additional
There are two additional commands available as keyins only. You can import and export
only library data (storm data, conduits catalogs and inlet catalogs) using these commands
Importing From PowerCivil

There are two variants of PowerCivil - "PowerCivil for North America" and "PowerCivil
for [Country]". For help on data transfer with PowerCivil for North America, refer to
Importiong From GEOPAK, and for help on PowerCivil [Country], refer to Importing
From InRoads.
Using GeoTables
A GeoTable is a flexible table definition provided by the software. The software creates
feature classes with a very simple schema. The schema consists solely of the Geometry, the
unique ID and feature type. The software provides a dynamic join of this data to our
trademarked GeoTable. The join is then managed so that it will be automatically updated
on a change to the GeoTable definition for each element type.
GeoTables allow for a dynamic view on the data. The underlying data will represent the
data for the current scenario, the current timestep and the unit definition of the GeoTable.
By using these GeoTables, the software provides ultimate flexibility for using the viewing
and rendering tools provided by the ArcMap environment.
Note that the GeoTable settings are not hydraulic model-specific, but are stored on your
local machine - any changes you make will carry across all hydraulic models. This means
that if you have ArcMap display settings based on attributes contained in customized
GeoTables, you will have to copy the AttributeFlexTables.xml file (located in the
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Bentley\ Bentley SewerGEMS
CONNECT\10 folder) for these display settings to work on another computer.
Using GeoTables, you can:
 Apply ArcMap symbology definitions to map elements based on Bentley SewerGEMS

CONNECT data
 Use the ArcMap Select By Attributes command to select map elements based on Bentley
SewerGEMS CONNECT data
 Generate ArcMap reports and graphs that include Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT data
To Edit a GeoTable:
1. In the FlexTable Manager list pane, expand the GeoTables node if necessary. Double-click
the GeoTable for the desired element.
2. By default, only the ID, Label, and Notes data is included in the GeoTable. To add
attributes, click the Edit button.
3. In the Table setup dialog that appears, move attributes from the Available Columns list to
the Selected columns list to include them in the GeoTable. This can be accomplished by
double-clicking an attribute in the list, or by highlighting attributes and using the arrow
buttons (a single arrow button moves the highlighted attribute to the other list; a double
arrow moves all of them).
4. When all of the desired attributes have been moved to the selected columns, click OK.
Working in AutoCAD Mode

Caution! If you previously installed Bentley ProjectWise and turned on AutoCAD
integration, you must add the following key to your system registry using the Windows
Registry Editor. Before you edit the registry, make a backup copy.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bentley\ProjectWise iDesktop
Integration\XX.XX\Configuration\AutoCAD
String value name: DoNotChangeCommands
Value: 'On'
To access the Registry Editor, click Start > Run, then type regedit. Using the Registry
Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to re-
install Windows to correct them. Always make a backup copy of the system registry before
modifying it.
The AutoCAD functionality has been implemented in a way that is the same as the base
product. Once you become familiar with the stand-alone mode, you will not have any
difficulty using the product in AutoCAD mode.
Some of the advantages of working in AutoCAD mode include:
 Layout network links and structures in fully-scaled mode in the same design and drafting
environment that you use to develop your engineering plans. You will have access to any
other third party applications that you currently use, along with any custom LISP, ARX, or
VBA applications that you have developed.
 Use native AutoCAD insertion snaps to precisely position Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT
elements with respect to other entities in the AutoCAD drawing.
 Use native AutoCAD commands such as ERASE, MOVE, and ROTATE on Bentley
SewerGEMS CONNECT model entities with automatic update and synchronization with the
model database.
 Control destination layers for model elements and associated label text and annotation,
giving you control over styles, line types, and visibility of model elements.
Click one of the following links to learn how to use AutoCAD mode:
The AutoCAD Workspace
AutoCAD Hydraulic Model Files
Working with Elements Using AutoCAD Commands
The AutoCAD Workspace

In AutoCAD mode, you will have access to the full range of functionality available in the
AutoCAD design and drafting environment. The standard environment is extended and
enhanced by an AutoCAD ObjectARX Bentley SewerGEMS client layer that lets you
create, view, and edit the native Bentley SewerGEMS network model while in AutoCAD.
Click one of the following links to learn more about Bentley SewerGEMS AutoCAD
environment:
AutoCAD Integration with Bentley SewerGEMS

AutoCAD Mode Graphical Layout
Drawing Setup
Symbol Visibility
AutoCAD Integration with Bentley

SewerGEMS
When you install Bentley SewerGEMS after you install AutoCAD, integration between the
two is automatically configured.
If you install AutoCAD after you install Bentley SewerGEMS , you must manually
integrate the two by selecting Start > All Programs > Bentley > Bentley SewerGEMS >
Integrate Bentley SewerGEMS with AutoCAD-ArcGIS-Microstation. The integration
utility runs automatically. You can then run Bentley SewerGEMS in AutoCAD mode.
AutoCAD Mode Graphical Layout

In AutoCAD mode, our products provide a set of extended options and functionality
beyond those available in stand-alone mode. This additional functionality provides
enhanced control over general application settings and options and extends the command
set, giving you control over the display of model elements within AutoCAD.
Note: In AutoCAD, you must hold down the mouse button to keep the submenu open while
selecting an element from the layout toolbar. Alternate layout methods include using the
right-click menu to select elements or using the command line.
Drawing Setup
When working in the AutoCAD mode, you may work with our products in many different
AutoCAD scales and settings. However, Bentley SewerGEMS product elements can only
be created and edited in model space.
Symbol Visibility
Note: In AutoCAD, it is possible to delete element label text using the ERASE command.
You should not use ERASE to control visibility of labels. If you desire to control the
visibility of a selected group of element labels, you should move them to another layer that
can be frozen or turned off.
In AutoCAD mode, you can control display of element labels using the check box in the
Drawing Options dialog box.
AutoCAD Hydraulic Model Files

When using Bentley SewerGEMS in AutoCAD mode, there are three files that
fundamentally define a Bentley SewerGEMS model model:
 Drawing File (.DWG)--The AutoCAD drawing file contains the custom entities that define
the model, in addition to the planimetric base drawing information that serves as the
model background.
 Model File(.stsw)--The model file contains model data specific to Bentley SewerGEMS ,
including model option settings, color-coding and annotation settings, etc.
 Database File (.MDB)--The model database file that contains all of the input and output
data for the model.
To send the model to another user, all three files are required.
The two files will have the same base name. It is important to understand that archiving the
drawing file is not sufficient to reproduce the model. You must also preserve the associated
.stsw and .MDB files.
Since the .stsw file can be run and modified separately from the .DWG file using Stand-
Alone Editor, it is quite possible for the two files to get out of sync. Should you ever
modify the model in Stand-Alone Editor mode and then later load the AutoCAD .DWG
file, the Bentley SewerGEMS program will compare file dates, and automatically use the
built-in AutoCAD synchronization routine.
Click one of the following links to learn more about AutoCAD model files and Bentley
SewerGEMS :
Drawing Synchronization
Whenever you open a Bentley SewerGEMS -based drawing file in AutoCAD, the Bentley
SewerGEMS model server will start. The first thing that the application will do is load the
associated Bentley SewerGEMS model (stsw) file. If the time stamps of the drawing and
model file are different, Bentley SewerGEMS will automatically perform a
synchronization. This protects against corruption that might otherwise occur from
separately editing the Bentley SewerGEMS model file in stand-alone mode, or editing
proxy elements at an AutoCAD station where the Bentley SewerGEMS application is not
loaded.
The synchronization check will occur in two stages:
 First, Bentley SewerGEMS will compare the drawing model elements with those in the
server model. Any differences will be listed. Bentley SewerGEMS enforces network
topological consistency between the server and the drawing state. If model elements have
been deleted or added in the .stsw file during a Bentley SewerGEMS session, or if proxy
elements have been deleted, Bentley SewerGEMS will force the drawing to be consistent
with the native database by restoring or removing any missing or excess drawing custom
entities.
 After network topology has been synchronized, Bentley SewerGEMS will compare other
model and drawing states such as location, labels, and flow directions.
You can run the Synchronization check at any time using the following command:
STMCSYNCHRONIZECSDWSYNCSERVER
Or by selecting File > Database Utilities > Synchronize Drawing.
Saving the Drawing as Drawing*.dwg

Note: If this situation inadvertently occurs (save on quit for example), restart AutoCAD,
use the Open command to open the Drawing*.dwg file from its saved location, and use the
Save As command to save the drawing and model data to a different name.
AutoCAD uses Drawing*.dwg as its default drawing name. Saving your drawing as the
default AutoCAD drawing name (for instance Drawing1.dwg) should be avoided, as it
makes overwriting model data very likely. When you first start AutoCAD, the new empty
drawing is titled Drawing*.dwg, regardless of whether one exists in the default directory.
Since our modeling products create model databases associated with the AutoCAD
drawing, the use of Drawing*.dwg as the saved name puts you at risk of causing
synchronization problems between the AutoCAD drawing and the modeling files.
Working with Elements Using AutoCAD

Commands
This section describes how to work with elements using AutoCAD commands, including:
This section includes the following topics about working with elements using AutoCAD
commands:
Custom AutoCAD Entities

AutoCAD Commands
Explode Elements
Moving Elements
Moving Element Labels
Snap Menu
Polygon Element Visibility
Contour Labeling
Importing Data
Working with Proxies
Custom AutoCAD Entities

The primary AutoCAD-based element entities—conduits, channels, gutters, pressure pipes,
manholes, catch basins, outfalls, ponds, catchments, pond outlet structures, cross section
nodes, pressure junctions, junction chambers, wet wells, and pumps—are all implemented
using ObjectARX custom objects. Thus, they are vested with a specialized model
awareness that ensures that any editing actions you perform will result in an appropriate
update of the model database.
This means that you can perform standard AutoCAD commands (see "AutoCAD
Commands" ) as you normally would, and the model database will be updated
automatically to reflect these changes.
It also means that the model will enforce the integrity of the network topological state.
Therefore, if you delete a nodal element such as a junction, its connecting pipes will also be
deleted since their connecting nodes topologically define model pipes.
Using ObjectARX technology ensures the database will be adjusted and maintained during
Undo and Redo transactions.
AutoCAD Commands
When running in AutoCAD mode, Bentley SewerGEMS make use of all the advantages
that AutoCAD has, such as plotting capabilities and snap features. Additionally, AutoCAD
commands can be used as you would with any design model. For example, our products’
elements and annotation can be manipulated using common AutoCAD commands.
Explode Elements
In AutoCAD mode, running the AutoCAD Explode command will transform all custom
entities into equivalent AutoCAD native entities. When a custom entity is exploded, all
associated database information is lost. Be certain to save the exploded drawing under a
separate filename.
Use Explode to render a drawing for finalizing exhibits and publishing maps of the model
network. You can also deliver exploded drawings to clients or other individuals who do not
own a Bentley Systems Product license, since a fully exploded drawing will not be
comprised of any ObjectARX proxy objects. For more information, see "Working with
Proxies" .
Moving Elements
When using AutoCAD mode, the AutoCAD commands Move, Scale, Rotate, Mirror, and
Array can be used to move elements.
To move a node, execute the AutoCAD command by either typing it at the command
prompt or selecting it. Follow the AutoCAD prompts, and the node and its associated label
will move together. The connecting pipes will shrink or stretch depending on the new
location of the node.
Moving Element Labels

When using AutoCAD mode, the AutoCAD commands Move, Scale, Rotate, Mirror, and
Array can be used to move element text labels.
To move an element text label separately from the element, click the element label you
wish to move. The grips will appear for the label. Execute the AutoCAD command either
by typing it at the command prompt, by selecting it from the tool palette, or by selecting it
from the right-click menu. Follow the AutoCAD prompt, and the label will be moved
without the element.
Snap Menu
When using AutoCAD mode, the Snap menu is a standard AutoCAD menu that provides
options for picking an exact location of an object. See the Autodesk AutoCAD
documentation for more information.
Polygon Element Visibility

By default, polygon elements are sent to the back of the draw order when they are drawn. If
the draw order is modified, polygon elements can interfere with the visibility of other
elements. This can be remedied using the AutoCAD Draw Order toolbar.
To access the AutoCAD Draw Order toolbar, right-click on the AutoCAD toolbar and click
the Draw Order entry in the list of available toolbars.
By default, polygon elements are filled. You can make them unfilled (just borders visible)
using the AutoCAD FILL command. After turning fill mode OFF, you must REGEN to
redraw the polygons.
Contour Labeling
You can apply contour labels after the contour plot has been exported to the AutoCAD
drawing. The labeling commands are accessed from the Tools menu. The following options
are available:
 End—Allows you to apply labels to one end, both ends, or any number of selected
insertion points. After selecting this labeling option, AutoCAD will prompt you to Select
Contour to label. After selecting the contour to label, AutoCAD prompts for an Insertion
point. Click in the drawing view to place labels at specified points along the contour. When
prompted for an Insertion point, clicking the Enter key once will prompt you to select
point nearest the contour endpoint. Doing so will apply a label to the end of the contour
closest to the area where you clicked. Clicking the Enter key twice when prompted for an
Insertion point will apply labels to both ends of the contour.
 Interior—This option applies labels to the interior of a contour line. You will be prompted
to select the contour to be labeled, then to select the points along the contour line where
you want the label to be placed. Any number of labels can be placed inside the contour in
this way. Clicking the label grip and dragging will move the label along the contour line.
 Group End—Choosing this option opens the Elevation Increment dialog box. The value
entered in this dialog box determines which of the contours selected will be labeled. If you
enter 2, only contours representing a value that is a multiple of 2 will be labeled, and so
on. After clicking OK in this dialog box, you will be prompted to select the Start point for a
line. Contours intersected by the line drawn thusly will have a label applied to both ends,
as modified by the Elevation Increment that was selected.
 Group Interior—Choosing this option opens the Elevation Increment dialog box. The value
entered in this dialog box determines which of the contours selected will be labeled. If you
enter 2, only contours representing a value that is a multiple of 2 will be labeled, and so
on. After clicking OK in this dialog box, you will be prompted to select the Start point for a
line.
 Change Settings—Allows you to change the Style, Display Precision, and Font Height of the
contour labels.
 Delete Label—Prompts to select the contour from which labels will be deleted, then
prompts to select the labels to be removed.
 Delete All Labels—Prompts to select which contours the labels will be removed from, then
removes all labels for the specified contours.
Importing Data
When running the software in AutoCAD mode, this command imports a selected data
(.stsw) file for use in the current drawing. The new model file will now correspond to the
drawing name, such as, CurrentDrawingName.stsw. Whenever you save changes to the
network model through the software, the associated .stsw data file is updated and can be
loaded into the stand-alone version.
A model can only be imported to a new, empty AutoCAD drawing.
Working with Proxies

If you open a Bentley SewerGEMS drawing file on an AutoCAD workstation that does not
have the Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT application installed, you will get an AutoCAD
Proxy Information message box. This is because the executable logic for managing the
AutoCAD entities is not available, and the Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT modeling
elements are not associated with the Bentley SewerGEMS native database
Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT proxy objects can be moved and erased. However, doing
so will put the drawing state out of sync with the model database if the drawing is saved
with its original name. If this happens, and you later reload the drawing on an AutoCAD
station that is running a Bentley SewerGEMS application, the application will
automatically load and will attempt to reconcile any differences it finds by automatically
loading its Database Synchronization routine. (For more information, see the Drawing
Synchronization topic).
Editing Attributes in the Property Editor

The Property Editor is a manager (titled, "Properties") that lets you define and view the data
that defines your model. If it is not open, press F4 or click View > Properties to open the
Property Editor.
Note: Some data described in this chapter may not appear in the Property Editor but are
available for use when you set up a FlexTable. Additionally, the available fields will also
change depending on the currently active solver. The currently active solver is determined
by the Active Numerical Solver Calculation Option.
Click one of the following links to learn more about the element attributes that you can edit
in the Property Editor:
Pressure Pipe Attributes

Conduit Attributes
Channel Attributes
Lateral Attributes
Gutter Attributes
Manhole Attributes
Tap Attributes
Catch Basin Attributes
Outfall Attributes
Pond Outlet Structure Attributes
Cross Section Attributes
Pump Attributes
Wet Well Attributes
Catchment Attributes
Low Impact Development Control Attributes
Pond Attributes
Transition Attributes
Pressure Junction Attributes
Pressure Pipe Attributes

The pressure pipe attributes comprise the following categories:
Pressure Pipe-General
Pressure Pipe-Geometry
Pressure Pipe-Physical
Pressure Pipe-Physical: Minor Losses
Pressure Pipe-Active Topology
Pressure Pipe-Results
Pressure Pipe-General
Pressure Pipe-General Attributes
Attribute Description
ID Displays the unique identifier for the currently highlighted element. The ID
is automatically assigned to each discrete block of data in the model data
store (the .mdb file) by the program. It is not editable.
Label Displays the label for the currently highlighted element. The Label can be
edited.
Notes Lets you enter descriptive text that is associated with the currently
highlighted element.
GIS-IDs List of associated IDs on the GIS / datasource side.
Hyperlinks Lets you add, edit, delete, and view external files that are associated with the
element using the Hyperlinks feature. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis
(…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Hyperlinks feature.
For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see "Adding
Hyperlinks to Elements"-372.
Node Lets you reverse the direction of the currently highlighted element. Click in
Reversal the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button. Clicking the ellipsis button in this
field causes the start node and stop node to be exchanged with one another,
which reverses the direction of the currently highlighted element.
Start Node Displays the start, or upstream, node of the currently highlighted element.
This field is not editable.
Stop Node Displays the stop, or downstream, node of the currently highlighted element.
Pressure Pipe-Geometry
Pressure Pipe-Geometry Attributes
Geometry Lets you view and edit the coordinates of points along a selected
element. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and
click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Polyline Vertices feature.
For more information, see "Polyline Vertices Dialog Box"-129.
Has User Defined Lets you choose whether the highlighted element uses scaled or
Length? user-defined length. If this field is set to True, the Length (User
Defined) field is activated.
Length (User The length of the currently highlighted element. To use this field,
Defined)/Scaled you must set Has User Defined Length? field to True . If you set
Length this field to False , it displays the scaled length for the currently
Pressure Pipe-Physical
Pressure Pipe-Physical Attributes
Is Virtual? If True, the physical properties will be ignored, except when using the
Gradually Varied Flow (GVF) solver. Can be used to connect pumps to
nodes without accounting for hydraulic properties.
Diameter The diameter of the cross section of the currently highlighted element.
Material The name of the material used. Alternatively, clicking the ellipsis button
opens the Material Engineering Library, allowing you to select a pre-
defined material. If a pre-defined material is chosen, the roughness value
will change accordingly.
Manning’s n The Manning’s roughness of the currently highlighted element. This field
is available only if you selected Mannings as the default Pressure Friction
Method in the Calculation Options Manager.
Hazen- The Hazen-Williams roughness of the currently highlighted element. This
Williams C field is available only if you selected Hazen-Williams as the default
Pressure Friction Method in the Calculation Options Manager.
Darcy- The Darcy-Weisbach roughness of the currently highlighted element.
Weisbach e This field is available only if you selected Darcy-Weisbach as the default
Pressure Friction Method in the Calculation Options Manager.
Kutter’s n The Kutter’s roughness of the currently highlighted element. This field is
available only if you selected Kutters as the default Pressure Friction
Method in the Calculation Options Manager.
Elevation The start, or upstream, invert of the currently highlighted element.
(Start Invert)
Set Invert to Sets the start invert of the current element to the elevation of the start
Start Node? node (upstream). Set this to False to enter a value for the elevation of the
invert, or set this field to True to use the start-node elevation.
Elevation The stop, or downstream, invert of the currently highlighted element.
(Stop Invert)
Slope The slope.
Pressure Pipe-Physical: Minor Losses

Pressure Pipe-Minor Losses Attributes
Minor Loss The minor loss coefficient of the currently highlighted element.
Coefficient Alternatively, clicking the ellipse button opens the Minor Loss Collection
dialog box, which lets you generate composite minor loss coefficients to
be applied to the pressure pipe. For more information, see Adding a Minor
Loss Collection to a Pressure Pipe.
Pressure Pipe-Active Topology

Pressure Pipe-Active Topology Attributes
Is Lets you choose whether or not the corresponding element is active in the
Active? current alternative. Select True to make the element active in the current
alternative.
Pressure Pipe-Results
Pressure Pipe-Results Attributes
Flow Representative calculated flow in the pressure pipe. The flow calculated in the
middle section of the pressure pipe. This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Velocity Representative calculated velocity of the flow in the pressure pipe. The
velocity calculated in the middle section of the pressure pipe. This is a
calculated results field and is not editable.
Conduit Attributes
The conduit attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Conduit--General"
 "Conduit--Geometry"
 "Conduit--Infiltration"
 "Conduit--Output Filter"
 "Conduit--Physical"
 "Conduit--Physical: Additional Losses"
 "Conduit--Physical: Control Structure"
 "Conduit--Physical: Section Type: Culvert"
 "Conduit--Active Topology"
 "Conduit--Results"
 "Conduit--Results: Capacities"
 "Conduit--Results: Engine Parsing"
Conduit-General
Conduit-Geometry
Conduit-Infiltration/Inflow and Seepage
Conduit-Generic
Conduit-Output Filter
Conduit-Physical
Conduit-Physical: Additional Losses
Conduit-Physical: Control Structure
Conduit-Physical: Section Type: Culvert
Conduit-Active Topology
Conduit-Results
Conduit-Results: Capacities
Conduit-Results: Engine Parsing
Conduit-General
Conduit-General Attributes
store (the .mdb file) by the program. It not editable.
edited.
For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see "Adding
Hyperlinks to Elements"-372.
Start-node Displays the start, or upstream, node of the currently highlighted element.
Id This field is not editable.
Stop-node Displays the stop, or downstream, node of the currently highlighted element.
Id This field is not editable.
Conduit-Geometry
Conduit-Geometry Attributes
Length user-defined length. If this field is set to True, the Length (User
Length (User The length of the currently highlighted element. To use this field,
Defined)/Scaled you must set Has User Defined Length? field to True . If you set
Length this field to False , it displays the scaled length for the currently
element. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and
click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Polyline Vertices feature.
For more information, see "Polyline Vertices Dialog Box"-129.
Conduit-Infiltration/Inflow and Seepage

Conduit-Infiltration/Inflow and Seepage Attributes
Infiltration Lets you select the type of infiltration load associated with the selected
Load Type conduit. You can select Pipe Length , Pipe Rise-Length , Pipe Surface
Area , Count Based , Hydrograph, Pattern Load , or None .
Flow Lets you enter any additional infiltration flow at the selected conduit.
(Infiltration)
Infiltration Lets you select the unit of measure for the infiltration load. To use this
Loading Unit field, you must set the Infiltration Loading Type to Pipe Length , Pipe
Rise-Length , or Pipe Surface Area .
Infiltration Rate The infiltration rate per load for the selected conduit. To use this field,
per Loading you must set the Infiltration Loading Type to Pipe Length , Pipe Rise-
Unit Length , Pipe Surface Area , or Count Based .
Infiltration Unit The infiltration unit count for the selected conduit. To use this field,
Count you must set the Infiltration Loading Type to Count Based .
Hydrograph Lets you define the infiltration load for the selected conduit as a
Curve hydrograph. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to display the
Hydrograph Curve dialog box, where you can define the Time vs. Flow
data points that make up the hydrograph curve. To use this field, you
must set the Infiltration Loading Type to Hydrograph .
Infiltration Lets you define the infiltration load as a pattern. You can select Fixed
Pattern (the default value), an existing pattern, or Edit Pattern . When you
select Edit Pattern, the Patterns dialog box appears. To use this field,
you must set the Infiltration Loading Type to Pattern Load .
Flow The base infiltration flow for the selected conduit. To use this field, you
(Infiltration must set the Infiltration Loading Type to Pattern Load .
Base)
Conduit-Generic
Conduit-Generic Attributes
Roughness The roughness method the currently highlighted element uses: Single
Type Manning’s n , Manning’s - Depth Curve , or Manning’s n - Flow . The
value chosen here affects the availability of some fields in the Physical
section of the Property Editor.
Conduit-Output Filter
Conduit-Output Filter Attributes
Output Lets you switch between summary and detailed versions of the calculation
Options results. Select Detailed Results to include all the section results for the link in
the model file. Select Summary Results to include results only for the start,
middle, and stop sections of a link. Selecting Summary Results, which stores
less data than Detailed Reports, might make color coding, annotation, and
other processes quicker than Detailed Results for larger projects. You might
use Detailed Results only for a small section of a large model.
Conduit-Physical
Conduit-Physical Attributes
Section Type Lets you choose the cross-sectional shape of the currently highlighted
element: Irregular Open Section , Trapezoidal , Circle , Box , Basket-
Handle , Ellipse , Horseshoe Conduit , Egg , Semi-Ellipse , Catalog Pipe
, Pipe-Arch , Virtual , Semi-Circle , Catenary , Gothic , Modified Basket-
Handle , Rectangular-Round , Rectangular-Triangle , Power , Parabola ,
Triangle , Rectangular , or Irregular Closed Section . The value chosen
here affects the availability of the following fields.
Flow Maximum flow allowed in link. Use 0.0 if not applicable.
(Maximum
User Defined)
Station- Lets you define station-elevation points that describe the shape of the
Elevation irregular channel. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and
Curve click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Station-Depth Curve dialog box.
To use this field, you must set the Section type to Irregular Channel .
Elevations The Elevations modifier is a constant value that will be added to each
Modifier elevation value. This attribute is only used during SWMM calculations.
Meander The meander modifier is the ratio of the length of a meandering main
Modifier channel to the length of the overbank area that surrounds it. This
modifier is applied to all conduits that use this particular transect for their
cross section. It assumes that the length supplied for these conduits is
that of the longer main channel. The application will use the shorter
overbank length in its calculations while increasing the main channel
roughness to account for longer length. The modifier is ignored if it is
left blank or set to 0.
Station Left The station value (horizontal distance) in the Station-Depth table that
Bank marks the end of the left overbank (set to zero or to the minimum station
value in the Station-Depth curve to denote the absence of an overbank).
To use this field, you must set the Section type to Irregular Channel.
Stations The Stations modifier is a factor by which the distance between each
Modifier station will be multiplied when the transect data is processed by SWMM.
Use a value of 0 if no such factor is needed. This attribute is only used
during SWMM calculations.
Station Right The station value (horizontal distance) in the Station-Depth table that
Bank marks the start of the right overbank (set to the maximum station value in
the Station-Depth curve to denote the absence of an overbank). To use
this field, you must set the Section type to Irregular Channel.
Base Width The width at the base of the cross section of the currently highlighted
element. To use this field, you must set The Section Type to Trapezoidal
Channel .
Height The height of the cross section of the currently highlighted element. To
use this field, you must set Section Type to Trapezoidal Channel .
Slope (Right The right slope of the cross section of the currently highlighted element.
Side) To use this field, you must set Section Type to Trapezoidal Channel .
Slope (Left The left slope of the cross section of the currently highlighted element.
Side) To use this field, you must set Section Type to Trapezoidal Channel .
To use this field, you must set The Section Type to Circle .
Fill Depth Is the amount of sedimentation that a section has. To use this field, you
must set the Section Type to Circle . Only the SWMM engine uses this in
calculating your model.
Rise The rise (height or vertical dimension) of the currently highlighted
element. To use this field, you must set Section Type to any of the types
except Circle, Irregular Open Section, Irregular Closed Section,
Trapezoidal, and Catalog Pipe.
Sidewalls Specifies if one or both side wall surfaces should be ignored when
Removed computing a hydraulic radius.
Span The span (width or horizontal dimension) of the currently highlighted
element. To use this field, you must set Section Type to any of the types
except Circle, Irregular Channel and Trapezoidal Channel.
Number of The number of barrels that comprise the currently highlighted element.
Barrels Note that the diameter, rise, and/or span values are applied to each barrel.
To use this field, you must set Section Type to any of the types except
Irregular Open Section, Irregular Closed Section, and Trapezoidal.
Catalog Pipe Lets you define or select a catalog pipe for the selected conduit. Click in
the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…)
button to use the Catalog Pipe dialog box. To use this field, you must set
the Section type to Catalog Pipe .
Rect Bottom The radius of the circular portion of the Rectangular-Round section. To
Radius use this field, you must set the Section Type to Rectangular-Round .
Rect Triangle The height of the triangular portion of the Rectangular-Triangle section.
Triangle To use this field, you must set the Section Type to Rectangular-Triangle .
Height
Power The power exponent for the Power section. To use this field, you must
Exponent set the Section Type to Power .
Depth-Width Lets you define depth-width points that describe the shape of the
Curve irregular closed section. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis (…)
button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Depth-Width Curve
dialog box. To use this field, you must set the Section type to Irregular
Closed Section .
Left Bank Specify the roughness coefficient in the left overbank of the irregular
Manning’s n channel.
Channel Specify the roughness coefficient in the main channel of the irregular
Right Bank Specify the roughness coefficient in the right overbank of the irregular
Manning’s n The Manning’s roughness of the currently highlighted element. This
attribute is active only when the Roughness Type attribute is set to Single
Manning’s n .
Manning’s n- Lets you define points that describe a roughness-depth curve for the
Depth Curve currently highlighted element. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis
(…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Manning’s n-
Depth Curve dialog box. To use this field, you must set Roughness Type
attribute is set to Manning’s n-Depth Curve .
Manning’s n- Lets you define points that describe a roughness-flow curve for the
Flow currently highlighted element. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis
(…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Manning’s n-
Flow Curve dialog box. To use this field, you must set Roughness Type
attribute is set to Manning’s n-Flow .
Roughness The roughness method for the currently highlighted: Single Manning’s n
Type , Manning’s - Depth Curve , or Manning’s n - Flow . The value chosen
here affects the availability of some fields in the Physical section of the
Property Editor.
Start Node? node (upstream). Set this to False to enter a value for the elevation of the
invert, or set this field to True to use the start-node elevation.
Elevation The start, or upstream, invert of the currently highlighted element. To use
(Start Invert) this field, you must set Set Invert to Start Node? to False .
Set Invert to Sets the stop invert of the current element to the elevation of the stop
Stop Node node (downstream). Set this to False to enter a value for the elevation of
the invert, or set this field to True to use the stop-node elevation.
Elevation The stop, or downstream, invert of the currently highlighted element. To
(Stop Invert) use this field, you must set Set Invert to Stop Node to False .
Slope The difference between the start invert and stop invert divided by the
length of the conduit. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Roughness Lets you select the roughness type for the conduit. For more information
Type see "Roughness Models"-315.
Overbank Lets you specify different roughness values for the left overbank flow,
Channel the channel flow, and the right overbank flow. To use this field, you must
set the Section type to Irregular Channel.
Horizontal Lets you specify a different roughness for each horizontal segment of the
Segment channel. This information is entered in the Station-Depth curve. To use
this field, you must set the Section Type to Irregular Channel.
Left Overbank The Manning's roughness coefficient for overbank flow on the left side
Manning’s n of the channel (between the minimum station value on the Station-Depth
curve and the Left Bank Station). To use this field, you must set the
Section Type to Irregular Channel and the Roughness Type to Overbank
Channel.
Right The Manning's roughness coefficient for overbank flow on the right side
Overbank of the channel (between the Right Bank Station and the maximum station
Manning’s n value on the Station-Depth curve). To use this field, you must set the
Section Type to Irregular Channel and the Roughness Type to Overbank
Channel.
Design The percentage full that you would like the link to maintain. If you want
Percent Full the pipe to be 75% full, enter in the 75 in the field. These values do not
affect network calculations; they are informational only. In the Results
attributes is a field called Capacity (Calculated Design). This displays the
result of calculating with the equation the amount of flow going through
the link if it were full to the percentage you set in Design Percent Full (in
this example, the amount of flow if the link were 75% full).
Conduit-Physical: Additional Losses

Conduit-Additional Loss Attributes
Entrance Loss Lets you define entrance loss coefficients, if any, for the currently
Coefficient highlighted element.
Exit Loss Coefficient Lets you define exit loss coefficients, if any, for the currently
Conduit-Physical: Control Structure

Conduit-Control Structure Attributes
Start Control Lets you choose whether to use an Inline or Side Start Control Structure
Structure for the selected conduit. Inline start control structures are used for inline
Type flow regulation while side start control structures are used for flow
diversion.
Flap Gate? Lets you choose whether or not the highlighted element has a flap gate. If
this is set to True , and icon displays at the stop-end of the conduit to
display the presence of the structure. If this is set to True and you design
control structures without flap gates selected (see "Defining a Control
Structure in a Conduit"-121), the flap gate check box will be turned on
for your control structures and a message displayed.
Has Start/Stop Lets you define whether or not the currently highlighted element has a
Control control structure, and if so, which type. The value chosen here affects the
Structure? availability of the other fields. If this is set to True , an icon displays at
the start/stop-end of the conduit to display the presence of the structure.
Start/Stop Lets you design a start and/or stop control structure, or choose a
Control preexisting one. Click the Ellipsis (…) button to open the Conduit
Structure Control Structure dialog box to set up the control structure you want to
use.
Conduit-Physical: Section Type: Culvert

To use these attributes, you must set Section Type to Circle or Box.
Conduit-Culvert Attributes
Is Culvert? Lets you choose whether or not the section type for the selected conduit
is a culvert. If you select True , the other Culvert attributes are enabled
in the Property Editor. If you select False , none of the other Culvert
attributes are available in the Property Editor. Note that not this option
is not available for ellipse and pipe arch section types.
Inlet Description Lets you type or select a description for the inlet. Click the Ellipse (...)
button to display the Culvert Inlet Coefficient Engineering Library,
where you can select an existing culvert.
Culvert Lets you select Form 1 or Form 2. To use this field, you must set the
Equation Form Section Type to Circle or Box and the Is Culvert? attribute to True .
C Lets you define the C equation coefficient that is used in the submerged
inlet control equation. To use this field, you must set the Section Type
to Circle or Box and Is Culvert? to True .
M Lets you define the M equation coefficient that is used in both forms of
the unsubmerged inlet control equation. To use this field, you must set
the Section Type to Circle or Box and Is Culvert? to True .
K Lets you define the K equation coefficient that is used in both forms of
the unsubmerged inlet control equation. To use this field, you must set
the Section Type to Circle or Box and Is Culvert? to True .
Y Lets you define the Y equation coefficient that is used in the
submerged inlet control equation. To use this field, you must set the
Section Type to Circle or Box and Is Culvert? to True .
Ke Lets you define the entrance loss value for the associated conduit. To
use this field, you must set the Section Type to Circle or Box and Is
Culvert? to True .
Kr Lets you define the reverse flow loss value for the associated conduit.
To use this field, you must set the Section Type to Circle or Box and Is
Culvert? to True .
Slope Lets you define the Slope Correction Factor to be used in inlet control
Correction calculations. Normally this factor is –0.5, but for mitered inlets, HDS
Factor No. 5 suggests +0.7.To use this field, you must set the Section Type to
Circle or Box and Is Culvert? to True .
Has If True, this allows the user to specify a section of roadway that acts as
Overtopping an overtopping weir in the event that the culvert headwater elevation
Weir? exceeds the roadway elevation. When set to true, Bentley SewerGEMS
will include the overtopping weir in the elevation-discharge-tailwater
(EQT) calculations for the culvert crossing. Weir flow is computed
assuming the road acts as a broad-crested weir. Flow that passes over
the overtopping weir will discharge to the same downstream node as
the culvert. This field is not available when using either Gradually
Varied Flow solver (Convex or Rational) because the overtopping
calculation is not supported in these solvers.
Elevation The elevation of the roadway crest. If the culvert headwater elevation
(Roadway exceeds this elevation, flow will overtop the roadway and the roadway
Crest) will act like a weir.
Roadway Cross The length of the roadway section acting as a weir when flow is
Section Length overtopping the road. Often this is set equal the top width of flow in the
channel upstream of the culvert.
Use Weir C- If True, this lets you define a table of weir coefficient versus flow
Depth Table? depth values to simulate a weir coefficient that changes as the flow
depth changes. This attribute is not available when using the SWMM
solver.
C-Depth Table A table of weir coefficient versus flow depth values. To use this field
you must set the 'Use Weir C-Depth Table?' field to True. This attribute
is not available when using the SWMM solver.
Roadway Weir The weir coefficient for the roadway (typically between 2.5 and 3.1 for
Coefficient US units, or between 1.4 and 1.7 for SI units). This coefficient is
considered dimensionless and is used in the broad crested weir
equation (see "Broad-Crested Weir"-374) to compute the flow that
overtops the roadway. To use this field you must set the 'Use Weir C-
Depth Table?' field to False.
Depth This value is used to determine the maximum headwater elevation to
(Maximum use when computing the culvert EQT table (maximum headwater
Overtopping) equals 'Elevation (Roadway Crest)' plus 'Depth (Maximum
Overtopping). To ensure accurate calculations this value should be set
higher than the maximum expected depth of flow over the weir;
however users should note that using very large values for this field
may slow down model computations. If the headwater exceeds the
highest elevation in the EQT table Bentley SewerGEMS will linearly
extrapolate the values.
Increment The depth increment used to generate EQT curves. A small value
provides more accuracy but reduces the performance.
User Defined If True, this lets the user specify the maximum tailwater elevation used
Tailwater? when computing the culvert EQT table. If False, Bentley SewerGEMS
will chose a maximum tailwater elevation based on the geometry of the
downstream element (for example if the culvert discharges to a channel
downstream, Bentley SewerGEMS will use the channel's top water
level)
Elevation Lets you define the maximum tailwater elevation used when computing
(Maximum the culvert EQT table. To ensure accurate calculations, this elevation
Tailwater) should be greater that the highest expected water surface elevation at
the element immediately downstream from the culvert; however users
should note that using very large values for this field may slow down
model computations. To use this field you must set the 'User Defined
Tailwater?' field to True.
Conduit-Active Topology
Conduit-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Conduit-Results
The hydraulic grade, flow, and depth/rise presented in the Property Editor are the values
associated with the middle section of the link. Obviously these values don't give you the
full sense of what is going on, so the middle, start, and stop values are also available
through the FlexTables, and you can also look at the profile. (For more information, see
Viewing and Editing Data in FlexTables and Using Profiles.)
Conduit-Result Attributes
Flow Representative calculated flow in the conduit. The flow
calculated in the middle section of the conduit. This is a
Velocity Representative calculated velocity of the flow in the conduit.
The velocity calculated in the middle section of the conduit.
This is a calculated results field and is not editable. When the
conduit is surcharged because of tailwater conditions, the
velocity is based on full pipe flow, not normal depth.
Depth/Rise Depth/Rise is computed based on the depth in the middle most
section of the link. The link is split into sections by the
implicit engine. You can see the sections and it's individual
hydraulic parameters by looking at the "Section Results"
collection on the property grid for the link.
Depth Depth of the flow in the center of the link.
Is Conduits are overflowing if the hydraulic grade exceeds the
Oveflowing/Surcharged? top elevation of the conduit. This is defined by the invert
elevations and rise of the shape. For irregular channels it is
determined by the maximum most depth in the curve + the
binding invert elevations.
Ever Is true if HGL ever goes above crown over the course of the
Oveflowing/Surcharged? simulation.
Froude Number Ratio of velocity to the square of the depth of flow times
gravity.
Flow (Roadway Amount of flow overtopping the roadway.
Overtopping)
Sections Results Lets you view the calculated flow variables at the start, middle
and end of the conduit section. Clicking the Ellipses (...)
button displays the Sections Results dialog box.
Flow-Area (Middle) The flow-area value in the middle of the conduit.
Flow-Width (Middle) The flow-width value in the middle of the conduit.
Pollutants Collection* Lets you view calculated results for pollutants. Clicking the
Ellipses (...) button displays the Pollutants Results dialog box.
Conduit-Results: Capacities
Conduit-Result: Capacity Attributes
Capacity (Full) The normal full flow depth of the conduit. This is a calculated
results field and is not editable.
Capacity (Excess The difference between the flow in the conduit and the Capacity
Full) (Full). This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Capacity (Flow/Full The ratio of the flow in the conduit to the Capacity (Full). This is a
Flow) calculated results field and is not editable.
Capacity The normal flow calculated based on the percent of full flow
(Calculated Design) established by the design percent full. This is a calculated results
field and is not editable.
Capacity (Excess The difference between the flow in the conduit and the Capacity
Design) (Calculated Design). This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Capacity The ratio of the flow in the conduit to the Capacity (Calculated
(Flow/Design) Design). This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Conduit-Results: Engine Parsing

Branch Returns the ID of the branch which the current element is part of. The branch
is determined during the calculations using the implicit engine. This is a
Section The number of sections that the implicit engine divides the conduits into
Count during an analysis. Not available during a SWMM analysis. This is a
calculated results field and is not editable. For more information, see the
Section Count topic.
Channel Attributes
The channel attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Channel--General"
 "Channel--Geometry"
 "Channel--Active Topology"
 "Channel--Output Filter"
 "Channel--Physical"
 "Channel--Physical: Control Structure"
 "Channel--Results"
 "Channel--Results: Engine Parsing"
Channel-General
Channel-Geometry
Channel-Output Filter
Channel-Physical
Channel-Physical: Control Structure
Channel-Active Topology
Channel-Results
Channel-Results: Engine Parsing

Channel-General
Channel-General Attributes
edited.
For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see Adding Hyperlinks
to Elements.
Channel-Geometry
Channel-Geometry Attributes
element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the
Polyline Vertices dialog box. For more information, see "Polyline
Vertices Dialog Box"-129.
Length (User The length of the currently highlighted element. This attribute is
Defined)/Scaled active only when the Has User Defined Length? attribute is set to
Length True . If this field is set to False , it displays the scaled length for
the currently highlighted element.
Channel-Output Filter
Channel-Output Filter Attributes
Output Lets you switch between summary and detailed versions of the calculation
Options results. Select Detailed Results to include all the section results for the link in
the model file. Select Summary Results to include results only for the start,
middle, and stop sections of a link. Selecting Summary Results, which stores
less data than Detailed Reports, might make color coding, annotation, and
other processes quicker than Detailed Results for larger models. You might
use Detailed Results only for a small section of a large model.
Channel-Physical
Manning's n is not a property of a channel but a property of the cross-section nodes along
the channel. The cross-section defines the shape and other physical properties of the
channel (except for length). The properties between two cross sections are interpolated. For
more information, see "Cross Section—Physical" .
Channel-Physical Attributes
Flow (Maximum Maximum flow allowed in link. Use 0.0 if not applicable.
User Defined)
Invert (Start) The start, or upstream, invert of the currently highlighted element.
Stop Node node (downstream). Set this to False to enter a value for the elevation
of the invert, or set this field to True to use the stop-node elevation.
Invert (Stop) The stop, or downstream, invert of the currently highlighted element.
length of the channel. This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Channel-Physical: Control Structure

Channel-Control Structure Attributes
Start Control Lets you choose whether to use an Inline or Side Start Control Structure
Structure for the selected conduit. Inline start control structures are used for inline
Type flow regulation while side start control structures are used for flow
diversion. A side control is applied to control structures which generally
divert flow at higher levels and an inline structure is applied to the
primary flow direction.
Flap Gate? Lets you choose whether or not the highlighted element has a flap gate. If
this is set to True , and icon displays at the stop-end of the conduit to
display the presence of the structure. If this is set to True and you design
control structures without flap gates selected, the flap gate check box will
be turned on for your control structures and a message displayed.
Has Start/Stop Lets you define whether or not the currently highlighted element has a
Control control structure, and if so, which type. The value chosen here affects the
Structure? availability of the other fields. If this is set to True , an icon displays at
the start/stop-end of the conduit to display the presence of the structure.
Start/Stop Lets you design a start and/or stop control structure, or choose a
Control preexisting one. Click the Ellipsis (…) button to open the Conduit
Structure Control Structure dialog box to set up the control structure you want to
use.
Channel-Active Topology
Channel-Active Topology Attributes
Is Lets you choose whether or not the corresponding element Is Active? in the
alternative.
Channel-Results
The hydraulic grade, flow, and depth/rise presented in the Property Editor are the values
associated with the middle section of the link. Obviously these values don't give you the
full sense of what is going on, so the middle, start, and stop values are also available
through the FlexTables, and you can also look at the profile. (For more information, see
Viewing and Editing Data in FlexTables and Using Profiles.)
Channel-Result Attributes
Flow Representative calculated flow in the channel. The flow is
calculated in the middle section of the channel. This is a
Velocity Representative calculated velocity of the flow in the channel.
The velocity is calculated in the middle section of the
channel. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Is Overflowing? (Start) Is true if the HGL at the upstream end of the link goes above
its crown level during current time step. For the open channel
section, the SewerGEMS Dynamic Wave solver does not
compute overflow when the HGL exceeds the maximum
depth but the Is flooding? attribute will be marked True.
Is Overflowing? (Stop) Is true if the HGL at the downstream end of the link goes
above its crown level during current time step. For the open
channel section, the SewerGEMS Dynamic Wave solver does
not compute overflow when the HGL exceeds the maximum
depth but the Is flooding? attribute will be marked True.
Ever Is true if HGL ever goes above crown over the course of the
Overflowing/Surcharged? simulation.
Froude Number Ratio of velocity to the square of the depth of flow times
gravity.
Sections Results Lets you view the calculated flow variables at the start,
middle and end of the channel section. Clicking the Ellipses
(...) button displays the Sections Results dialog box.
Pollutants Collection Lets you view calculated results for pollutants. Clicking the
Ellipses (...) button displays the Pollutants Results dialog
box.
Channel-Results: Engine Parsing

Section The number of sections that the implicit engine divides the channels into
Count during an analysis. Not available during a SWMM analysis. This is a
Section Count topic.
Lateral Attributes
The lateral attributes comprise the following categories:
Lateral-General
Lateral-Geometry
Lateral-Active Topology
Lateral-Physical
Lateral-Results
Lateral-Results (Flow)
Lateral-Results (Maximum Values)
Lateral-General
Lateral-General Attributes
edited.
For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see “Adding
Hyperlinks to Elements”.
Lateral-Geometry
Lateral-Geometry Attributes
Geometry Lets you view and edit the coordinates of points along a selected element.
Click in the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…)
button to use the Polyline Vertices feature. For more information, see
“Polyline Vertices Dialog Box”-129.
Lateral-Active Topology
Lateral-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Lateral-Physical
Lateral-Physical Attributes
To use this field, you must set The Section Type to Circle .
defined material. If a pre-defined material is chosen, the roughness
value will change accordingly.
attribute is active only when the Roughness Type attribute is set to
Single Manning’s n .
Start? node (upstream). Set this to False to enter a value for the elevation of
the invert, or set this field to True to use the start-node elevation.
Invert (Start) The start, or upstream, invert of the currently highlighted element. To
use this field, you must set Set Invert to Start Node? to False .
Stop? node (downstream). Set this to False to enter a value for the elevation of
the invert, or set this field to True to use the stop-node elevation.
Invert (Stop) The stop, or downstream, invert of the currently highlighted element. To
use this field, you must set Set Invert to Stop Node to False .
Has User Allows the calculated scaled pipe lengths to be overriden with a user
Defined defined value.
Length?
Length (Scaled) A pipe length value obtained from the underlying map dimensions.
Length Displays the current active length of the link depending on local and
(Unified) global settings.
Slope Calculated slope for the link.
(Calculated)
Lateral-Results
Lateral-Result Attributes
Calculation Results View the calculation messages for the current element.
Lateral-Results (Flow)
Lateral-Result (Flow) Attributes
Calculation Results View the calculation messages for the current element.
Lateral-Results (Maximum Values)

Lateral-Result (Maximum Values) Attributes
Flow (Maximum) Maximum flow that occurs in link over the course of the simulation.
Time (Maximum Time (measured from the start of the simulation) when the Flow
Flow) (Maximum) occurs in this link.
Time (Maximum The time (measured from the start of the simulation) when the
Calculated Velocity (Maximum) occurs in the link.
Velocity)
Velocity In conduits, this value is the maximum average velocity that occurs
(Maximum during the simulation. In pressure pipes, this value is the maximum
Calculated) actual velocity computed during the simulation under the assumption
of a uniform depth of bypass flow.
Gutter Attributes
The gutter attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Gutter--General"
 "Gutter--Geometry"
 "Gutter--Physical"
 "Gutter--Active Topology"
 "Gutter--Results"
Gutter-General
Gutter-Geometry
Gutter-Physical
Gutter-Active Topology
Gutter-Results
Gutter-Results (Flow)
Gutter - Results (Hydraulic Summary)
Gutter-Results (Maximum Values)

Gutter-Results (Profile)
Gutter-General
Gutter-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Gutter-Geometry
Gutter-Geometry Attributes
Polyline Vertices dialog box. For more information, see "Polyline
Vertices Dialog Box"-129.
Length (User The length of the currently highlighted element. This attribute is
Defined)/Scaled active only when the Has User Defined Length? attribute is set to
Length True . If this field is set to False , it displays the scaled length for
the currently highlighted element.
Parent topic: Gutter Attributes
Gutter-Physical
Gutter-Physical Attributes
Gutter Type The Gutter Type to use associated with the inlet.
Gutter Shape The shape of the gutter to use.
Catalog The gutter referenced from the gutter catalog.
Gutter
Maximum The maximum depth of the gutter.
Gutter Depth
Irregular Allows you to define the irregular cross section for the gutter.
Channel
Editor
Right Side The right side slope of the gutter when using the trapezoidal gutter shape.
Slope
Left Side The left side slope of the gutter when using the trapezoidal gutter shape.
Slope
Bottom Enter the distance along the bottom of the ditch.
Width (Ditch)
Road Cross Enter the transverse slope of the road.
Slope
Curb Cross The curb cross slope when using the V-Shaped gutter shape.
Slope
Depressed If True, the gutter slope differs from the road cross slope.
Gutter?
Length The length of the currently highlighted element. This field is available
only when the Structure Shape Type attribute is set to Rectangular
Structure .
Width The width of the currently highlighted element. This field is available
Structure .
Irregular Lets you define station-elevation points that describe the shape of the
Channel irregular channel. Click in the field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and
click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Irregular Channel dialog box. To
use this field, you must set Open Cross-Section attribute to Irregular
Channel .
Bottom The width at the base of the cross section of the currently highlighted
Width element. To use this field, you must set Open Cross-Section attribute to
Trapezoidal Channel .
Gutter The name of the material used. Alternatively, clicking the ellipsis button
Material opens the Material Engineering Library, allowing you to select a pre-
Manning’s n The Manning’s roughness of the currently highlighted gutter. Click in the
(Gutter) field to display an Ellipsis (…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to
use the Engineering Library to select a Manning’s n value for the gutter
material you are using.
Has User Allows the calculated scaled pipe lengths to be overriden with a user-
Defined defined value.
Length?
Length (User The user defined gutter length (not scaled from the underlying map
Defined) dimensions).
length of the channel. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Gutter-Active Topology
Gutter-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Gutter-Results
Gutter-Results Attributes
Calculation View the calculation messages for the current element.
Messages
Depth/Rise Depth/Rise is computed based on the depth in the middle section of the
link. The link is split into sections by the implicit engine. You can see the
sections and their individual hydraulic parameters by looking at the
"Section Results" collection on the property grid for the link.
Hydraulic Hydraulic Grade in the middle of the link.
Grade
Spread/Top Width of flow adjacent to start node.
Width (Start)
Rise (Unified) The computed height of the link.
Spread/Top Width of flow adjacent to stop node.
Width (Stop)
Gutter-Results (Flow)
Gutter-Results (Flow) Attributes
Flow The flow in the gutter immediately adjacent to the upstream catch basin
(Start) before any adjacent surface flow is applied.
Gutter - Results (Hydraulic Summary)

Velocity Average velocity of the flow in the gutter, calculated by using one of the
selected average velocity methods.
Area (Full The calculated full flow area of the gutter.
Flow)
Gutter-Results (Maximum Values)

Gutter-Results (Maximum Values) Attributes
Flow (Maximum) Maximum flow that occurs in link over the course of
simulation.
Time (Maximum Flow) Time (measured from start of simulation) when the Flow
(Maximum) occurs in this link.
Time (Maximum Time (measured from start of simulation) when the Velocity
Calculated Velocity) (Maximum) occurs in this link.
Velocity (Maximum In conduits, this value is the maximum average velocty that
Calculated) occurs during the simulation.
Gutter-Results (Profile)
Depth (In) Flow depth at the upstream end of the gutter.
Depth (Out) Flow depth at the downstream end of the gutter.
Manhole Attributes
The manhole attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Manhole--General"
 "Manhole--Geometry"
 "Manhole--Physical"
 "Manhole--Physical: Structure Losses"
 "Manhole--Physical: Surface Storage"
 "Manhole--Sanitary Loading"
 "Manhole--SWMM Extended Data"
 "Manhole--Active Topology"
 "Manhole--Inflow"
 "Manhole--Results"
 "Manhole--Results: Engine Parsing Attributes"
 "Manhole--Results (Extended Node)"
 "Manhole--Results: Flows Attributes"
Manhole-General
Manhole-Geometry
Manhole-Physical
Manhole-Physical: Structure Losses
Manhole-Physical: Surface Storage
Manhole-Sanitary Loading
Manhole-SWMM Extended Data
Manhole-Active Topology
Manhole-Inflow
Manhole-Results
Manhole-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Manhole-Results (Extended Node)
Manhole-Results: Flows Attributes
Manhole-General
Manhole-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Manhole-Geometry
Manhole-Geometry Attributes
X Contains the coordinate of the currently highlighted element along the X
(horizontal) axis.
Y Contains the coordinate of the currently highlighted element along the Y
(vertical) axis
Manhole-Physical
Manhole-Physical Attributes
Elevation Displays the ground elevation for the currently highlighted node.
(Ground)
Set Rim to Enables or disables a data entry shortcut. If the value is True , the node’s
Ground rim elevation is set equal to the ground elevation automatically.
Elevation?
Elevation Lets you define the top elevation of the currently highlighted node. This
(Rim) elevation is typically flush with the ground surface. In some cases, the rim
elevation may be slightly below the ground surface elevation (sunk) or
slightly above the ground surface elevation (raised).
Elevation Lets you define the elevation at the bottom of the currently highlighted
(Invert) node. The invert elevation must be lower than the rim elevation or the
calculation cannot continue.
Structure Lets you choose the shape of the currently highlighted element. You can
Shape Type select Rectangular Structure or Circular Structure . The value chosen here
affects the availability of other fields.
Diameter The diameter of the currently highlighted element. This field is available
only when the Structure Shape Type attribute is set to Circular Structure .
Structure . When computing, CivilStorm assumes a minimum area of 10
sq ft for both manholes and catch basins even when the input dimension
is a smaller area.
Structure .
Bolted Cover Lets you set whether a manhole has a bolted cover or not. A value of True
in this field indicates that the associated manhole has a bolted cover. If
the manhole cover is bolted, then the hydraulic grade line is not reset to
the rim elevation at the downstream end of the upstream pipes in the case
of a flooding situation (the calculated HGL being higher than the rim
elevation).
Manhole-Physical: Structure Losses

Manhole-Structure Loss Attributes
Headloss Method Lets you select the headloss method to use. Some methods are only
available for certain Active Numerical Solvers.
Absolute Headloss The headloss. This field is only available if you selected the
Absolute Headloss Method .
Headloss The headloss coefficient at the stop section. This field is only
Coefficient Stop available if you selected the Generic Headloss Method .
Headloss The headloss coefficient at the start section. This field is only
Coefficient Start available if you selected the Generic Headloss Method .
Headloss The headloss coefficient for the manhole. This field is only available
Coefficient if you selected the Standard Headloss Method .
Manhole-Physical: Surface Storage

Manhole-Surface Storage Attributes
Surface Lets you choose how surface storage is handled. The value chosen here
Storage affects the availability of other fields: select Default Storage Equation ,
Type Surface Depth-Area Curve , No Storage , or Ponded Area .The Default
Storage Equation uses the following formula: Area = 0.262 y - 0.068 y 2 +
0.006 y3 (y<4.0 ft) Area=0.344 (y>4.0 ft) where Y is the depth above the
ground.
Surface Lets you describe the volume of the surface storage by defining depth vs.
Depth-Area area points. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Surface
Curve Depth-Area dialog box (see "Surface Depth-Area Curve Editor"-146). This
field is available only when the Surface Storage Type attribute is set to
Surface Depth-Area Curve .
Area Lets you define the area in which ponding occurs at the currently selected
(Constant element. It is available only when the Surface Storage Type attribute is set
Surface) to Ponded Area .
Manhole-Sanitary Loading
Manhole—Sanitary Loading Attributes
Sanitary Lets you define a sanitary (dry weather) flow collection for the selected
Loads manhole. Click the Ellipses (...) button to display the Sanitary (Dry Weather)
Flow Collection Editor, which lets you define collections of sanitary (dry
weather) loads.
Manhole-SWMM Extended Data

Manhole—SWMM Extended Data Attributes
Depth Depth measured from the rim elevation where flooding will begin to
(Surcharged) occur. If the manhole’s Bolted Cover? attribute is set to True, an
artifically high surcharged depth will be applied.
Depth (Initial) Initial water depth in junction. This is a SWMM-only attribute.
Apply Lets you specify whether or not treatment is applied at the currently
Treatment? highlighted element. Select True to apply treatment. This field is only
used during SWMM calculations.
Treatment Lets you add a collection of pollutants and their associated treatment
Collection functions that will be applied at the currently highlighted element. This
field is used only during SWMM calculations and is available only if
Apply Treatment? is set to True . For more information, see Adding
Treatment to a Node.
Pollutograph Lets you define a pollutograph collection for the selected manhole. Click
Collection the Ellipses (...) button to display the Pollutograph Collection dialog box,
which lets you add multiple pollutographs to the collection. For more
information, see Adding Pollutographs to a Node.
Manhole-Active Topology
Manhole-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Manhole-Inflow
Manhole-Inflow Attributes
Inflow Lets you define an inflow collection for the selected manhole. Click the
Collection Ellipsis (…) button to display the Inflow Collection dialog box for the
associated element (see Defining Inflow Collections).
Manhole-Results
Manhole-Results Attributes
Hydraulic Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the manhole. This is a
Grade calculated results field and is not editable.
Depth Depth of the water at the currently highlighted element. This is a
(Node) calculated results field and is not editable.
Is Flooded? If this field displays True, flooding occurs at the currently highlighted
element during the current time step. For manhole and catch basin
elements, this field will display True if the HGL goes above the rim
elevation. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Flow (Out to Sum of all flows leaving manhole. This is a calculated results field and is
Links) not editable.
Flow Flow which exits the system as flooding at the node during the current
(Overflow) time step. The flow is lost to the simulation.
Pollutants Lets you view calculated results for pollutants for the node. Clicking the
Collection Ellipses (...) button displays the Pollutants Results dialog box.
Manhole-Results: Engine Parsing
Attributes
Manhole-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
calculated results field and is not editable. For more information, see
Branches.

Freeboard Distance between the top of the manhole and the water surface. This is a
Height calculated results field and is not editable.
Depth Depth between top of manhole and the water surface when the manhole is
(Flooding) flooded. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Volume Calculated volume at the currently highlighted element. This is a
Is Flooded If this field displays True, flooding occurs at least once during the
Ever? simulation at the currently highlighted element. This is a calculated results
Manhole-Results: Flows Attributes

Local Inflow? This field displays True if there is a user-defined flow at the element,
and False if there is not. This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Flow (local From Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results field and
inflow is not editable.
Collection)
Flow (Local Total inflow added from catchment runoff, wet-weather inflow
Surface) collection and sanitary loads. It does not include the carryover flow
from upstream gutter. This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Flow (Total In) The sum of flow from incoming links + Captured flow from the
surface + Locally generated inflow from the inflow and sanitary
collections. Flow (Total In) does not include local inflows when using
the GVF Convex solver.
Tap Attributes
The tap attributes comprise the following categories:
Tap-General
Tap-Geometry
Tap-Active Topology
Tap-Physical
Tap-Results
Tap-General
Tap-General Attributes
edited.
Hyperlinks Lets you add, edit, delete, and view external files that are associated with
the element using the Hyperlinks feature. Click in the field to display an
Ellipsis (…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Hyperlinks
feature. For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see “Adding
Hyperlinks to Elements”.
Referenced Specify the link with which the current element is associated.
Link
Tap-Geometry
Tap-Geometry Attributes
X Contains the coordinate of the currently highlighted element
along the X (horizontal) axis.
Y Contains the coordinate of the currently highlighted element
along the Y (vertical) axis
Distance from Endpoint The distance measured from the end point of the reference link.
Which end point (start or stop) is specified by setting "Is
distance measured from start point of reference link?" to true or
false.
Is distance measured If True, the distance measured from the end point is measured
from start point of from the start node of the reference link, otherwise it is
referenced link? measured from the node.
Tap-Active Topology
Tap-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Tap-Physical
Tap-Physical Attributes
Lateral Connects Specify the location of the referenced link where tap connects.
From
Elevation Offset Set the distance to raise or lower the tap connection from the
specified tap connection location.
Tap-Results
Messages
Elevation The derived elevation of the tap connection based on the distance from
(Connection) the end of the reference link, the link's slope, and the connection type.
These values will be updated upon a run of the simulation or a
validation check..
Catch Basin Attributes

The catch basin attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Catch Basin--General"
 "Catch Basin--Geometry"
 "Catch Basin--Physical"
 "Catch Basin--Physical: Structure Losses"
 "Catch Basin--Physical: Surface Storage"
 "Catch Basin--Inflow (Sanitary Loading)"
 "Catch Basin--SWMM Extended Data"
 "Catch Basin--Active Topology"
 "Catch Basin--Inflow (Wet)"
 "Catch Basin--Inlet"
 "Catch Basin--Results"
 "Catch Basin--Results (Engine Parsing)"
 "Catch Basin--Results (Extended Node)"
 "Catch Basin--Results (Flow) Attributes"
 "Catch Basin--Results: Inlet Capture"
Catch Basin-General
Catch Basin-Geometry
Catch Basin-Physical
Catch Basin-Physical: Structure Losses
Catch Basin-Physical: Surface Storage

Catch Basin-Inflow (Sanitary Loading)
Catch Basin-SWMM Extended Data
Catch Basin-Active Topology
Catch Basin-Inflow (Wet)
Catch Basin-Inlet
Catch Basin-Inlet Location
Catch Basin-Results
Catch Basin-Results (Engine Parsing)
Catch Basin-Results (Extended Node)
Catch Basin-Results (Flow) Attributes
Catch Basin-Results: Inlet Capture
Catch Basin-General
Catch Basin-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Catch Basin-Geometry
Catch Basin-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Catch Basin-Physical
Catch Basin-Physical Attributes
Elevation Displays the ground elevation for the currently highlighted node.
(Ground)
Set Rim to Enables or disables a data entry shortcut. If the value is True , the node’s
Ground rim elevation is set equal to the ground elevation automatically. If this
Elevation? value is set to False , you must manually enter the rim elevation.
Elevation Lets you define the top elevation of the currently highlighted node. This
(Rim) elevation is typically flush with the ground surface. In some cases, the rim
elevation may be slightly below the ground surface elevation (sunk) or
slightly above the ground surface elevation (raised). You can only enter a
value in this field if Set Rim to Ground Elevation? is set to False .
Elevation Lets you define the elevation at the bottom of the currently highlighted
(Invert) node.
Structure Lets you choose the shape of the currently highlighted element. You can
Type select Rectangular Structure or Circular Structure . The value chosen here
affects the availability of other fields.
Diameter The diameter of the currently highlighted element. This field is available
only when the Structure Shape Type attribute is set to Circular Structure .
Gutter Type The Gutter Type to use associated with the inlet.
Gutter Shape The shape of the gutter to use.
Catalog The gutter referenced from the gutter catalog.
Gutter
Maximum The maximum depth of the gutter.
Gutter Depth
Irregular Allows you to define the irregular cross section for the gutter.
Channel
Section
Right Side The right side slope of the gutter when using the trapezoidal gutter shape.
Slope
Left Side The left side slope of the gutter when using the trapezoidal gutter shape.
Slope
Bottom Width Enter the distance along the bottom of the ditch.
(Ditch)
Road Cross Enter the transverse slope of the road.
Slope
Curb Cross The curb cross slope when using the V-Shaped gutter shape.
Slope
Depressed If True, the gutter slope differs from the road cross slope.
Gutter?
Height. The Height of the parabolic gutter.
Structure .
Structure .
Catch Basin-Physical: Structure Losses

Catch Basin-Structure Loss Attributes
Catch Basin-Physical: Surface Storage
Catch Basin-Surface Storage Attributes
Surface Lets you choose how surface storage is handled. The value chosen here
Storage affects the availability of other fields: select Default Storage Equation ,
Type Surface Depth-Area Curve , No Storage , or Ponded Area .The Default
Storage Equation uses the following formula: Area = 0.262 y - 0.068 y 2 +
0.006 y3 (y<4.0 ft) Area=0.344 (y>4.0 ft) where Y is the depth above the
ground. In case of overflow/flooding: If No Storage is selected, the
overflow elevation will be the rim elevation and there will be no storage at
all. If a storage table is used then the highest h in the table will be the
overflow crest elevation. If the default equation is used a depth of 2 ft over
the rim is used.
Surface Lets you describe the volume of the surface storage by defining depth vs.
Depth-Area area points. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Surface
Curve Depth-Area dialog box (see "Surface Depth-Area Curve Editor"-146). This
field is available only when the Surface Storage Type attribute is set to
Surface Depth-Area Curve .
Area Lets you define the area in which ponding occurs at the currently selected
(Constant element. It is available only when the Surface Storage Type attribute is set
Surface) to Ponded Area .
Catch Basin-Inflow (Sanitary Loading)

Catch Basin-Sanitary Loading Attributes
Sanitary Lets you define a sanitary (dry weather) flow collection for the selected
Loads catch basin. Click the Ellipses (...) button to display the Sanitary (Dry
Weather) Flow Collection Editor, which lets you define collections of
sanitary (dry weather) loads.
Catch Basin-SWMM Extended Data

Catch Basin—SWMM Extended Data Attributes
Apply Treatment? is set to True . For more information, see Adding
Pollutograph Lets you define a pollutograph collection for the selected element. Click
Catch Basin-Active Topology

Catch Basin-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Catch Basin-Inflow (Wet)

Catch Basin-Inflow Attributes
Inflow (Wet) Contains an Ellipsis (…) button that lets you access the Inflow
Collection Collection dialog box for the associated element (see Defining Inflow
Collections).
Catch Basin-Inlet
Catch Basin-Inlet Attributes
Inlet Type Lets you choose the type of element associated with the currently
highlighted element: Maximum Capacity , Inflow-Capture Curve , Full
Capture, Catalog Inlet, and Percent Capture . The value chosen here affects
the availability of the other fields described below. See Inlet Type.
Flow Lets you define the maximum inflow accepted by the inlet associated with
(Maximum the currently highlighted element. This field is available only when the
in) Inlet Type attribute is set to Maximum Capacity .
Inflow- Lets you define inflow vs. capture percentage points for the currently
Capture highlighted element. Clicking the Ellipsis (…) button in the field opens the
Curve Inflow-Capture Curve dialog box (see "Inflow-Capture Curve Dialog
Box"-294). This field is available only when the Inlet Type attribute is set
to Inflow-Capture Curve .
Inlet Allows you to select the catalog inlet to use. This field is available only
when the Inlet Type attribute is set to Catalog Inlet . See "Default Curb
Opening Length: Define the opening length."-347.
Capture Set the percentage of flow to the inlet that is captured by the inlet.
Efficiency
Catch Basin-Inlet Location

Catch Basin-Inlet Location Attributes
Inlet Location Lets you choose whether the structure is located on grade or in sag.
Longitudinal Slope Enter the slope of the roadway in the direction of flow.
(Inlet)
Manning’s n (Inlet) Enter the roughness factor for the roadway. This is generally a
fucntion of the construction material..
Catch Basin-Results
Catch Basin-Results Attributes
Hydraulic Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the catch basin. This is a
Is Flooded? If this field displays True, flooding occurs at the currently highlighted
element during the current time step. For manhole and catch basin
elements, this field will display True if the HGL goes above the rim
elevation. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Flow (Out to Sum of all flows leaving catch basin. This is a calculated results field and
Links) is not editable.
Catch Basin-Results (Engine Parsing)

Catch Basin-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Branches.

Freeboard Distance between the top of the catch basin and the water surface. This is a
Depth Depth between top of catch basin and the water surface when the catch
(Flooding) basin is flooded. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Catch Basin-Results (Flow) Attributes

Catch Basin-Result: Flow Attributes
Local Inflow? This field displays True if there is a user-defined flow at the element,
and False if there is not. This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Flow (Local from Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results field and
Inflow is not editable.
Collection)
Flow (Local Total inflow added from catchment runoff, wet-weather inflow
Surface) collection and sanitary loads. It does not include the carryover flow
from upstream gutter. This is a calculated results field and is not
editable.
Catch Basin-Results: Inlet Capture

Capacity The bypassed flow rate at the inlet when the width of gutter flow is at the
(Gutter) maximum design spread.
Capacity The flow rate of capture by the inlet when the width of gutter flow is at
(Inlet) the maximum design spread
Efficiency (As The capture efficiency of the inlet when the width of gutter flow is at the
Design maximum design spread.
Spread)
Flow Total amount of flow captured at the currently highlighted element. This
(Captured) is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Capture Percentage of flow that is captured at the currently highlighted element.
Efficiency This is a calculated results field and is not editable. Note that 100%
capture means that the inlet capacity is larger than the actual local inflow
so the model will attempt to put the entire local inflow into the manhole.
If the manhole is flooded it there may be flow lost from the flooding
although the inlet is still reporting 100% capture.
Ditch Top If the inlet is a ditch inlet this field will display the top width of the flow
Width through the gutter.
Depth (Ditch) If the inlet is a ditch inlet this field will display the depth of the flow
through the gutter.
Outfall Attributes
The outfall attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Outfall--General"
 "Outfall--Geometry"
 "Outfall--Boundary Condition"
 "Outfall--Physical"
 "Outfall--Active Topology"
 "Outfall--SWMM Extended Data"
 "Outfall--Inflow"
 "Outfall--Results"
 "Outfall--Results: Flows"
Outfall-General
Outfall-Geometry
Outfall-Boundary Condition
Outfall-Physical
Outfall-SWMM Extended Data
Outfall-Active Topology
Outfall-Inflow
Outfall-Results
Outfall-Results: Flows
Outfall-General
Outfall-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Outfall-Geometry
Outfall-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Outfall-Boundary Condition
Outfall-Boundary Condition Attributes
Boundary Lets you define what type of boundary condition the currently
Condition highlighted element is operating under. The value chosen here affects the
Type availability of other fields. You can choose from: Free Outfall - No
tailwater condition. No further input is necessary. Time-Elevation Curve
- Enables Time-Elevation Curve field. Elevation (User Defined
Tailwater) - Enables the User Defined Tailwater field. Elevation-Flow
Curve - Enables Elevation Flow Curve field. Boundary Element -
Enables Boundary Element field, allowing you to specify the element to
which flow received by the outfall is discharged. Normal - No further
input is necessary. Normal in this case means that the depth at the outlet
is the normal depth for the last conduit or channel before the outlet. Tidal
- Enables the Cyclic Time-Elevation Curve field. Crown - No further
input is necessary. The Crown boundary type is not supported for use in
the SewerGEMS Dynamic Wave solver.
Tidal Gate? If True, back flow is restricted from entering the system from the outfall.
Time- Lets you describe the elevation changes at the boundary condition over
Elevation time. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Time-
Curve Elevation Curve dialog box (see "Time-Elevation Curve Dialog Box"-
171). It is available only when the Boundary Condition Type attribute is
set to Time-Elevation Curve .
Elevation Lets you enter a value for tailwater at the boundary. It is available only
(User Defined when the Boundary Condition Type is set to User Defined Tailwater .
Tailwater)
Elevation- Lets you define the elevation changes at the boundary condition over a
Flow Curve range of flows. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the
Elevation-Flow Curve dialog box (see Elevation-Flow Curve Dialog
Box). This property is available only when the Boundary Condition Type
attribute is set to Elevation-Flow Curve .
Boundary Lets you choose the boundary element for the currently highlighted
Element element from all of the valid elements in the network. To use this feature,
click Select in the Boundary Element field. Move the cursor over the
drawing pane and click the element you want to select for the boundary.
This property is available only when the Boundary Condition Type
attribute is set to Boundary Element . Press the Esc key to exit out of
"Select" mode.
Cyclic Time- Lets you describe the elevation changes at the boundary condition that
Elevation repeat over time. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the
Curve Cyclic Time-Elevation Curve dialog box (see "Time-Elevation Curve
Dialog Box"-171). It is available only when the Boundary Condition
Type attribute is set to Tidal .
Outfall-Physical
Outfall-Physical Attributes
Elevation (Ground) Lets you define the elevation of the currently highlighted
element.
Set Invert Equal to Ground Sets the invert of the current element to the value specified
Elevation? in the Ground Elevation field.
Elevation (Invert) Lets you define the elevation at the bottom of the currently
highlighted node.
Outfall-SWMM Extended Data

Outfall—SWMM Extended Data Attributes
Treatment? highlighted element. This field is only used during SWMM calculations.
Apply Treatment? is set to True. For more information, see Adding
Outfall-Active Topology
Outfall-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Outfall-Inflow
Outfall-Inflow Attributes
Inflow Contains an Ellipsis (…) button that lets you access the Inflow Collection
Collection dialog box for the associated element (see Defining Inflow Collections).
Outfall-Results
Outfall-Result Attributes
Hydraulic Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the outfall. This is a
Depth (Node) Depth of the water at the currently highlighted element. This is a
Flow (Out to Sum of all flows leaving outfall. This is a calculated results field and is
Outfall-Results: Flows
Local Inflow? User defined inflow at outfall. This is a calculated results field and is
not editable.
Flow (Local From Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results field and
Collection)
Pond Outlet Structure Attributes

The pond outlet structure attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Pond Outlet Structure--General"

 "Pond Outlet Structure--Geometry"
 "Pond Outlet Structure--Pond Outlet"
 "Pond Outlet Structure--Active Topology"
 "Pond Outlet Structure--Results"
Pond Outlet Structure-General

Pond Outlet Structure-Geometry
Pond Outlet Structure-Pond Outlet
Pond Outlet Structure-Active Topology
Pond Outlet Structure-Physical
Pond Outlet Structure-Results
Pond Outlet Structure-General

Pond Outlet Structure-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Pond Outlet Structure-Geometry

Pond Outlet Structure-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Pond Outlet Structure-Pond Outlet

Pond Outlet Structure-Pond Outlet Attributes
Upstream Lets you choose the upstream pond for the currently highlighted element
Pond from a list of all of the valid ponds in the network.
Has Control Lets you choose whether the highlighted element has a control structure. If
Structure? this field is set to True , the Control Structure field is activated.
Control Lets you define the components that make up the control structure. Click
Structure the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Composite Outlet Structure
dialog box (see "Composite Outlet Structures Dialog Box"-154). This field
is active only when the Has Control Structure? attribute is set to Yes
Pond Outlet Structure-Active Topology

Pond Outlet Structure-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.

Elevation (Ground) The ground elevation for the currently highlighted node.
Pond Outlet Structure-Results

Cross Section Attributes

The cross section attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Cross Section--General"
 "Cross Section--Geometry"
 "Cross Section--Physical"
 "Cross Section--Active Topology"
 "Cross Section--Inflow"
 "Cross Section--Results"
 "Cross Section--Results: Engine Parsing Attributes"
 "Cross Section--Results: Flows"
Cross Section-General
Cross Section-Geometry
Cross Section-Generic
Cross Section-Physical
Cross Section-Active Topology
Cross Section-Inflow
Cross Section-Results
Cross Section-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Cross Section-Results: Flows
Cross Section-General
Cross Section-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Cross Section-Geometry
Cross Section-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Cross Section-Generic
Cross Section-Generic Attributes
Roughness The roughness method for the currently highlighted: Single Manning’s n ,
Type Manning’s - Depth Curve , or Manning’s n - Flow . The value chosen here
affects the availability of some fields in the Physical section of the Property
Editor.
Cross Section-Physical
Cross Section-Physical Attributes
Elevation The ground elevation for the currently highlighted node.
(Ground)
Section Type Lets you choose the cross-sectional shape of the currently highlighted
element. You can select Trapezoidal Cross Section or Irregular Channel .
The value chosen here affects the availability of other fields.
Station- Lets you define station-elevation points that describe the shape of the
Elevation irregular channel. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the
Curve Station-Elevation Curve dialog box (see "Station-Elevation Curve/Depth
Dialog Box"-131). This field is available only when the Section Type
attribute is set to Irregular Channel .
Elevations The Elevations modifier is a constant value that will be added to each
Modifier elevation value. This attribute is only used during SWMM calculations.
Meander The meander modifier is the ratio of the length of a meandering main
Modifier channel to the length of the overbank area that surrounds it. This modifier
is applied to all conduits that use this particular transect for their cross
section. It assumes that the length supplied for these conduits is that of the
longer main channel. The application will use the shorter overbank length
in its calculations while increasing the main channel roughness to account
for longer length. The modifier is ignored if it is left blank or set to 0.
Stations The Stations modifier is a factor by which the distance between each
Modifier station will be multiplied when the transect data is processed by SWMM.
Use a value of 0 if no such factor is needed. This attribute is only used
during SWMM calculations.
Elevation Lets you define the invert elevation at the currently highlighted element.
(Invert) This attribute is active only when the Section Type attribute is set to
Bottom The width at the base of the cross section of the currently highlighted
Width element. This attribute is active only when the Section Type attribute is
set to Trapezoidal Channel .
Slope (Left The left slope of the cross section of the currently highlighted element.
Side) This attribute is active only when the Section Type attribute is set to
Slope (Right The right slope of the cross section of the currently highlighted element.
Side) This attribute is active only when the Section Type attribute is set to
Height The height of the cross section of the currently highlighted element. This
attribute is active only when the Section Type attribute is set to
Roughness The roughness method for the currently highlighted: Single Manning’s n ,
Type Manning’s - Depth Curve , or Manning’s n - Flow . The value chosen
here affects the availability of some fields in the Physical section of the
Property Editor.
Left Bank The distance values appearing in the Station/Elevation grid that mark the
Station end of the left overbank and the start of the right overbank. Use 0 to
denote the absence of an overbank.
Right Bank The distance values appearing in the Station/Elevation grid that mark the
Station end of the left overbank and the start of the right overbank. Use 0 to
denote the absence of an overbank.
Left The Manning’s roughness of the left overbank.
Overbank
Manning’s n
Right The Manning’s roughness of the right overbank.
Overbank
Manning’s n
Channel The Manning’s roughness for the center of the channel.
Manning’s n
attribute is active only when the Roughness Type attribute is set to Single
Manning’s n .
Manning’s n- Lets you define points that describe a roughness-depth curve for the
Depth Curve currently highlighted element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field
to open the Manning’s n-Depth Curve dialog box (see "Manning’s n–
Depth Curve Dialog Box"-313). This attribute is active only when the
Roughness Type attribute is set to Manning’s n-Depth Curve .
Manning’s n- Lets you define points that describe a roughness-flow curve for the
Flow currently highlighted element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field
to open the Manning’s n-Flow Curve dialog box (see "Manning’s n–Flow
Curve Dialog Box"-315). This attribute is active only when the
Roughness Type attribute is set to Manning’s n-Flow .
Transition When you connect a channel to a conduit at a cross-section node, a
Type transition part is added between the channel cross-section and the conduit
cross-section. This field lets you specify the transition type of the
currently highlighted cross-section node. You can select either Gradual or
Abrupt . If you select Abrupt , the top width of the channel cross-section
node is used as the length of the transition part. If you select Gradual , the
Transition Length field is made available. If the Transition Length is
larger than the top width of the cross-section node, the Transition Length
value is used as the length of the transition part.
Note: Transition Type and Transition Length are not used for cross-
section nodes that connect two channels.
Transition Lets you define the length of the transition between a channel cross-
Length section and a conduit cross-section. This field is available only if you
select Gradual as the Transition Type. If the user-specified transition
length is smaller than the calculated transition (which is the channel
width), the calculated transition is used in calculation.
Cross Section-Active Topology

Cross Section-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Cross Section-Inflow
Cross Section-Inflow Attributes
Cross Section-Results
Cross Section-Result Attributes
Hydraulic Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the cross section. This is a
Is Flooded? Cross Sections are overflowing if the Hydraulic Grade exceeds the top
defined elevation. For Irregular channels this is the maximum elevation
defined in the Station-Elevation curve. For Trapezoidal Channels this is
the Invert Elevation + Trapezoidal Channel depth.
Cross Section-Results: Engine Parsing

Attributes
Cross Section-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Branches.
Cross Section-Results: Flows

Local Inflow? User defined inflow at cross section. This is a calculated
Flow (Local From Inflow Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results
Collection) field and is not editable.
Pump Attributes
The pump attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Pump--General"
 "Pump--Geometry"
 "Pump--Physical"
 "Pump--Active Topology"
 "Pump--Results"
 "Pump--Results: Engine Parsing Attributes"
Pump-General
Pump-Geometry
Pump-Physical
Pump-Active Topology
Pump-Results
Pump-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Pump-General
Pump-General Attributes
ID Displays the unique identifier for the currently highlighted element. The
ID is automatically assigned to each discrete block of data in the model
data store (the .mdb file) by the program. It is not editable.
edited.
Ellipsis (…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the
Hyperlinks feature. For more information about the Hyperlink Manager,
see Adding Hyperlinks to Elements.
Downstream Displays the ID of the downstream link element to which the pump is
Link connected
Pump-Geometry
Pump-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Pump-Physical
Pump-Physical Attributes
Update Ground If set to True and there is an activated terrain model, the node
Elevation from ground elevation will be updated using the elevation from the
Terrain Model? activated terrain model when the node is moved.
Elevation Invert Bottom elevation of the structure.
Pump Definition Lets you define pump settings for the currently highlighted
Pumps dialog box (see Pumps Dialog Box).
Pump Station The Pump Station to which this Pump belongs.
Pump-Active Topology
Pump-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Pump-Results
Pump-Results
Head Calculated pump head for the currently highlighted pump. This is
a calculated results field, and as such is not editable.
Flow (Pump) Calculated flow at the currently highlighted pump. This is a
calculated results field, and as such is not editable.
Hydraulic Grade Calculated head on the upstream side of the currently highlighted
(Upstream) pump. This is a calculated results field, and as such is not editable.
Hydraulic Grade Calculated head on the downstream side of the currently
(Downstream) highlighted pump. This is a calculated results field, and as such is
not editable.
Pollutants Collection Lets you view calculated results for pollutants for the node.
Clicking the Ellipses (...) button displays the Pollutants Results
dialog box.
Pump-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes

Branches topic.
Wet Well Attributes

The wet well attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Wet Well--General"
 "Wet Well--Geometry"
 "Wet Well--Physical"
 "Wet Well--Sanitary Loading"
 "Wet Well--Initial Condition"
 "Wet Well--SWMM Extended Data"
 "Wet Well--Active Topology"
 "Wet Well--Inflow"
 "Wet Well--Results"
 "Wet Well--Results (Extended Node)"
 "Wet Well--Results: Flows"
Wet Well-General
Wet Well-Geometry
Wet Well-Physical
Wet Well-Sanitary Loading
Wet Well-Initial Condition
Wet Well-SWMM Extended Data
Wet Well-Active Topology
Wet Well-Inflow
Wet Well-Results
Wet Well-Results (Extended Node)
Wet Well-Results: Flows
Wet Well-General
Wet Well-General Attributes
edited.
For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see "Adding Hyperlinks
to Elements"-372.
Wet Well-Geometry
Wet Well-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Wet Well-Physical
The following illustration shows a typical wet well.
Wet Well-Physical Attributes
Elevation The ground elevation for the currently highlighted node.
(Ground)
Section Lets you choose the method used to define volume for the currently
highlighted element: Constant Area - Circular, Constant Area - Non-
Circular , Variable Volume, Depth Area, or Area Function . The value
chosen here affects the availability of other attributes.
Wet Well Lets you define the size of the currently highlighted element by entering
Depth-Area points in the depth vs. area table. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this
Curve field to open the Wet Well Depth-Area Curve dialog box (see "Wet Well
Depth-Area Curve Dialog Box"-333). This field is available only when
Wet Well Depth-Area Curve is chosen as the Wet Well Volume Type.
Area Lets you define the area of the currently highlighted element. It is
available only when Wet Well Constant Area is chosen as the Wet Well
Volume Type.
Coefficient The coefficient of the area function for the currently highlighted element.
It is available only when Wet Well Area Function is chosen as the Wet
Well Volume Type.
Exponent The exponent of the area function for the currently highlighted element. It
is available only when Wet Well Area Function is chosen as the Wet
Well Volume Type.
Constant The constant of the area function for the currently highlighted element. It
is available only when Wet Well Area Function is chosen as the Wet
Well Volume Type.
Elevation Lets you define the invert, or bottom, elevation for the currently
(Invert) highlighted element
Wet Well-Sanitary Loading

Wet Well—Sanitary Loading Attributes
Sanitary Lets you define a sanitary (dry weather) flow collection for the selected wet
Loads well. Click the Ellipses (...) button to display the Sanitary (Dry Weather)
Flow Collection Editor, which lets you define collections of sanitary (dry
weather) loads.
Wet Well-Initial Condition

Wet Well-Initial Condition Attributes
Initial Lets you choose which type of initial condition type to be applied to the
Elevation currently highlighted element: Invert or User Defined Initial Elevation .
Type The value chosen here affects the availability of other attributes.
Elevation Lets you define the initial water surface elevation for the currently
(Initial) highlighted element. It is available only when the User Defined Initial
Elevation value is selected for the Initial Elevation Type attribute.
Wet Well-SWMM Extended Data
Wet Well—SWMM Extended Data Attributes
Evaporation Fraction of evaporation rate realized. This attribute is only used during
Factor SWMM calculations.
Wet Well-Active Topology

Wet Well-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Wet Well-Inflow
Wet Well-Inflow Attributes
Wet Well-Results
Wet Well-Results Attributes
Hydraulic Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the wet well. This is a
Depth Depth of the water at the currently highlighted element. This is a calculated
(Node) results field and is not editable.
Is Flooded? If this field displays True , flooding occurs at the currently highlighted
element during the current time step. For wet wells the maximum elevation
is directly defined or is the Level (Maximum) + Elevation (Base). For
depth area wet well types using the implicit engine this is the maximum
depth in the rating curve + Elevation (Base). This is a calculated results
Flow (Out to Sum of all flows leaving wet well. This is a calculated results field and is
Flow Flow which exits the system as flooding at the node during the current time
(Overflow) step. The flow is lost to the simulation.
Wet Well-Results (Extended Node)

Wet Well—Results (Extended Node)
Freeboard Distance between the top of the wet well and the water surface. This is a
Depth Depth between top of wet well and the water surface when the wet well is
Wet Well-Results: Flows
Local Inflow? User defined inflow at wet well. This is a calculated results field and
is not editable.
Flow (Local Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results field and
From Inflow is not editable.
Collection)
Flow (Local Returns the ID of the branch which the current element is part of. The
Surface) branch is determined during the calculations using the implicit engine.
This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Section Count The number of sections that the implicit engine divides the conduits
into during an analysis. Not available during a SWMM analysis. This
is a calculated results field and is not editable. For more information,
see the Section Count topic.
Catchment Attributes
The catchment attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Catchment--General"
 "Catchment--Geometry"
 "Catchment--Catchment"
 "Catchment--Runoff"
 "Catchment--SWMM Extended Data"
 "Catchment--SWMM Results"
 "Catchment--Active Topology"
 "Catchment--Inflow"
 "Catchment--Rainfall"
 "Catchment--Results"
 "Catchment--Results (Extended Catchment)"
 "Catchment--Results: Flows"
Catchment-General
Catchment-Geometry
Catchment-Catchment
Catchment-Runoff
Catchment - ILSAX Hydrological Model
Catchment-SWMM Extended Data

Catchment-SWMM Results
Catchment-Active Topology
Catchment-Inflow
Catchment-Rainfall
Catchment-Results
Catchment-Results (Extended Catchment)
Catchment-Results: Flows
Catchment-General
Catchment-General Attributes
edited.
For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, seeAdding Hyper
Catchment-Geometry
Catchment-Geometry Attributes
"Polyline Vertices Dialog Box"-129.
Scaled Displays the scaled area of the currently highlighted element. This field in not
Area editable.
Catchment-Catchment
Catchment-Catchment Attributes
Area Lets you define the area of the currently highlighted element. Clicking the
ellipsis button in this field opens the Cn Area Collection dialog box (see
Defining CN Area Collections for Catchments), allowing you to define SCS
values and the pervious/impervious ratio for the currently highlighted
element. This field is only available when the Use Scaled Area? attribute is
set to False.
Outflow Lets you choose the node to which flow flows from the currently highlighted
Node element. To use this feature, click Select in the Outfall Node field. Move the
cursor over the drawing pane and click the element you want to select for the
outflow node.
Catchment-Runoff
Catchment-Runoff Attributes
Runoff Method Lets you set what type of runoff method the currently highlighted
element uses. The value chosen here affects the availability of other
fields. You can select Unit Hydrograph , EPA-SWMM Runoff , User-
Defined Hydrograph , None , or Modified Rational Method.
Characteristic Characteristic width of the currently highlighted catchment. This
Width attribute is available only when the Runoff Method attribute is set to
EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Storage Depth of depression storage on impervious portion of the catchment.
(Impervious This attribute is available only when the Runoff Method attribute is set
Depression) to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Storage Depth of depression storage on the pervious portion of the catchment.
(Pervious This attribute is available only when the Runoff Method attribute is set
Depression) to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Manning’s n Manning's N for overland flow over the impervious portion of the
(Impervious) currently highlighted catchment. This attribute is available only when
the Runoff Method attribute is set to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Manning’s n Manning's N for overland flow over the pervious portion of the
(Pervious) currently highlighted catchment. This attribute is available only when
the Runoff Method attribute is set to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Percent Percent of land area which is impervious. This attribute is available
Impervious only when the Runoff Method attribute is set to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Slope Average slope, in percent, of the currently highlighted catchment. This
attribute is available only when the Runoff Method attribute is set to
EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Percent Percent of the impervious area with no depression storage. This
Impervious Zero attribute is available only when the Runoff Method attribute is set to
Storage EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Subarea Routing Lets you define the type of subarea routing at the currently highlighted
element. This attribute is available only when the Runoff Method
attribute is set to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Percent Routed Percent of runoff routed between subareas. This attribute is available
only when the Runoff Method attribute is set to EPA-SWMM Runoff .
Runoff Lets you define time vs. flow points for the currently highlighted
Hydrograph element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the User
Defined Hydrograph dialog box (see Specifying a Time of
Concentration (Tc) Method for a Catchment). This attribute is
available only when the Runoff Method attribute is set to User Defined
Hydrograph .
Loss Method Lets you define what type of loss method the currently highlighted
element uses. You can select fLoss , Green and Ampt , SCS CN , or
(Generic) Horton . The value chosen here affects the availability of
other fields.
fLoss Lets you define the initial infiltration rate at the time that infiltration
begins for the currently highlighted element. This attribute is active
only when the Loss Method attribute is set to fLoss .
Capillary Lets you define the capillary suction value for the soil type associated
Suction with the currently highlighted element. This attribute is active only
when the Loss Method attribute is set to Green and Ampt .
Ks The saturated hydraulic conductivity (the rate at which water travels
through the soil when it is saturated) for the currently highlighted
element. This attribute is active only when the Loss Method attribute is
set to Green and Ampt .
Moisture Deficit The value for moisture deficit, which is the saturated moisture content
minus the original moisture content, for the currently highlighted
element. This attribute is active only when the Loss Method attribute is
set to Green and Ampt .
SCS CN Lets you set a Cn value for the catchment. You can either type a value
in the field or click the Ellipsis (…) button to open the Cn Area
Collection dialog box (see Defining CN Area Collections for
Catchments). This attribute is active only when the Loss Method
attribute is set to SCS CN .
SCS CN The weighted CN value. This attribute is a calculated field and is
(Composite) active only when the Loss Method attribute is set to SCS CN .
Use Scaled If True, the area of the catchment will be calculated based on the area
Area? of the polygon.
fc The equilibrium infiltration rate on the Horton infiltration curve
reached once the soil becomes saturated.
fo The initial or maximum infiltration rate on Horton infiltration curve.
Initial Lets you define the initial abstraction (Ia) for the currently highlighted
Abstraction element. The initial abstraction is a parameter that accounts for all
losses prior to runoff and consists mainly of interception, infiltration,
evaporation, and surface depression storage. This attribute is active
only when the Loss Method attribute is set to (Generic) Horton .
K Decay constant associated with the soil.
Recovery Dry weather regeneration rate constant for the Horton curve. This
Constant attribute is active only when the Loss Method attribute is set to
(Generic) Horton .
Maximum ???? This attribute is available only when the Runoff Method attribute
Volume is set to EPA-SWMM Runoff and the Loss Method attribute is set to
(Generic) Horton .
Unit Hydrograph Lets you define the type of unit hydrograph method the currently
Method highlighted element uses. The value chosen here affects the availability
of other fields. You can select Generic Unit Hydrograph , SCS Unit
Hydrograph , or RTK Unit Hydrograph .
RTK Set Lets you assign an RTK table to the catchment. If there is no RTK
table associated with your model, click the Ellipsis (…) button in this
field to open the RTK Tables dialog box (Creating an RTK Table and
Assigning it to a Catchment), where you can create new RTK tables.
This field is available only when the Unit Hydrograph Method is set to
RTK Unit Hydrograph .
RTK Table Lets you assign an RTK table to the catchment. If there is no RTK
table associated with your model, click the Ellipsis (…) button in this
field to open the RTK Tables dialog box (Creating an RTK Table and
Assigning it to a Catchment), where you can create new RTK tables.
RTK Unit Hydrograph .
Tc The time of concentration for the currently highlighted element. It is
available only when the Unit Hydrograph Method attribute is set to
SCS Unit Hydrograph .
Tc (Composite) The total summed Tc value derived from the individual Tc Methods in
the Tc Data Collection.
Generic Unit Lets you define time vs. flow points for the currently highlighted
Hydrograph element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Unit
Hydrograph Data dialog box (Adding Generic Unit Hydrographs).
Generic Hydrograph .
Unit Hydrograph Lets you define time vs. flow points for the currently highlighted
Data element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Unit
Hydrograph Data dialog box (Adding Generic Unit Hydrographs).
This field is only available when the Unit Hydrograph Method is set to
Generic Hydrograph .
Shape Factor Allows you to define the shape factor when using the Triangular SCS
Unit Hydrograph Method.
Convolution Lets you define the time step for the currently highlighted element. It
Time Step is available only when the Unit Hydrograph Method is set to Generic
Unit Hydrograph.
Tc Data Contains individual Tc components for calculating the total composite
Collection Tc for the current catchment.
Rational C The Rational C coefficient of the catchment section. This field is
available when the Runoff Method attribute is set to Modified Rational
Method .
Catchment - ILSAX Hydrological Model

Catchment-ILSAX Hydrological Model Attributes
Soil Type Specify how to define pervious cover/loss data when using the ILSAX
runoff method.
ILSAX Soil The soil coefficient for normal conditions.
Value
AMC 1 Depth The 1st rainfall depth for pervious ILSAX cover.
AMC 2 Depth The 2nd rainfall depth for pervious ILSAX cover.
AMC 3 Depth The 3rd rainfall depth for pervious ILSAX cover.
AMC 4 Depth The 4th rainfall depth for pervious ILSAX cover.
fo (ILSAX) The initial or maximum infiltration rate on Horton infiltration curve.
fc (ILSAX) The equilibrium infiltration rate on the Horton infiltration curve,
reached once the soil is saturated.
K (ILSAX) Decay constant associated with the soil.
Catchment-SWMM Extended Data

Catchment-SWMM Extended Data Attributes
Curb Length The length of curb on the catchment. This is used to normalize water
quality calculations.
Land Uses Collection of Land Uses applied to the catchment for use during Water
Quality calculations. Clicking the Ellipses (...) button opens the Land
Uses Collection dialog box, where you can add land use entries to the
collection. This field is available when you select EPA-SWMM Runoff
as the Runoff Method. See Land Uses Dialog Box.
Initial Buildup Lets you specify the initial quantities of pollutant buildup over the
Collection catchment in a collection. Clicking the Ellipses (...) button opens the
Initial Buildup Collection dialog box, where you can add initial buildup
entries to the collection. This field is available when you select EPA-
SWMM Runoff as the Runoff Method. See Initial Buildup Collection
Dialog Box.
Apply Lets you apply groundwater to the catchment. If you select True , several
Groundwater additional fields become available.
Aquifer Select the aquifer to apply to the catchment or select Edit... from the
drop-down menu and click the Ellipses (...) button to define new aquifers
in the SWMM Aquifers dialog box. See Aquifers Dialog Box.
Surface The elevation of ground surface for the subcatchment that sits above the
Elevation aquifer.
Groundwater The groundwater flow formula is described as:
Flow
Coefficient where Q gw =
groundwater flow (cfs per acre or cms per hectare) H gw = elevation of
groundwater table (ft or m) H sw = elevation of surface water at
receiving node (ft or m) E = elevation of node invert (ft or m) The
groundwater flow coefficient is the value of A1 in the groundwater flow
formula.
Groundwater The value of B1 in the groundwater flow formula.
Flow
Exponent
Surf. Water Value of A2 in the groundwater flow formula.
Flow
Coefficient
Surf. Water Value of B2 in the groundwater flow formula.
Flow
Exponent
Surface-GW Value of A3 in the groundwater flow formula.
Interaction
Coefficient
Fixed Surf. This is the fixed depth of surface water at the receiving node (in feet or
Water Depth meters). This is set to zero if the surface water depth varies as computed
by flow routing.
Receiving Lets you select the receiving node by clicking on the desired node in the
Node drawing pane.
Depth (Snow) Calculated snow depth at the current time step.
Flow (Groundwater) The portion of the total flow that comes from groundwater.
Elevation The elevation of the groundwater.
(Groundwater)
Intensity (Rainfall) The intensity of the rainfall at the current time step.
Loss Rate The rate at which rainfall is infiltrated at the current time step.
Evaporation Rate The current evaporation rate off of the catchment at the current
time step.
Catchment-Active Topology
Catchment-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Catchment-Inflow
Catchment-Inflow Attributes
Catchment-Rainfall
Catchment-Rainfall Attributes
Use Local Lets you define whether or not the currently highlighted element uses local
Rainfall? rainfall, and if so, which type. Select True to display the Local Storm Data
field. The value chosen here affects the availability of other fields.
Local Lets you create or select a storm data from those previously created. Select a
Storm Data storm data from the drop-down list in this field, select the Ellipsis (…) item
in the drop down list, or select the New (…) item to open the Rainfall
Curves dialog box (see "Adding Storm Data"-461) and edit an existing
storm data or create a new one. This field is available only when the Use
Local Rainfall? attribute is set to True .
Return Lets you define the frequency of the storm at the currently highlighted
Event element. This attribute is available only when the Use Local Rainfall?
attribute is set to True . This is a non-editable field. It will reflect the return
event defined for the currently selected Local Storm Data.
Catchment-Results
Catchment-Result Attributes
Flow (Out to Sum of all flows leaving catchment. This is a calculated results field and
Links) is not editable.
Pollutants Lets you view calculated results for pollutants assigned to the node.
Collection Clicking the Ellipses (...) button displays the Pollutants Results dialog
box.
Catchment-Results (Extended Catchment)

Catchment-Results (Extended Catchment) Attributes
Precipitation Total rainfall on catchment up until current time step. This is a
(Cumulative) calculated results field, and as such is not editable.
Loss (Cumulative) Total amount of rainfall that has infiltrated into catchment up until
current time step. This is a calculated results field, and as such is not
editable.
Precipitation The depth of precipitation over the catchment for the current time
(Incremental) step.
Loss (Incremental) The amount of precipitation that is lost or absorbed over the
catchment for the current time step.
Catchment-Results: Flows
Local Inflow? User defined inflow at catchment. This is a calculated results field
and is not editable.
Flow (Local from Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results field
Inflow Collection) and is not editable.
collections.Flow (Total In) does not include local inflows when
using the GVF Convex solver.
Low Impact Development Control

Attributes
The Low Impact Development Control (LID Control) attributes comprise the following
categories:
 "LID Control--General"
 "LID Control--Geometry"
 "LID Control--Active Topology"
 "LID Control--Output"
 "LID Control--Hydrology"
 "LID Control--Results"
LID Control-General
LID Control-Geometry
LID Control-Active Topology
LID Control-Output
LID Control-Hydrology
LID Control-Results
LID Control-Results (Misc)
LID Control-General
Catchment-General Attributes
edited.
GIS-IDs List of associated IDs on the GIS/data-source side.
Ellipsis (…) button, and click the Ellipsis (…) button to use the Hyperlinks
feature. For more information about the Hyperlink Manager, see Adding
Hyperlinks to Elements.
Parent Specify the catchment to associate with the current Low Impact
Catchment Development Control.
LID Control-Geometry
LID Control-Geometry Attributes
Area editable.
LID Control-Active Topology

LID Control-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
LID Control-Output
LID Control-Output Attributes
Output Lets you switch between summary and detailed versions of the
Options calculation results.
LID Control-Hydrology
LID Control-Hydrology Attributes
Low Impact Specify the LID Definition to associate with the LID control.
Development
Control
Occupies Full If set to True then the LID will occupy the full area of the LID’s
Subcatchment? owning catchment.
Area of Each Unit Specify the surface area occupied by the LID.
Top Width of The width of the outflow face of each identical LID unit.
Overland Flow
Surface of Each Unit
Percent Initially For Bio-Retention Cells, this is the degree to which the unit’s soil
Saturated is initially filled with water (0 saturation corresponds to the wilting
point moisture content, 100 saturation has the moisture content
equal to the porosity). The storage zone beneath the soil zone of
the cell is assumed to be completely dry. For other types of LIDs it
corresponds to the degree to which their storage zone is initially
filled with water.
Percent Impervious The percent of the impervious portion of the subcatchment’s non-
Area Treated LID area whose runoff is treated by the LID practice.
Send Outflow to Select this option if the outflow from the LID is returned onto the
Pervious Area? subcatchment’s pervious area rather than going to the
subcatchment’s outlet. An example of where this might apply is a
rain barrel whose contents are used to irrigate a lawn area. This
field is ignored if the LID takes up the entire subcatchment.
Number of Replicate The number of equally sized LID units.
Units
LID Control-Results
LID Control-Results Attributes
Messages
Evaporation The total evaporation exiting the LID (Surface Evaporation + Soil
Evaporation + Storage Evaporation).
Inflow The flow that enters the LID through the Surface layer. This includes
runon from the associated catchment and precipitation.
Surface Infiltration The infiltration entering into the Surface layer of the LID unit.
Soil Percolation The rate at which water percolates through the Soil layer of the LID.
Bottom Infiltration The flow exiting the LID unit out of the bottom.
Surface Runoff Flow that exits the LID off of the Surface layer.
Drain Outflow Flow that exits the LID through the Underdrain layer.
Surface Depth Depth of flow on the Surface layer of the LID unit.
Soil/Pavement The moisture content of the Soil or Pavement layers depending on
Moisture the LID type.
Storage Depth The depth of flow in the Storage layer of the LID unit.
LID Control-Results (Misc)

Portion of Parent Catchment Displays the active Area Per Low Impact Development
Area value used in the computations.
Area Per Low Impact Displays the active Area Per Low Impact Development
Development (Unified) value used in the computations.
Area (Total) The total area covered by this Low Impact Development
Control. (LID Count * Area/LID).
Pond Attributes
The pond attributes comprise the following categories:
 Pond--General
 Pond--Geometry
 Pond--Physical
 Pond--Simulation Initial Condition
 Pond--SWMM Extended Data
 Pond--Active Topology
 Pond--Inflow
 Pond--Results
 Pond--Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
 Pond--Results (Extended Node)
For an overview of the physical characteristics of ponds, see "Physical Characteristics of

Ponds."
Pond-General
Pond-Geometry
Pond-Physical
Pond-Simulation Initial Condition
Pond-SWMM Extended Data
Pond-Active Topology
Pond-Inflow
Pond-Results
Pond-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Pond-Results (Extended Node)
Pond-General
Pond-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements
Pond-Geometry
Pond-Geometry Attributes
Area editable.
Pond-Physical
Pond-Physical Attributes
Volume Type Lets you select the volume type that gets used: Elevation-Area Curve ,
Elevation-Volume Curve , Pipe Volume , Functional . The value chosen
here affects the availability of other fields.
Elevation- Lets you define points to describe the shape of the currently highlighted
Area Curve element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Elevation-
Area Curve dialog box ("Elevation-Area Curve Dialog Box"-230). This
attribute is active only when the Volume Type attribute is set to
Elevation-Area Curve .
Elevation- Lets you define points to describe the shape of the currently highlighted
Volume element. Click the Ellipsis (…) button in this field to open the Elevation-
Curve Volume Curve dialog box ("Elevation-Volume Curve Dialog Box"-232).
This attribute is active only when the Volume Type attribute is set to
Elevation-Volume Curve.
Number of Lets you define the number of barrels that comprise the currently
Barrels highlighted element. Note that the diameter, length, and invert values are
applied to each barrel. This field is available only when the Volume Type
attribute is set to Pipe Volume .
Length Lets you define the length of the currently highlighted element. It is
available only when the Volume Type attribute is set to Pipe Volume .
Invert (Start) The start, or upstream, invert of the currently highlighted element. It is
Invert (Stop) The stop, or downstream, invert of the currently highlighted element. It is
Pipe Lets you define the diameter of the currently highlighted element. It is
Diameter available only when the Volume Type attribute is set to Pipe Volume .
Pond "A" value in expression A*Depth^B+C for Depth in feet. This field is
Coefficient available only when the Functional Volume Type is chosen.
Pond "B" value in expression A*Depth^B+C for Depth in feet. This field is
Exponent available only when the Functional Volume Type is chosen.
Elevation The invert elevation of the currently highlighted pond.
(Invert)
Depth The maximum depth allowed for the pond. If the value is zero, this value
(Maximum will be derived from the storage curve. Otherwise, the value will restrict
Curve) or extrapolate the storage curve to the maximum depth specified.
Pond "C" value in expression A*Depth^B+C for Depth in feet. This field is
Constant available only when the Functional Volume Type is chosen.
Pond-Simulation Initial Condition

Pond-Simulation Initial Condition Attributes
Initial Lets you choose which type of initial condition type to be applied to the
Elevation currently highlighted element: Invert or User Defined Initial Elevation .
Type The value chosen here affects the availability of other attributes.
Elevation Lets you define the initial water surface elevation for the currently
(Initial) highlighted element. It is available only when the User Defined Initial
Elevation value is selected for the Initial Elevation Type attribute.
Pond-SWMM Extended Data

Pond-SWMM Extended Data Attributes
Evaporation Fraction of evaporation rate realized. This attribute is only used during
Factor SWMM calculations.
Pond-Active Topology
Pond-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Pond-Inflow
Pond-Inflow Attributes
Pond-Results
Pond-Results Attributes
Hydraulic Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the pond. This is a calculated
Grade results field and is not editable.
Depth Depth of the water at the currently highlighted element. This is a calculated
(Node) results field and is not editable.
Is Flooded? If this field displays True , flooding occurs at the currently highlighted
element during the current time step. For ponds, Flooding occurs when the
Hydraulic Grade exceeds the maximum defined elevation. For rating curve
based volumes this is the maximum elevation in the curve. For the Pipe
Volume this the upstream invert + the rise of the pipe. This is a calculated
Flow (Out to Sum of all flows leaving pond. This is a calculated results field and is not
Links) editable.
Flow Flow which exits the system as flooding at the node during the current time
(Overflow) step. The flow is lost to the simulation.
Pollutants Lets you view calculated results for pollutants assigned to the node.
Collection Clicking the Ellipses (...) button displays the Pollutants Results dialog box.
Pond-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes

Catch Basin-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Branches.

Freeboard Distance between the top of the pond and the water surface. This is a
Depth Depth between top of pond and the water surface when the pond is
Transition Attributes
The junction chamber attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Junction Chamber--General"-342
 "Junction Chamber--Geometry"-342
 "Junction Chamber--Physical"-343
 "Junction Chamber--Physical: Structure Losses"-343
 "Junction Chamber--Active Topology"-344
 "Junction Chamber--Results"-344
 "Junction Chamber--Results: Engine Parsing Attributes"-344
 "Junction Chamber--Results: Flows"-345
Transition-General
Transition-Geometry
Transition-Physical
Transition-Physical: Structure Losses
Transition-Active Topology
Transition-Results
Transition-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Transition-Results: Flows
Transition-General
edited.
Transition-Geometry
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Transition-Physical
Diameter The diameter of the currently highlighted element.
Elevation (Top) The top elevation for the currently highlighted node.
Elevation (Bottom) The bottom elevation for the currently highlighted node.
Transition-Physical: Structure Losses

Transition-Active Topology
alternative.
Transition-Results
Hydraulic Grade Representative calculated hydraulic grade at the junction
chamber. This is a calculated results field and is not editable.
Depth (Node) Depth of the water at the currently highlighted element. This is a
Maximum HGL The maximum HGL value for all computed time steps.
TimeToMaximumHGL The time step at which the maximum HGL is reported.
Transition-Results: Engine Parsing

Attributes
"Branches"-290.
Transition-Results: Flows
Flow The sum of flow from incoming links + Captured flow from the surface +
(Total In) Locally generated inflow from the inflow and sanitary collections. Flow
(Total In) does not include local inflows when using the GVF Convex
solver.
Pressure Junction Attributes

The pressure junction attributes comprise the following categories:
 "Pressure Junction--General"
 "Pressure Junction--Geometry"
 "Pressure Junction--Physical"
 "Pressure Junction--Sanitary Loading"
 "Pressure Junction--Active Topology"
 "Pressure Junction--Inflow"
 "Pressure Junction--Results"
 "Pressure Junction--Results: Engine Parsing Attributes"
 "Pressure Junction--Results: Flows"
Pressure Junction-General
Pressure Junction-Geometry
Pressure Junction-Physical
Pressure Junction-Sanitary Loading
Pressure Junction-Active Topology
Pressure Junction-Inflow
Pressure Junction-Results
Pressure Junction-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Pressure Junction-Results: Flows
Pressure Junction-General
Pressure Junction-General Attributes
edited.
to Elements.
Pressure Junction-Geometry
Pressure Junction-Geometry Attributes
(horizontal) axis.
(vertical) axis
Pressure Junction-Physical
Pressure Junction-Physical Attributes
Elevation (Ground) The ground elevation of the currently highlighted element.
Elevation The elevation of the currently highlighted element.
Pressure Junction-Sanitary Loading

Pressure Junction-Sanitary Loading Attributes
Sanitary Lets you define sanitary loads for the pressure junction. Clicking the Ellipse
Loads (...) button displays the Sanitary (Dry Weather) Flow Collection Editor,
which lets you define Hydrographs, Unit Loads, and Pattern Loads.
Pressure Junction-Active Topology

Pressure Junction-Active Topology Attributes
alternative.
Pressure Junction-Inflow
Pressure Junction-Inflow Attributes
Inflow Lets you define an inflow collection for the selected pressure junction.
Collection Clicking the Ellipse (...) button displays the Inflow Collection Editor, which
lets you create collections containing Fixed Inflows, Hydrograph Inflows,
and Pattern Inflows.
Pressure Junction-Results
Pressure Junction-Results Attributes
Flow (Out to links) Sum of all flows leaving the pressure junction. This is a
Hydraulic Grade The highest HGL value for all time steps.
(Maximum)
Time To Maximum The time step at which the highest HGL value is recorded.
Hydraulic Grade
Pressure The pressure value at the junction for the current time step.
Hydraulic Grade Line The Hydraulic Grade Line value at the junction for the
current time step.
Pressure Junction-Results: Engine Parsing

Attributes
Pressure Junction-Results: Engine Parsing Attributes
Branches.
Pressure Junction-Results: Flows

Local Inflow? User defined inflow at wet well. This is a calculated results field and
is not editable.
Flow (Local From Sum of all user defined inflows. This is a calculated results field and
Collection)
Theory
Click one of the following links to learn about the theory behind the software:
Fundamental Solution of the Gravity Flow System

Surface (Gutter) System
Hydraulic Boundaries
Dynamic Storage Routing
Hydrograph Methods
Thiessen Polygon Generation Theory
Storage Chambers
Hydrogen-Sulfide (H2S) Modeling
Special Considerations
Fundamental Solution of the Gravity Flow

System
Basic Hydrodynamic Equations
Numerical Solution Scheme
Network Algorithms
Internal and External Boundaries
Pressure (Surcharged) Flow and Overflow (Street Flooding)
Pumps and Force Main System(s)
Special Numerical Techniques
Explicit Hydraulic Equations in GVF Solvers
Surface gutter and networks
Implicit Solver Special Considerations
Convex Routing
Section Hydraulics
Location of Flows
Pipe Average Velocity
Rational Loading
Basic Hydrodynamic Equations

With increasing urbanization and urban renewal impacts driving the drainage and water
quality regulatory framework, the design and analysis of storm water systems are becoming
increasingly complex. The hydraulics characteristics of a drainage system often exhibit
many complicated features, such as tidal or other hydraulic obstructions influencing
backwater at the downstream discharge location, confluence interactions at junctions of a
pipe network, interchanges between surcharged pressure flow and gravity flow conditions,
street-flooding from over-loaded pipes, integrated detention storage, bifurcated pipe
networks, and various inline and offline hydraulic structures. The time variations of the
storm drainage design flow event are increasingly important in verifying total performance
and achieving a measure of regulatory or design policy compliance. To better understand
these complicated hydraulic features and accurately simulate flows in a complicated storm
water handling system hydrodynamic flow models are necessary.
To simulate unsteady flows in storm water collection systems, numerical computational

techniques have been the primary tools, and the results from numerical models are widely
used for planning, designing and operational purposes. Since an urban drainage system can
be composed of hundreds of pipes and many hydraulic control structures, the hydraulics in
storm system can exhibit very complicated flow conditions. Consequently the numerical
stability, computational performance, capabilities and robustness in handling complicated
hydraulic conditions and computational accuracy are the major factors when deciding
which approach to use to solve the hydraulic system.
Although many numerical methods have been developed to simulate the unsteady flows in
sewer and storm water systems, including those based on explicit numerical schemes and
those based on implicit schemes, limitations in most of models exist. Bentley SewerGEMS
features engines capable of solving the dynamic solution using both schemes. Users may
select to either user EPA SWMM’s native explicit solver or a custom implicit solver as
more fully described in this section. The implicit solver is the default solver used in Bentley
SewerGEMS .
Flows in sewers are usually free surface open-channel flows, therefore the Saint-Venant
equations of one-dimensional unsteady flow in non-prismatic channels or conduits are the
basic equations for unsteady sewer flows. The dynamic model solution uses the following
complete and extended equations:
t = time
x = the distance along the longitudinal axis of the sewer reach
y = flow-depth
A = the active cross-sectional area of flow
A = the inactive (off-channel storage) cross-sectional area of flow
0
q = lateral inflow or outflow
â = the coefficient for nonuniform velocity distribution within the cross section
g = gravity constant
S o = sewer or channel slope
S f = friction slope due to boundary turbulent shear stress and determined by
Manning’s equation
S e = slope due to local severe expansion-contraction effects (large eddy loss)
L = the momentum effect of lateral flow
Equation 14.1 is known as continuity equation and equation 14.2 is known as momentum
equation. The two equations represent a complete unsteady flow hydrodynamic equation
system therefore a dynamic model based on them is known as dynamic routing model or
dynamic model.
Sometimes simplified equations, by neglecting a few terms in the momentum equation, are
used in a model and the model becomes kinematic or diffusion model depending on what
terms are neglected. This will be further discussed in the special consideration section.
Numerical Solution Scheme

In the default numerical solver of the Saint-Venant equations, Eq. 14.1 and 14.2, implicit
finite-difference numerical method is used and a weighted four-point implicit scheme is
applied to get numerical solutions. The implicit method is preferred over explicit since
these methods have the advantage of maintaining good stability for large computational
time steps and exhibit robustness in modeling systems that integrate the complex hydraulic
interactions encountered in gravity sewer systems. The scheme was adopted since it
handles unequal distance steps, its stability-convergence properties can be conveniently
modified, and the internal (any hydraulic structures, such as dams, weirs, pumps, manholes
etc) and external boundary conditions can be easily applied. The dynamic model is
developed using the following four-point finite-difference scheme:
in which θ is a weighting factor and the weighted four-point implicit scheme is

unconditionally stable for >0.5. The value of θ of 0.6-0.8 is found to be optimal in
maintaining stability and accuracy for large computational time steps. This is one of the
calculation options which user can modify (NR weighting coefficient). The computation
x and
t domain and resulting finite differential equations are shown below.

Applying equations 14.3 though 14.5 to the non-linear dynamic equations to each
computational
x reach results in a complex matrix of linear system, with all Q and h at every section are
unknown. In order to derive all Q and h, the Newton-Raphson iteration method is used to
solve the finite-difference equations (the linear matrix system). Convergence of the iterative
technique is attained when the difference between successive iterations for each unknown
Q and h is less than a specified tolerance which can be modified by user as a calculation
option as well (Y-iteration tolerance).
Exceptional computational efficiency is achieved by special algorithm to iterate a banded

matrix so that a convergence is mostly obtained within 1-5 iterations for each time step.
Network Algorithms
A sewer network can be as simple as a system of a few dendritic branches or as
complicated as a system of hundreds of branches with many loops and various junctions
containing different hydraulic structures and facilities, such as weirs and pumps. In many
situations, the mutual flow interaction must be accounted for to achieve realistic results,
particularly for unsteady flows since those confluence junctions can have significant effects
to the traveling dynamic wave in a sewer system.
In order to simulate any complicated sewer networks using implicit numerical schemes,
special algorithms have to be developed for any efficient and accurate solutions. An
extended relaxation technique is used in the implicit dynamic sewer model to decompose
the network of a sewer system into many single branches and solve each individual branch
by the four-point implicit scheme described above. In doing so, it treats the influences of
other branches at a junction as either lateral flows (when other branch joins the junction) or
as a stage boundary condition (when the branch downstream end joins a junction). During
the numerical solution process, when each branch is solved by the Newton-Raphson
iteration, an assumed lateral inflow or outflow is added at each junction reach to replace the
confluence branch.
The branches are automatically numbered such that the dendritic branches are always
treated before the loop branches and higher order branches (more downstream) are always
solved before the lower order branches. This numbering scheme enables a stage boundary
condition at the downstream of a branch to be determined using the average computed
stages at the two confluence cross-sections at the junction which the branch joins. In this
way, each branch is independently solved one by one using the estimated lateral flows at
each of the branch junctions. If the system has a total of J junctions, the relaxation is to
iterate these J junction-related lateral flows.
The relaxation equation for the lateral flows is:
q* = the estimated confluence lateral flow (the tributary branch flow at the
downstream) for the next iteration
q = previous relaxation iteration estimated lateral flow
**
Q = the computed discharge at the downstream end of the connecting branch in the
previous iteration
á = a weighting factor (0< α <1.0)
Values of α between 0.8 and 0.9 provide the most efficient convergence for the relaxation
iteration. Extensive tests have shown that the relaxation iteration convergence is achieved
within one to three iterations for almost all situations using α = 0.6 (a default value in the
calculation option).
A looped branch or split branch is the one linked to a junction node at both upstream and
downstream boundaries. When solving a looped branch for a time step, the implicit solver
does the normal relaxation for the downstream boundary and uses an estimated flow as the
upstream boundary condition, the iterative upstream flow is based on the diversion junction
flow distribution factors which are derived by estimating the exiting link dynamic flow
capacities.
The relaxation technique retains the super efficiency of solving the St. Venant equations for
each individual branch and applying iterative proper boundary conditions so that it
converges very fast for both boundary relaxation and branch solving.
Internal and External Boundaries

Hydraulically, an "internal boundary" is any internal computational reach (a reach is a
length between sections xi and xi+1, such as a pipe, a junction or a manhole node) for
which special equations are used to replace one or both of Equations 14.1 and 14.2
normally applied to a friction-slope-dominated-dynamic reach. Although they are called
internal boundaries they are still part of the St. Venant equation matrix system. These
internal boundaries may include manholes, junctions, controlling structures such as gates,
weirs and orifices, storage facilities such as ponds and wet-wells; or any particular reach
which needs to be treated differently other than a normal dynamic reach, such as one user
specifies to use culvert treatment. The external boundaries are those of most upstream and
downstream boundaries in a sewer system for which a boundary condition, such as a
discharge hydrograph, a tidal or stage hydrograph or an equation defining a relationship
between stage and discharge is given, or simply a free outfall.
The four-point implicit scheme used in the model is very flexible in dealing with any type
of internal boundaries. Because the new equations for replacing Saint-Venant equations
involve only the junction reach and its corresponding elements in the matrix, the Newton
iteration technique can still be used without any case-based modifications. Most commonly
used alternative equations for simulating the internal boundaries are:
A storage equation, which accounts for dynamically changing storage volumes in a junction
structure with inflows and outflows, is used to replace the continuity equation (Eq.14.1) for
manholes, ponds and wet-wells. A general storage equation is in the form of:
In which Q(in) and Q(out) are the flows into and out of the node and
V is the volume change during the time step. If user specifies storage area on the ground,
the equation is able to simulate the storing and draining effect duo to the manhole surcharge
caused volume change. The storage areas above the ground can be represented by either
user input table of areas and elevations or by model defined smooth transition function
when there is no surface storage data available, which determines the areas from the
junction, chamber area to about 1200 times that of the chamber area, the empirical storage
equation is defined as
Sa is the ground storage area (acres) and H is the head above the ground, it also limits to the
1200 times of the manhole chamber area, Sam. User can also specify that there is no
storage above the ground and in this case the manhole overflow occurs when the manhole
HGL is above the ground rim elevation. The street flooding will be discussed in following
section.
An energy equation is usually used in sewer manholes or junctions to replace the

Momentum equation (Eq.14.2) if user specifies to add head loss calculation in the manhole.
Different methods to calculate the energy loss are provided. The HGL-based energy
equation is generally in the form of
in which
hi and hi+1 are HGL's in the upstream and downstream sections and ?h is the head loss
calculated by appropriate loss equation. The head loss methods include:
 Absolute
 Standard
 HEC-22
 Generic
Some hydraulic equations, such as weir flow equations and orifice flow equations are used
to automatically generate necessary matrix elements for different hydraulic controlling
structures such as weirs and orifices to replace the momentum equation. A user specified
rating curve can also be used for any internal boundaries. The control equation is generally
in the form of
Qcontl is the flow given by the control structure. For example, a rectangular flow is defined by:
Where Cw is the weir flow coefficient (typical value is 3.0 - 3.5 for U.S. customary units and 1.8 -
1.9 for SI units), the exponent e =1.5 for a inline weir and 1.67 for a side weir which divert flow
from the main waterway, H is the head over the weir, L is the weir crest length. Corrections for
end contractions are also considered in rectangular inline and side weirs. A V-Notch weir flow is
defined by:
Where
is the triangular weir angle, the orifice flow is defined by:
Where Ao is the area of the opening and Co is the orifice discharge coefficient and its
typical value is 0.6.
Other structures are similar with using appropriate equations.
In the case of significant slope changes at a junction which results in an apparent flow
regime change at the junction, such as a drop manhole, sometimes the normal flow equation
or the critical flow equation, depending on the flow regime change, is used to replace the
momentum equation.
The external boundaries are the most upstream end section or most downstream end
section. Mathematically they are known as boundary conditions. Usually an external
upstream boundary condition is a manhole node or open channel section where there may
be a point inflow (either from a linked surface catchment runoff hydrograph or a user input
hydrograph, patterned loads or a flow from a surface gutter). An external downstream
boundary condition can be one of followings:
 Free outfall
 Time-Elevation curve
 Flow-Elevation curve
 User defined tailwater (a constant h)
 Boundary Element (a pond or wet well)
 Normal (use normal flow equation)
 Theory Theory Theory
 Pressure (Surcharged) Flow and

Overflow (Street Flooding)
 Surcharged flow (when the flow exceeds capacity of the conduit so that the conduit
becomes pressurized) is common in storm and sewer systems. The Preissmann slot
method is used for simulating pressure or surcharged flows for gravity conduits. An
artificial slot is added to the conduit and the slot extends vertically from pipe crown
to infinity and over the entire length the pipe, and the width of the slot is usually
0.1% of the characteristic conduit dimension (diameter for a circular pipe) but not
larger than 0.01 ft. The significant advantages in using a hypothetical slot are
apparent in simulating the moving transitional interface between open-channel flow
and pressure flow, which can happen anywhere at any time in a sewer system, since
the model uses same equations and numerical schemes and make no special
switches between open-channel flows and pressure flows.
 In a manhole or junction where flow has open access to the ground, the storage
effects of the ground are accounted by including the surface area and elevation data
in the continuity or the storage equation as described previously. When the water
elevation in the junction rises above the ground, the ground starts to store the water,
which significantly attenuates the unsteady wave. As the water elevation recedes,
the stored water may drain back to the underground sewer system from the junction
or may be lost to surface flow duo to overflow. The overflow occurs when water
elevation at the manhole reaches above defined highest street elevation. The
overflow from the manhole ground is similar flow over a weir so that a weir
equation is used to model the overflow as
Where Qover is the overflow discharge, Lw is the overflow length, C is the discharge coefficient and
C=3.0 is used, H is the head over the overflow elevation.
Pumps and Force Main System(s)

Very often a network involves pumps and pressure force main sub-networks and to model
such gravity-pressure combined system requires hydraulic models to not only simulate the
system dynamic behaviour of both gravity subsystem and pressure subsystem and the
hydraulic interactions between gravity and pressure sub-systems.
From hydraulic dynamic modelling point of view, the governing hydraulics for the gravity
and pressure sub networks is different, the gravity sub-network is governed by open
channel hydraulics while the pressure sub-network is governed by pressure closed conduit
hydraulics and the pump hydraulics and pumps play important role in the sub-network
hydraulic behaviour. In order to provide reliable numerical modelling solution for sewer or
storm network involving pumps and force mains, a sewer dynamic hydraulic model has to
be comprehensive and sophisticated to be able to simulate these two different hydraulics
features.
As an integrated part of the numerical sewer modelling engine, a pressure hydraulic solver
is also included for the pump(s) and the pressure (force main) sub network(s). The gravity
and pressure hydraulic solvers are solved simultaneously within every time step so that the
dynamic hydraulic interactions (inflow to the wet well and backwater effect from
downstream gravity system) between the gravity sub network and pressure sub network are
fully considered in the integrated numerical engine. Normally a pressure force main branch
can be identified pre-calculation and the pressure hydraulics will be applied to a force main
branch all time, there can be instances, however, a gravity branch receives pump flows and
partially or fully pressurized during some times, the Pressmann slot method in the gravity
solver then is used for the branch. A force main branch is pre-identified if the downstream
end has the highest invert so that the flow within the branch is always in the pressure
condition.
The challenges to accurately simulate the pump-force-main subsystem are:
 Each pump can have its own pump curve

 Each pump can have its own control schemes
 The dynamic head of each pump is affected by the system response so that it is also
affected by other pump's behaviour
 Each pump therefore has its own operating point
 The whole system outflow is therefore very dynamic and dependent of every pump
 There are interactions with upstream and downstream gravity element hydraulic
conditions as well
Bentley SewerGEMS allows you to add a short suction pipe between a pump and a wet
well. This is done by connecting a pressure pipe between the wet well and the pump and
making the “Is Virtual” attribute set to False.
The model will consider the friction loss in the suction pipe and use this loss to modify the
pump curve, so that the pump head is still based on the wet well HGL. The suction loss will
not be reflected in its profile although the loss effect is considered in the calculation as
described above.
In order to model complex pumping scenarios with robustness and accuracy, an iterative
relaxation technique is used. At each time step t during the dynamic computation, all pump
outflows are simultaneously iterated in a relaxation way until they converge to a stable
value for every pump and its associated pressure sub-network:
in which i represents the outflow from the pump i, k+1 represents an updated value for the
next iteration, and * represents a value determined from the pump curve and current system
hydraulic conditions under current k iteration, i.e., the flow value for Q(t)i* is determined
using the head difference across the pump from the previous iteration and the pump head
characteristic curve. The pump flow equations are solved along with simultaneously
solving all the pressure pipe and junction equations in the pressure sub-network. When
there are multiple mumps, all the pumps and their pressure sub-networks are solver
simultaneously as well, with some subsystems no longer iterating when a convergence is
achieved during the iteration. The hydraulic conditions are obtained by solving the force
main pipes using current pump outflows, ? is a relaxation factor (0<?<1.0) and ?=0.8 is
found to provide robust and fast converging results and it is used in the pressure solver (not
a calculation option).
Special Numerical Techniques

LPI technique
One of the challenging features of unsteady flows in a sewer or storm water drainage
system is the interchanges or moving interfaces of different flow regimes between
subcritical and supercritical flows. This is largely due to the fact that a piped urban drainage
system can have a great variation in the range of slopes of the conduits and it is common to
have significant slope changes at pipe junctions. A good numerical model for sewer and
storm water system must be able to handle the mixed flow regimes and interchanges with
great robustness.
When modeling unsteady flows, the dynamic routing technique, using the four-point
implicit numerical scheme, tends to be less numerically stable than the diffusion (zero
inertia) routing technique for certain mixed flows, especially in the near critical range of the
Froude number (Fr ~ 1) or mixed flows with moving supercritical/subcritical interfaces. It
has been observed that the diffusion technique, which eliminates the two inertial terms in
the momentum equation, produces stable numerical solutions for flows where Fr is in the
range of critical flow (Fr = 1.0) and for supercritical flows. To take advantage of the
diffusion method's stability and retain the accuracy of the fully dynamic method, the Local
Partial Inertial modification (LPI) technique is used. In the LPI technique, the momentum
equation is dynamically modified by a numerical filter, ?, so that the inertial terms are
partially or totally omitted based on the time-dependent local hydraulic conditions. The
modified equation and numerical filter are:
in which is a numerical modifier and its value for every finite-difference box (between xi
and xi+1) will be determined at each time step by the following equation:
in which m is a user specified constant (LPI coefficient in the calculation option) and m 1.0.
It is found that smaller values of m tend to stabilize the solution in some cases while larger
values of m provide more accuracy.
Virtual Flow
Dry flow condition is common in the storm and sewer modeling. A zero or near zero flow
can cause instability in the implicit numerical model, in order to overcome this small flow
instability a virtual flow method is used. The method adds a small base flow to every
conduit which has a depth < the virtual depth so that the model is stable for low flow
conditions. The virtual flow is determined by a pre-scribed (as a calculation option) virtual
depth, the virtual depth is typically between 0.0 to 0.04 ft and the default value of 0.04 is
proven to be stable for almost all conditions. After the calculation is finished for a time step
a filtering algorithm is used to filter out the virtual flow and depth so that the final results
are more accurately presented.
Explicit Hydraulic Equations in GVF
Solvers
The standard approach to solving hydraulic equations to calculate depth and velocity in
pipe, (given flow, pipe size, roughness, and slope) involves iteratively solving pipe
geometry and head loss equations. For large models, this can be slow.
Most pipes in storm and sanitary sewer systems are circular. It is possible to generate
solutions to the flow equations for circular pipes and fit the solutions to polynomial
equations. These polynomial equations can be solved explicitly (i.e. with no iterations),
thereby significantly reducing the time to solve large models with the GVF solvers.
The equation for normal depth in circular pipes can be given by
This equation is accurate to within 1% over most of its range and no worse than 3%. For Yn/D >
0.94, there are actually two solutions but the lower one in Figure 1, which compares the equations
to an exact theoretical solution, is used as it is more common.
The equations for critical depth can be given by
Once the critical depth has been determined, the critical slope can be given by
The use of the term "explicit" in these equations refers to the fact that the equations are
solved explicitly, not iteratively and differs from discussion of the "Explicit" solver which
refers to the numerical scheme for solving dynamic wave equations. These equations are
only used in the GVF-convex and GVF-rational solvers because in these, the flow is
calculated before the depth.
A description of the derivation of these equations can be found in Jin, M. and Walski, T.,
2011, "Efficient Equations for Circular Partly-full Pipe Hydraulics", EWRI Conference,
palm Springs, Cal.
Surface gutter and networks

The implicit model can model flows in a surface gutter. A surface gutter is an open channel
from a ground of a manhole or junction so that its flow sources can be:
 Excessive catchment runoff inflow above the inlet interception capacity, an inlet can
capture all or partial runoff, a partial runoff is determined by a specified maximum
capacity or an inflow-capture curve and other portion of the flow will go to the surface
gutter
 Manholes overflow, if the manhole is overflowed and there is a gutter on the ground then
the overflow goes to the gutter and the gutter may flow the overflow into the system, the
manhole overflow is lost from the system if there is no gutter.
Gutter flows are modeled in simple Muskingum-Cunge routing method for flow and
Manning equation for depth. The gutter and its surface network are solved every time after
the primary sewer network is solved.
Branches
Section Count
Branches
The implicit dynamic engine solves the St. Venant equations along straight branches of
conduit or channel starting at the most downstream outfall. Branch 1 starts at the outfall and
upstream until it reaches the first junction. There it follows the junction with the largest
conduit and/or the conduit with the alignment that matches the outlet pipe alignment. This
continues until the branch reaches the most upstream node. At this point a second branch
starts from the largest pipe from the first junction that was not in branch 1. This branch
continues to its most upstream point. Once these branches are numbered, branches that start
at pump station wet wells are traced out to their source.
An example of the branch labeling is shown in the figure below. The red numbers indicate
branches. In the figure, branch 1 is made up of 30 in. pipes; branch 2 is made up of 24 in.
pipes while the other branches consist of 18 in. pipes.
Branch Labeling
Section Count
The element property Section Count refers to the number of spatial sections into which the
element is divided along its length by the implicit numerical engine. For any element there
will be a minimum of five sections. Depending on the value of the Computational Distance
property, which you set in the Property Editor for Calculation Options, additional sections
are added for longer pipes. The default computational distance is 50 feet so that there will
be five sections for any element up to 250 ft. Beyond that length, a section is added for each
50 ft of length. You can control the number of sections by increasing or decreasing the
computational distance, which will decrease or increase the number of sections
accordingly.
Implicit Solver Special Considerations

Gravity sewer collection systems are subject to a number of special hydraulic conditions
that must be considered in developing a full and complete solution scheme. These special
conditions challenge the basic algorithm since they are not explicitly accounted for in the
basic solution for 1-D gravity flow. The hydraulics engine has been extended to account for
these conditions and the numerical adaptations are described in this section, which includes
the following topics:
Pressurized Flow
Mixed (Transcritical) Flow
Dry Bed (Low Flow)
Steep Reaches
Flooding
Pressurized Flow
The typical gravity sewer network is dominated by circular pipe segments. These pipes are
all closed and characterized by a converging top where the hydraulic top width approaches
zero as flow transitions from free surface to pressure. The Preissmann slot method is used
for simulating pressure or surcharged flows by adapting the conceptualization of
pressurized flow to fit a free surface model. The slot extends vertically from pipe crown to
infinity and over the entire length the pipe, and the width of the slot is usually 1% of the
characteristic pipe dimension (diameter for a circular pipe) but not large than 0.02 ft.
Transition of a Circular Pipe to the Slot
Since a circular conduit width changes dramatically near the crown and in order to maintain
a smooth transition between conduit width and the slot width, the Bentley SewerGEMS
model adapted a transitional function of the conduit width:
where 0.98<y/d<1.2b/d = 0.001 and y/d>1.2, and
b = conduit and slot width

d = circular conduit diameter
y = flow depth
The maximum width allowed in the slot is 0.01 ft. Also, when the flow depth is above the
diameter d the area remains the full circular section area therefore the slot will have no
impact on the flow continuity.
The significant advantages in using this hypothetical slot are apparent in simulating the
moving transitional interface between open-channel flow and pressure flow, which can
happen anywhere at any time in a sewer system. Since the model applies a unified set of
consistent equations and numerical schemes, it makes no special switches between open-
channel flows and pressure flows, giving rise to a robust solution.
Related Topics:
 "Mixed (Transcritical) Flow"

 "Dry Bed (Low Flow)"
 "Steep Reaches"
 "Flooding"
Mixed (Transcritical) Flow

One of the challenging features in the unsteady flows in a sewer or storm water drainage
system is the interchanging or moving interface of different flow regimes between
subcritical and supercritical flows. This is largely due to the fact that an urban hydraulic
system can experience a large range of slopes of conduits and it is common to have
significant slope changes at many pipe junctions. A good numerical model for sewer and
storm water system has to be able to handle the mixed flow regimes and interchanges with
great robustness.
When modeling unsteady flows, the dynamic routing technique using the four-point
implicit numerical scheme tends to be less numerically stable than the diffusion (zero
inertia) routing technique for certain mixed flows, especially in the near critical range of the
Froude number (Fr) or mixed flows with moving supercritical/subcritical interfaces. It has
been observed that the diffusion technique, which eliminates the two inertial terms in the
momentum equation, produces stable numerical solutions for flows where Fr is in the range
of critical flow (Fr=1.0) and for supercritical flows. To take advantage of the diffusion
method's stability and retain the accuracy of the fully dynamic method, the Local Partial
Inertia modification (LPI) technique is used in the dynamic sewer model. In the LPI
technique, the momentum equation, Equation 11.2, is modified by a numerical filter, σ, so
that the inertial terms are partially or totally omitted based on the time-dependent local
hydraulic conditions.
The modified equation and numerical filter are:
in which σ is a numerical modifier and its value for every finite-difference box (between xi
and xi+1) will be determined at each time step by the following equation:
in which m is a user specified constant and m ≥ 1.0. It is found that smaller values of m
tend to stabilize the solution in some cases while larger values of m provide more accuracy.
The LPI technique was developed by Dr. Ming Jin and Dr. Danny Fread and this technique
has been adapted by Federal dynamic models such as NWS Fldwav model, USACE HEC-
RAS unsteady flow model and EPA-SWMM model.
Related Topics:
 "Pressurized Flow"
 "Dry Bed (Low Flow)"
 "Steep Reaches"
 "Flooding"
Dry Bed (Low Flow)

For the dry flow condition, the numerical model applies a very small initial steady flow
(virtual flow) at the start the simulation. This virtual flow is applied system-wide and has
negligible effect on the computational results over the full simulation. The engine
distributes and manages the virtual flow allocation and de-allocation dynamically across all
the network branches and loops over the full course of the simulation, and sophisticated
algorithms are developed to distribute the virtual flows in the way that they will not be
accumulative and they have only local impacts on the very low flow conditions. These
virtual flow assignments are based on a tiny threshold value that is dynamically adjusted
over the duration of the analysis. A virtual flow filter algorithm adjusts the results for the
virtual flow quantities and depths by subtracting the virtual flow effects from the hydraulic
results at each time step at each solution point over the network.
To users, these virtual flows are invisible and there is no practical impact on the
computational results.
Related Topics:
 "Steep Reaches"
 "Flooding"
Dry Bed (Low Flow)

For the dry flow condition, the numerical model applies a very small initial steady flow
(virtual flow) at the start the simulation. This virtual flow is applied system-wide and has
negligible effect on the computational results over the full simulation. The engine
distributes and manages the virtual flow allocation and de-allocation dynamically across all
the network branches and loops over the full course of the simulation, and sophisticated
algorithms are developed to distribute the virtual flows in the way that they will not be
accumulative and they have only local impacts on the very low flow conditions. These
virtual flow assignments are based on a tiny threshold value that is dynamically adjusted
over the duration of the analysis. A virtual flow filter algorithm adjusts the results for the
virtual flow quantities and depths by subtracting the virtual flow effects from the hydraulic
results at each time step at each solution point over the network.
To users, these virtual flows are invisible and there is no practical impact on the
computational results.
Related Topics:
 "Steep Reaches"
 "Flooding"
Flooding
A unique hydraulic condition in the storm sewer modeling is the overcharged-flow-
resulted street surface flooding. This is the condition in which the drainage flow into the
sewer pipe is much larger than the sewer capacity and the depth is built higher than the
ground surface elevation. In addition, at the sewer junctions (manholes) where there may be
open access to the ground, the flow starts to go upward through the manhole openings,
overtop the manhole rims.
There are two scenarios after the street flooding occurs:
 If there is a surface gutter or channel connected to the manhole, the overflowing water
will join the surface gutter or channel and will be accounted for and simulated as part of
the flows in the gutter subsystem. These flows may drain back to the sewer subsystem
somewhere downstream.
 If there is no surface gutter or channel connected to the overflowed manhole, the
overtopped flows leave the sewer system and these flows are lost to the system; this will
be reflected by a flow volume loss. In this condition, there may also be a storage area
above the ground elevation and below the user-specified overtop elevation. The water
stored in the storage area will drain back to the manhole when the water elevation
recesses. Users can specify the storage areas and the street-flooding-overtop elevation. A
default overtop elevation is the ground rim elevation, assuming there is no storage effects.
The implicit hydraulic engine treats the street overtopping overflow as weir flow and uses a
weir equation to determine the overflow. The weir crest elevation is the user-specified
street overtop elevation and the weir length is determined by an empirical equation:
WL = overflow weir crest length

dh = the head over the overflow weir
Convex Routing
Convex routing is a hydrologic routing technique used to calculate the hydrograph at the
downstream end of a link, given its value at the upstream end. It is used in all EPS runs of
the GVF-convex solver.
The underlying logic in the convex routing method is that the routed outflow for a time step
is based on the inflow and outflow for the previous time step. Each outflow ordinate is
calculated as:
The convex routing coefficient is essentially a ratio of the hydrologic time step and
representative flow travel time through the pipe and is calculated as follows:
The velocity used to calculate the coefficient is either the normal velocity or full flow
velocity generated for a user-specified percentage of the peak of the inflow hydrograph. In
other words, if the percentage of the peak flow is greater than the capacity of the pipe then
the full-flow velocity is used. If the percentage of the peak flow is less than the capacity the
flow velocity for normal depth is used.
Note: You can specify the percentage of the peak flow, which is used to calculate the
Convex Routing coefficient for each pipe by entering the value for the property Peak Flow
Ratio % in the Calculation options when the GVF-convex solver is the active solver. The
values typically range between 50% and 75%.
The higher the percentage of flow the faster the velocity used to calculate the convex
routing coefficient, hence the closer the routed hydrograph will be to a pure translation of
the inflow hydrograph.
The user-specified percentage can be modified in the calculation options. A typical value is
around 75 % but can be modified for oddly shaped hydrographs with sharp uncharacteristic
peaks or for calibration purposes.
In the case of negative sloping pipe, the convex routing coefficient can be very small and
overestimate peak flow attenuation. In these pipes, there is usually very little peak
attenuation. The user can provide a value for C for negative sloping pipe on the order of 0.3
to 0.5 to achieve more realistic results for this case. The value is entered in the property
"Minimum convex C for negative conduit". The default value is zero.
Note: Known Flows are not routed. Known Flows override other known flows, and are not
cumulative going downstream.
Section Hydraulics
Within the hydraulics solver the decomposed network branches and loops comprise a series
of reach segments and/or structures that are logically ordered from upstream to downstream
by the numerical engine. Each reach segment consists of either a prismatic conduit section
or a natural channel segment described by separately defined upstream and downstream
open channel sections.
This section includes the following topics:
Conduit Shapes
Natural Reach Shapes
Virtual Conduits
Virtual Pressure Pipes
Roughness Models
Lateral Links
Conduit Shapes
The supported conduit shapes are shown in the subtopics below. Each shape is
parameterized by one, two, or more characteristic dimensions as shown in the reference
figure. In this model, a conduit is taken to be a prismatic (constant-shaped) conveyance
segment that is defined by a single shape. Conduits do not have to be closed sections, so
prismatic design channels can be modeled using conduit elements.
The allowable conduit shapes include:
Circular Channel
Trapezoidal Channel
Basket Handle
Ellipse
Horseshoe
Egg
Semi-ellipse
Arch
Pipe-Arch
Semi-Circle
Catenary
Gothic
Modified Basket Handle
Triangle
Rectangular Channel
Irregular Open Channel
Irregular Closed Section
Rectangular-Rounded
Rectangular-Triangular
Power
Parabola
Circular Channel Shape
A circular pipe or channel is simply defined by its Diameter (D). Optimal conveyance is
achieved when the flow depth is about 0.938*D.
Trapezoidal Channel Shape
A trapezoidal channel requires the input of the height (H) and its bottom width (W).
Additionally, the left (SL)and right (SR) side slopes should be provided.
Basket-Handle Shape
The required input to define the size of a Basket-Handle Arch is simply its Height or Rise
(H). Unique to basket-Handle shape is the ratio of the bottom width (W) of the Arch to be
.99135 of the Height (H). The remaining shape characteristics are derived based upon
internal look up tables to the SWMM implementation. These auxiliary attributes include:
Horseshoe Shape
The required input to define the size of a Horseshoe Arch is simply its Height or Rise (H).
The remaining attributes are derived based upon tables internal to the SWMM
implementation. Sometimes referred to as "Boston Horseshoe Arch", the unique cross
sectional characteristics are based upon a top radius equal to half of its height. The
definition of the bottom half of the arch is more complex and based upon internal angles
Egg Shape
The only user input to define a Egg Shaped Arch is its Height or Rise (H). The remaining
attributes are derived based upon tables internal to the SWMM implementation. Its unique
cross sectional characteristics are based upon a top radius equal to one-third of its height.
The definition of the bottom portion of the arch is more complex and based upon internal
angles
Semi-Ellipse Shape
The required input to define the size of a Semi-Elliptical Arch is simply its Height or Rise
(H). Unique to this arch shape is that characteristic that at its widest dimension, at its base,
the width is equal to its height (H). The shape is geometrically defined with the function of
an ellipsis, where the traditional elliptical coefficients of A and B respectively correspond
to H/2 and H.
Arch Shape
The cross sectional shape of an Arch link is loosely defined by its Span and Rise. When
computing using the Implicit or Explicit (SWMM) engine in CivilStorm or SewerGEMS
only these two parameters are required. The remaining attributes are derived based upon
internal look-up tables native to the EPA-SWMM computations, and therefore, differs
slightly from the "Pipe-Arch"-306 conduit shape. The GVF-Rational and GVF-Convex
solvers also support the Arch conduit shape selection.
Pipe-Arch
Pipe-Arch Shape
The Pipe-Arch shape originates from FHWA publications, and differs slightly from the
more generically defined "Arch"-305 shape from SWMM. Currently, a conduit may given a
Pipe-Arch conduit shape only when the conduit type is a conduit catalog reference. Pipe-
Arch shape is supported by the GVF-Rational and GVF-Convex solvers. In addition to Rise
and Span, the cross sectional characteristics of a Pipe-Arch include:
Rc = Corner Radius
Rb = Bottom Radius
Rt = Top Radius
B = Bottom Distance
Full Area = cross sectional full flow area of the pipe
Semi-Circular Shape
A Semi-Circular Arch is sized only by its Rise or Height (H). The semi-circular shape has a
radius (R) equal to its Height (H). At its largest, at its base, its width is twice the Height
(H).
Catenary Shape
The only user input to define a Catenary Arch is its Height or Rise (H). The shape is
principally defined with the cosine function, where the coefficients a and b are determined
within SWMM computations.
Gothic Shape
A Gothic Arch is well defined based upon its Height or Rise (H). At its greatest width (W)
the unique proportion of W to H is 1.115. Also unique to this arch type is the existence of
the equilateral triangle with side lengths of W.
Modified Basket-Handle Shape
The Modified Basket Handle Arch is only defined by its Rise or Height (H) and its Width
(W). The top portion is a semi-circular in shape with a radius equal in size to half its Width
(W
Triangle Shape
A triangular shaped channel varies in its input requirements. When based solely upon its
height (H) and its width (W) the channels left (SL) and right (SR) side slopes are assumed
equivalent. Otherwise the channel could be defined based upon user provided height (H)
and left (SL) and right (SR) side slopes.
Irregular Open Channel Shape
An irregular open channel is defined by a series of Station and Elevation points. Referenced
when using a Bank Channel Roughness type, the Left and Right overbanks are highlighted
in the above example.
Rectangular-Rounded Shape
A Rectangular-Rounded shape is completely defined by three attributes:
H = Height
W = Width
D = Radius of the rounded portion of the channel

Rectangular-Triangular Shape
A Rectangular-Triangular shape is completely defined by three attributes:
H1 = Height of the entire cross section
H2 = Height of the triangular shaped section of the channel
W = Width of the entire cross section
Power Shape
A channel defined with the power function requires the input of the exponent (n) to the
following general form equation: y = xn
Parabola Shape
A channel defined with a general form parabolic function requires the input of the Height
(H), Width (W) and the quadratic coefficient (a) to the following equation:
y = ax2
Natural Reach Shapes

As in most river models, a natural channel branch can be taken as a series of gradually
varying sections. Natural channels segments that describe a branch are defined using an
upstream and downstream open channel section element. The following section shapes may
be used to define natural channels:
 Irregular Closed Section

 Trapezoidal
For natural sections, the engine will automatically insert the required computational
sections along the reach by interpolating a top width versus elevation table that is
dynamically built according to the maximum number of input points that describes either
end-section.
Note: The SWMM engine does not support the notion of a natural channel described between two
open channels cross-sections. So, when solving using the SWMM engine, each open channel reach
will be modeled using the upstream section shape. Using a conduit element with an irregular
shape will provide computational consistency between the SWMM and implicit engines.
Virtual Conduits
User defined conduits can be treated as virtual conduits by setting the Section Type to
Virtual. Virtual conduits are not available in the Conduit Catalog.
In the implicit and explicit solvers, the virtual conduits have length but no diameter/rise and
span. In these solvers, the virtual conduit must have a control structure (e.g. weir, orifice)
assigned to it. If a control structure link is imported from an EPA-SWMM model, a virtual
conduit is created with the control structure.
For the GVF solver, virtual conduits can only be used for diversion links. If a control
structure is placed on a diversion link, it will be ignored since the diversion is controlled
with the diversion rating table or cutoff value.
When switching between the solvers, it is best to set up two physical alternatives when
flow splits are involved. The one associated with the implicit or explicit solvers will have a
control structure while the one with the GVF solvers with be a diversion link. Both of them
can be virtual. It is best to make these links short so that they look like point structures in
profiles.
Virtual Pressure Pipes

The Bentley storm and sanitary sewer models treat pumps as nodes connected to suction
and discharge piping. However, not all solvers were set up with that representation and not
all pumps have suction lines (e.g. submersible pumps).
In the GVF solvers, there is no benefit from using virtual pressure pipes. For the GVF-
convex solver, they are treated as not virtual even if they were set up as virtual in another
solver (with the diameter and length taken from prototype properties). In the GVF-rational
solver, no head loss is calculated for the virtual pressure pipes. When moving between
solvers, the user should remember that head loss is calculated in the GVF-convex solver so
the results may not agree between solvers.
In the implicit solver, pressure pipes connected to pumps may or may not be virtual. When
implicit pressure pipes are virtual, no head loss is calculated and the flow is simply moved
from the upstream to the downstream nodes on the pipe. For example, a virtual suction pipe
can be used to represent a submersible pump which has no suction pipe but is shown with a
suction pipe in the drawing.
In the explicit solver, no head loss is calculated for virtual pressure pipes. When a SWMM
model is imported into a Bentley model, a virtual pressure pipe is placed on both the
suction and discharge side of the pump and the explicit solver is set as the default.
In general, the most accurate calculation of pump flows result if virtual pipes are not used.
If they must be used, then they should be kept short in the drawing. For example, in
SWMM, it is possible to have the discharge side of a pump connected to a node thousands
of feet away with no consideration of the interconnecting force main. This should be
avoided if accuracy in pump behavior is important.
When moving a model between solvers, where virtual pipes are used in the implicit and
explicit solvers, it is advisable to set up a different physical alternative for the solvers.
Roughness Models
The Bentley SewerGEMS solver uses the Manning's equation to evaluate the friction slope
term, Sf:
n = Manning coefficient for

friction
µ = unit conversion factor (1.49 for US Customary and 1.0
for SI units)
R = hydraulic radius
K = flow conveyance factor
The Manning’s n is a user-defined value that introduces the effects of conduit, channel, or
gutter roughness. The K that is actually applied for a segment between two interpolated
locations along the computational stream is evaluated by averaging the K values computed
for the two locations.
For more information on the application of this roughness model, see "Implementations" .
Implementations
Implementations
Storm sewer systems are typically designed and constructed for smaller, more frequent
storms. Runoff from large, less frequent events is usually not entirely conveyed by storm
sewers; rather, it flows over the land surface in roadways and in natural and constructed
open channels. Therefore storm sewer conveyance networks and surface gutter drainage
and conveyance networks are integrated into a whole urban storm sewer infrastructure
system. Bentley SewerGEMS is capable of modeling a complete integrated subsurface
storm sewer and surface gutter (channel) drainage system.
Lateral Links
Lateral links are used to connect Property Connections elements (e.g. houses and other
sources) to gravity elements in a model without the need to divide the downstream link
elements i.e. conduits and channels) into separate links in the model. This can significantly
reduce computational effort since laterals are not included in hydraulic calculations.
Laterals merely connect a property connection to the hydraulic network for the purpose of
loading.
If the Lateral is being used to connect to directly to a link element, then a Tap node must be
placed at the connection point.
Note: Lateral links cannot connect to other lateral links, and Tap node cannot be placed at
midpoint of a Lateral link.
Laterals can be automatically placed between Property Connection elements and the
hydraulic network using LoadBuilder and selecting Property Connection Load Data as the
Available LoadBuilder Method (see LoadBuilder help). They can also be created manually
or be imported using ModelBuilder if laterals are contained in the data source.
While some physical dimensions such as diameter and length can be assigned to laterals,
they are not used in hydraulic calculations. If the user wants to hydraulically design the
lateral pipe, the pipe should be represented in the model as a conduit.
Note: For calculations involving the GVF-Rational solver and Rational Flows, the travel
time in the laterals is not included in travel time calculations.
Location of Flows
Although the type of flow is indicative of its origin (for example a rational flow probably
comes from a catchment area), Bentley SewerGEMS allows flow to be added from several
source locations. Bentley SewerGEMS also tracks flows and flow types as they progress
through the system, making it easy to control and observe storm sewer flows.
Flow (and related) results are broken down into different groups in Bentley SewerGEMS .
The groups are:
 System Flows - total flows in the subsurface (conduit) network, on the downstream side of
a catch basin, manhole or transition node. The system flows are equal to the sum of the
Local and Upstream flows.
 Local Flows - flows that occur at the catch basin where the result is reported. For example
the Local Rational Flow at catch basin is the 'rational flow' (i.e. catchment runoff
computed using the Rational Method) generated by catchments that discharge directly to
that catch basin.
 Upstream Flows - total flows in the subsurface (conduit) network, on the upstream side of
a catch basin, manhole or transition node.
 Intercepted Flows - flows that are intercepted or captured by the inlet at a catch basin
node.
 Bypass Flows - flows that are not intercepted by the inlet at a catch basin node, and
continue on downstream via a gutter element
 Carryover Flows - flows at an inlet that were bypassed, via a gutter, from the inlet
upstream.
 Total Inlet Flows - the sum of the Local and Carryover flows that reach an inlet via the
surface network. In other words, the total flow that reaches an inlet.
In addition, Bentley SewerGEMS breaks flows down into different flow types. The types
are:
 Rational Flow - catchment runoff computed using the Rational Method

 Additional Subsurface Flow - flow added directly to the subsurface (conduit) network. This
can represent a fixed inflow from a know source, such as an industrial discharge
 Additional Carryover Flow - additional flow in the surface (gutter) network. This can
represent gutter flow that bypassed an upstream inlet, where that upstream inlet is not
included in the current Bentley SewerGEMS model
 Additional Flow - the sum of Additional Subsurface and Additional Carryover flows after
they have mixed together in the subsurface (conduit) network
 Known Flow - a flow where the total flow rate is know at various points in the system. A
known flow downstream will overwrite (not add to) a known flow upstream. This can be
used to represent flows derived from flow monitoring results.
 Fixed Flow - the sum of Additional and Known flows.
The major locations of load input and reporting are as follows:
 Surface Catchment Loads

 Surface Carryover Loads
 Inlet Approach Loads
 Inlet Captured (Intercepted) Loads
 Inlet Bypassed Loads
 Subsurface Piped Loads
 Subsurface External Loads
 Subsurface Total Piped Loads
Although input flow loads such as surface catchment loads and subsurface external loads
are only editable for inlets, calculated loads, such as subsurface total piped load, are
computed for all nodes.
Surface Catchment Loads

Surface Carryover Loads
Inlet Approach Loads
Inlet Captured (Intercepted) Loads
Inlet Bypassed Loads
Subsurface Piped Loads
Subsurface External Loads
Subsurface Total Piped Load

The surface catchment load includes rational loading (areas, rational coefficients, and time
of concentration) from the local catchment.
Note: This load may also include an additional load representing a fixed flow that
contributes to the gutter flow approaching the inlet (similar to subsurface external loads).
Note that supplementary rational gutter loads that are not part of the Bentley SewerGEMS
system can be accounted for simply as another sub-catchment area and C coefficient.

Surface carryover loads are loads that have been bypassed from upstream gutter inlets. Note
that the term "upstream" in this case refers to the directionality of the gutter network, which
does not necessarily correspond to the directionality of the subsurface piped network. In
fact, carryover loads may even come from inlets that are part of a separate pipe network.
Note that carryover loads are assumed to have the same time of concentration as the surface
catchment load. The times of concentration from their original catchments are not
considered.

The inlet approach load is the sum of the surface catchment load and the surface carryover
loads. This represents the total flow that is in the gutter or ditch immediately before it is
captured or bypassed.
The load intercepted by a surface inlet is calculated based on the HEC-22 methodology, the
inlet maximum capacity curve, or capture curve, depending on which type of inlet is used.
This represents the load that is actually captured by the inlet and enters the subsurface
structure. The captured load is assumed to have the same proportions of load (rational and
additional) as the approach load. Inlet captured loads are represented as a percentage of the
inlet approach load.

An inlet's bypassed load is the part of the approach load that is not intercepted by the
surface inlet. This load is assumed to have the same proportion of load (rational and
additional) as the approach load. Bypassed loads may be directed to any other inlet in any
pipe network, or may be lost. Lost flows are accumulated and accounted for at outlets, but
never contribute to subsurface piped flow.

Subsurface piped loads are those that enter a subsurface structure from upstream pipes.
These loads combine in accordance with each load component's behavior. This means that
rational loads are normalized to a common time, additional loads are summed directly, and
so on. Because of rational load normalization, a node's total upstream flow may be less than
the sum of each pipe's total flow.

Subsurface external loads are user-entered loads that represent flows entering the pipe
network at and below an inlet, such as a roof or footing drain or another storm sewer
branch. These loads are not used to analyze or design the inlet structure, but are used in
analyzing or designing the pipe network.

The total piped load is the total load leaving a node, and is calculated by summing all of the
contributing loads: intercepted surface load, subsurface piped loads, and subsurface
external loads. For nodes where there are no surface loads or external loads entering, the
total piped load is equal to the sum of subsurface piped loads (upstream).
Note: The rational component of the total piped load will be based on the overall
controlling time, which is the largest of the upstream system time, the intercepted load time
of concentration, or the external load time of concentration.
Pipe Average Velocity

Several common methods for computing a pipe's average velocity are available:
Uniform Flow Velocity

Full Flow Velocity
Simple Average Velocity
Weighted Average Velocity
Pipe Average Velocity and Travel Time
Uniform Flow Velocity

The uniform flow velocity of a pipe is obtained by calculating the velocity in the pipe at
normal depth. Under surcharged conditions (Q > Q max), the surcharged velocity is used
instead. In the case of converging top pipes, under partially filled flow conditions and two
normal depth roots exist, the larger normal depth conjugate depth is used to compute the
uniform flow average velocity.
Full Flow Velocity

The full flow velocity corresponds to the velocity when the pipe is flowing full. The flow
area is equal to the entire cross-sectional area of the pipe.
Simple Average Velocity

The simple average velocity is computed by:
The Simple Average Velocity method does not account for any depth changes between the
two ends of the pipe as the weighted average velocity method does.
Weighted Average Velocity

To compute the weighted average velocity, the simple average velocity of each profile
segment is considered and given a weight based on its length:
 Va =Average velocity for the pipe (m/s, ft/s)

 Vui =Upstream velocity for segment i (m/s, ft/s)
 Vdi =Downstream velocity for segment i (m/s, ft/s)
 Li =Length of the profile segment i (m, ft)
 Lt =Total length of the pipe (m, ft)
Pipe Average Velocity and Travel Time

The travel time though each pipe is computed as:
t=L/V
Where:
 t = Time of travel through the pipe (s)

 V = Average velocity though the pipe (m/s, ft/s)
 L = Length of the pipe (m, ft)
Rational Loading
The analysis of storm sewers is usually based on testing the ability of the piping system to
appropriately handle peak flows without flooding roadways or scouring the pipes. The
rational method is a popular method for estimating peak flows, based on the size and runoff
coefficient of a watershed, and the intensity of the storm event.
The fundamental rational formula is:

Other forms of the rational method are commonly used which incorporate values in
different units to make the order of magnitude of parameters more suitable for hand
calculations. For example, the rational formula is often used with watershed area in acres
and rainfall intensity in inches per hour. However, using this formula as-is can result in
common mistakes, such as omitting the required unit conversion from acre- inches per hour
to cubic feet per second (1.008). Conversions such as these are automatically performed
within Bentley SewerGEMS to give you the most accurate results possible.
Catchment Areas
Rational Coefficient
Composite Catchments
Time of Concentration
System Time / Controlling Time / Duration
Rainfall Intensity
Return Period and Frequency
Intensity Durations Frequency Data
Rainfall Tables
Rainfall Equations Theory
Basic Assumptions about the Rational Method
Catchment Areas
A catchment is the geographical area that "catches" the rainfall and directs it towards a
common discharge point within the storm collection network.
Rational Coefficient
The rational C coefficient is the parameter that is the most open to engineering judgment. It
is a unitless number between 0.0 and 1.0 that relates the rate of rainfall over a catchment to
the rate of discharge from that catchment. A value of 0.0 implies that none of the rainfall is
discharged from the catchment, while a value of 1.0 implies that all of the rainfall is
immediately discharged from the catchment.
The coefficient is highly dependent on land use and slope approaching 1.0 for impervious
ground covers, such as pavement. For some common C values for various types of land
cover and slope, see the Engineer's Reference section at the end of this appendix.
Composite Catchments
Most catchments are comprised of more than one type of ground cover. For example, a
roadside drainage inlet may accept flow from the paved roadway, the curbside grass, and a
nearby wooded area. To account for the effects of each of these areas, multiply each
corresponding sub-catchment area and rational coefficient, then add the values to obtain the
total CA (C·A) for the entire catchment.
Note: Since the rational coefficient is unitless, CA values have units of area. A weighted
value for the rational coefficient can be determined by dividing the catchment's total CA
by the total catchment area. Rather than tracking area and weighted rational coefficients
separately, rational loads are often described solely by using the total CA value. Since the
C coefficient and area are multiplied together in the rational formula anyway, there is no
adverse effect of this simplification on flow determination.
Some locations within a catchment are hydraulically closer to the discharge point than
others. In other words, it may start raining right now, but it could be several minutes (or
even hours) before the water that lands on some parts of the catchment arrive at the
discharge point. Rational method hydrology is based on contributing flow from the entire
catchment area. The time that it takes for water to go from the most hydraulically remote
area to reach the discharge point is the governing time to be used in the Rational Method.
This is called the time of concentration.
Note: There are numerous methods for calculating the time of concentration, based on
various federal and local regulations, as well as scientific publications. Although
calculation methods vary significantly, they are all based on similar factors such as ground
cover, ground slope, and travel distance.
System Time / Controlling Time / Duration

Similar to a time of concentration, a system time (or controlling time) is the amount of time
it takes for all contributing parts of the storm sewer to reach a given location. This includes
a catchment's time of concentration, and pipe travel times. When combining rational loads,
the controlling time is the greatest of the individual loads' system times. This system time is
used as the duration of the storm when determining peak intensity, and therefore peak flow.
To avoid unreasonably low storm durations and unreasonably high rainfall intensities,
many regulatory agencies impose minimum storm durations, typically 5 or 10 minutes.
Bentley SewerGEMS allows you to specify a minimum storm duration and uses this as the
controlling time when the computed time is too low. In these cases, Bentley SewerGEMS
carries the computed system time throughout the system, but continues to calculate
intensity based on the minimum allowed time (until the system time rises above the
minimum).
For example, consider a catchment at I-1 with a time of concentration of 4 minutes, and a
minimum allowable duration of 5 minutes:
I-1 Catchment time of concentration: 4.0 minutes
Bentley SewerGEMS computes flow based on: 5.0 minutes
P-1 Pipe travel time: 0.5 minutes
J-1 System time (4.0 + 0.5): 4.5 minutes
P-2 Pipe travel time: 1.0 minutes

O-1 System time (4.5 + 1.0): 5.5 minutes
This 5.5 minutes is used as the duration in the intensity vs. duration equation used to
calculate i in determining the flow using:
See Flow Balance at Junctions for more information
Rainfall Intensity
Rainfall intensity is the measure of how "hard" it is raining. The harder it rains, the higher
the intensity. Intensity is defined as the volume of rainfall that falls for a given time period
divided by that time. For any given rainfall storm event, on average the longer the storm
lasts, the lower the overall intensity will be.
This is consistent with what we would intuitively expect. Any given storm may rain hard
for a short period of time, but it builds to that intensity and falls from that intensity over a
period of time.
Return Period and Frequency

The return period and frequency are statistical descriptors of the severity of a storm event.
The return period is the expected length of time between two rainfall events that exceed a
specific magnitude. Frequency, or exceedance probability, is the inverse of the return
period. As you might expect, the higher the return period, the more infrequent the storm
event, and the higher the intensity of the rainfall.
For example, a storm with a 5-year return period represents an event that is expected to be
exceeded once every five years (on average). The frequency is 1/5, which means that there
is a 20% probability of a storm exceeding that magnitude occurring in any given year. Note
that the return period does not mean that two storm events exceeding a given magnitude
will not occur in the same year, nor does it guarantee that a storm event exceeding this
magnitude will occur within any given five year span. It just means that these storms will
occur at an average rate of once every five years.
Intensity Durations Frequency Data

The intensity of a rainfall event is directly related to the duration and return period of the
storm. Often this data is presented in the form of Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF)
curves, as in the example graph below:
Rainfall data is applied in one of two other forms:
 Rainfall Tables
 Rainfall Equations
Rainfall Tables
Creating rainfall tables is a simple matter of picking values from a set of rainfall curves,
and entering them into the table. For duration values that do not correspond directly to
values entered in the table, intensities are linearly interpolated or extrapolated.
Rainfall Equations Theory

IDF curves can generally be fit to equations with good accuracy. If you do not have an
appropriate equation from your local regulating agency, a rainfall table may be more
suitable.
The most common form of these equations is:

Basic Assumptions about the Rational
Method
There are several assumptions that form the basis for rational method hydrology:
 Drainage areas are smaller than 300 acres (120 hectares).

 Peak flow occurs when the entire catchment is contributing.
 Rainfall intensity is uniform over a duration of time equal to or greater than the time of
concentration.
 Rational coefficients are independent of the intensity of the rainfall.
 Surface (Gutter) System

 Storm sewer systems are typically designed and constructed for smaller, more
frequent storms. Runoff from large, less frequent events is usually not entirely
conveyed by storm sewers; rather, it flows over the land surface in roadways and in
natural and constructed open channels. Therefore storm sewer conveyance networks
and surface gutter drainage and conveyance networks are integrated into a whole
urban storm sewer infrastructure system. Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT is
capable of modeling a complete integrated subsurface storm sewer and surface
gutter (channel) drainage system.
 Fundamental Solution of the Gutter System
 Inlet Hydraulics
 HEC-22 Inlet Capacity Calculations
 Headloss - HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) Loss Method
 Headloss - HEC-22 Minor Loss Method
 Inlet Openings
 Flow in Ditch or Median Section on Grade
 V-Shaped Gutter Cross Section
 Parabolic Gutter Cross Section
 Flows at Catchbasins
 HEC-22 (2nd edition) Structure Loss
Fundamental Solution of the Gutter
System
The Bentley SewerGEMS model simulates the gutter subsurface flows using diffusion
routing algorithms. A nonlinear Muskingum-Cunge routing method is used to route the
flows in gutters and the Manning’s equation is used to compute water depths in the gutters.
An inlet receives both runoff flow from the catch basin and flows from gutters. Since it is
an open pathway to subsurface sewers, it is possible that the subsurface sewers can become
pressurized and as the overloaded flow increases and sewer water elevation rises above the
inlet elevation so that "street flood" or "overflow" occurs in which water flows from the
subsurface sewer to the ground through the manhole and the inlet. Under this condition, the
water also finds its way to gutters and flows downstream if there is a gutter connected to
the catch basin. This reverse interaction between subsurface sewer and surface gutter is also
properly modeled by Bentley SewerGEMS model. Therefore a gutter can carry excessive
flow from an inlet or overflow from a catch basin.
There is a difference between a gutter as a surface drainage network and an open channel as
part of a sewer network in a Bentley SewerGEMS model. A gutter (or channel) in a surface
network is always associated with a catch basin inlet and the main source of its flow comes
from the excess water of the inlet or the overflow from the overcharged sewer catch basin.
On the other hand, an open channel can be a part of the subsurface sewer system and a
channel can be directly linked to a conduit.
Inlet Hydraulics
Bentley SewerGEMS considers the following inlet hydraulic principles:
 "HEC-22 Inlet Capacity Calculations"

 "Flows in Gutters on Grade"
 "Flow in Ditch or Median Section on Grade"
 "Inlet Openings"
 "Grate Inlet on Grade"
 "Curb Inlet on Grade"
 "Slot Inlet on Grade"
 "Combination Inlet on Grade"
 "Grate Inlet in Sag"
 "Curb Inlet in Sag"
 "Slot Inlet in Sag"
 "Combination Inlet in Sag"
 "Location of Flows"
 HEC-22 Inlet Capacity Calculations

 Note: Pavement drainage requires consideration of gutter flow and inlet capacity.
The design of these elements is dependent on storm frequency and the allowable
spread of storm water on the pavement surface.
 The primary methodology used by Bentley SewerGEMS to perform pavement
drainage and inlet computations is described in Chapter 4 of the HEC-22 manual:
Urban Drainage Design Manual, 2009. This chapter is included as Pavement
Drainage on page 4-1. Related charts can be found in the Appendices. Most of the
information presented in HEC-22 Chapter 4 was originally published in the 2nd
edition, August 2001 Pub No FHWA-NHI-01-021FHWA, and AASHTO’s Model
Drainage Manual, 1991.
 This section presents an overview of the HEC-22 methodology used by Bentley
SewerGEMS . For more information, refer to Pavement Drainage on page 4-1 or the
HEC-22 documentation.
Headloss - HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition)

Loss Method
In recent years, the FHWA has defined an updated procedure for computing loss through a
junction. Bentley provides the ability to switch between the previous the junction loss
methods: HEC-22 Energy (Second Edition) and the newer HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition).
The newer protocol is detailed the FHWA's Urban Drainage Design Manual - Hydraulic
Engineering Circular No. 22, Third Edition, 2009). The Second Edition procedure
computes correction factor used to adjust an overall loss coefficient term. In contrast, the
Third Edition computes total junction loss through summation of multiple componentized
losses. Computationally, and perhaps the most significant improvement with the Third
Edition, is the explicit procedure in which plunging inflows are considered.
The Third Edition procedure has three calculation steps: solve for Entrance Loss, then the
Additional Structure Losses, and finally the Exit Loss for each inflowing pipe to the
junction. Each step solves for the relative energy loss in downstream to upstream order,
relative to the energy grade line. Therefore, and to hold true to the FHWA protocol, this
method can only be utilized when the calculation option of Structure Loss Mode set to
Energy Grade. In summary, the method computes an access hole's energy level at the
upstream boundary () before Exit Loss, as:
After the Total Additional Structure Losses (See also: HEC-22 (Third Edition) Additional
Structure Losses) are determined, and the structure’s upstream energy level is computed,
the Exit Loss can then be calculated for each incoming piped flow. (See also: HEC-22
(Third Edition) Exit Loss.)
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Additional Structure Losses

HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Angled Inflows
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Benching
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Entrance Loss
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Exit Loss
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Plunging
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) -

Benching
One component of Total Additional Structure Losses (HA) is the energy loss due to
benching.
See also: HEC-22 (Third Edition) Additional Structure Losses.
Similar to the consideration for benching within the Second Edition method, the structure's
benching classification equates to a coefficient used to derive the component loss.
However, the benching coefficient in Third Edition protocol is a factor applied to relative
Entrance Loss instead of a minor loss coefficient applied to the velocity head.
The Third Edition of HEC-22 Manual categorizes five distinct for benching configurations.
Within the calculation option a Bentley user may customize the value of the (CB)
coefficient which maps to each benching configuration. The default (CB) values are those
recommended by Table 7-6 within the HEC-22 manual. For further flexibility, separate
(CB) values may be provided by the user for submerged and unsubmerged conditions. (See
also: Calculation Options.)
Note: Between submerged and unsubmerged conditions, the applicable (CB) coefficient
will be interpolated between these two values for the corresponding benching
configuration.
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) -

Entrance Loss
The first of three principle computational steps to computing energy losses through an
access hole, according to the HEC-22 (Third Edition) procedure, is determining the
Entrance Loss. Entrance Loss is the relative increase in energy grade line from the outflow
pipe's upstream energy grade line ( EGLi) up to the Initial Access Hole Energy Level (Eai)
at the downstream boundary side of the structure.
In summary, Entrance Loss (Hi) is defined with the following equation:
The Initial Access Hole Energy Level (Eai) is the maximum of three control conditions that
parallel the governing flow regimes of culvert hydraulics:
Estimated Energy Level Assuming Outlet Control
Under this condition the outflow pipe backs up the access hole, and this confines flow out
of the structure. In this case the outflow pipe is flowing full or nearly full, and so the loss
under outlet control (Hi) can be simply estimated with the outlet flow velocity:
Estimated Energy Level Assuming Inlet Control
In this case the flow through the access hole is limited due to upstream conditions. Under
inlet controlled conditions, a culvert analysis approach of computing an intermediate
Discharge Intensity (DI) term is used. Governing flow conditions under inlet control can be
categorized as weir-like, transitional, or orifice-like. Therefore, within the inlet control
case, the energy level considering entrance loss is the conservative selected as the larger of
the calculated submerged (Eais) or unsubmerged (Eaiu) terms:
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Exit

Loss
The last of three principle computational steps to computing energy losses from an inflow
pipe, through an access hole, and to the outlet pipe (in downstream to upstream order) is the
calculation of exit loss. According to the HEC-22 (Third Edition) procedure, the relative
Exit Loss (Ho) is evaluated independently for each incoming piped inflow to the structure.
In fact, Exit Loss results are reported on the incoming pipes themselves.
If the pipe is contributing a plunging inflow to the structure, then the Exit Loss is not
computed directly. The loss is effectively the relative difference between the energy level
of the incoming plunging flow (EGLo) and the previously solved Energy Grade Line (In)
that is reported for the structure.
HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) - Plunging
One component of Total Additional Structure Losses (HA) is the energy loss due to
plunging inflows.
See also: HEC-22 (Third Edition) Additional Structure Losses.
All piped and locally injected inflows to the structure are evaluated to see if plunging
conditions exist. If so, and proportionally, those inflows contribute to the computed
additional loss due to plunging (Hp). A piped inflow is classified as plunging if the
elevation of inflow (Zp) exceeds the energy level in the structure (Eai). (See also: HEC-22
(Third Edition) Entrance Loss.
Note: Locally injected or intercepted flows at the node are also included as a contributing
plunging inflow if the top or rim elevation of the structure (Zp) exceeds this energy datum
(Eai).
The additional energy loss contributing to plunging inflows to the structure is the weighted
sum of all plunging inflows to the structure. Generally, a composite plunging inflow
coefficient (Ea) is calculated, and then applied against the known Entrance Loss (Cp).
The coefficient (Cp) is used in the procedural steps for computing the junction loss at the
structure. Detailed plunging results are also calculated for each individual inflow pipe into the
structure of interest, for reporting reasons.
Headloss - HEC-22 Minor Loss Method

In recent years, the FHWA has defined an updated procedure for computing loss through a
larger junction or access hole. Bentley provides the ability to switch between the previous
the junction loss methods: HEC-22 Energy (Second Edition) and the newer HEC-22
Energy (Third Edition). Also detailed in the FHWA's Urban Drainage Design Manual -
Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22, Third Edition, 2009) is equation for modeling
junction loss for a junction between a smaller lateral pipe and larger carrier pipe.
Computationally, the minor loss equation is based on conservation of momentum as a

lateral inflow enters the piped network. The HEC-22 Equation (7-10) is iteratively solved
due to the interdependency of hydraulic grades and velocities at each boundary of the
junction.
Inlet Openings
Inlet openings are divided into 4 classifications, as illustrated in the following figure:
Inlet Openings
For details on each type of inlet, refer to the HEC-22 Manual, Chapter 4 (see "Pavement
Drainage").
Note: Do not confuse gutter depression and local depression:
The gutter depression is the depression of the gutter relative to the pavement normal cross-
slope. Local depression is depression at the location of the inlet. See Gutter and Local
Depression.
Inlets on Grade
Inlets in Sag
Gutter System Hydraulics
Gutter and Local Depression
Inlets on Grade
Inlets located on a grade (SL > 0) are characterized by an efficiency, E, for a given set of
conditions:
Where:
E = Inlet efficiency (unitless)
Q = Total gutter flow (m3/sec, ft3/sec)
Qi = Intercepted flow (m3/sec, ft3/sec)
The flow that is not intercepted is called carryover or bypass flow. It is defined as follows:
Qb = Q - Qi
Where:
Qb = Bypass flow (m3/sec, ft3/sec)
Grate Inlet on Grade

Curb Inlet on Grade
Slot Inlet on Grade
Combination Inlet on Grade
Slot Inlet
The efficiency of a Slotted Inlet on Grade with an opening width greater than or equal to 45
mm (1.75 in) is calculated using the same equations as for a curb opening inlet of the same
length.
Combination Inlet
HEC-22 distinguishes two cases:
 The grate and the curb opening are placed side by side. In this case, the flow
interception by the curb opening is negligible, and the capacity of the combination
inlet is identical to that of the grate alone.
 The curb opening is extended upstream of the grate in order to intercept debris that
could otherwise clog the grate inlet. The flow intercepted by the combination inlet is
calculated as the flow intercepted by the curb opening upstream of the grate inlet,
plus the portion of the remaining flow intercepted by the grate.
 Inlets in Sag
 Note: Inlets in sag location operate as weirs at low water depth and as orifices at
higher depth.
 Grate inlets alone are not recommended, as clogging of the grate is likely to occur.
 In contrast with inlets on grade, the efficiency of an inlet located in sag is always
assumed to be 1.0 (or 100%).
 Grate Inlet in Sag
 Curb Inlet in Sag
 Slot Inlet in Sag
 Combination Inlet in Sag
 Transition Flow
 Orifice Flow
 Weir Flow
 Grate Inlet in Sag
 Grate Inlet
 The flow Qiw intercepted by a grate inlet operating as a weir is:
W = Width of the grate (m, ft)

L = Length of the grate (m, ft)
C W = Weir Coefficient (1.66 SI, 3.0 U.S. customary)
d1 = Flow depth at middle of grate(m, ft)
d 2 = Flow depth at side of grate opposite the curb (m, ft)
 The flow Qio intercepted by a grate inlet operating as an orifice is:
Qio = Capacity of the grate operating as an orifice (cfs, m 3 /s)

A = Clear opening area of grate (ft2 , m2 )
d = Average depth of flow over grate (ft, m)
g = Acceleration due to gravity (ft/s2 , m/s2 )
 The intercepted flow Qi is conservatively calculated at any flow depth by using the
lesser of the intercepted flows computed using the weir or orifice equation:
 This accounts for the three stages: weir flow, orifice flow and transitional flow.
 Note: The depth of flow over the grate opening could vary significantly with gutter
shape and when considering local depression.
 Curb Inlet in Sag


 Curb Inlet
 Curb inlets are divided into 3 categories, based on their throat geometry: horizontal
(most common), vertical, and inclined, as defined in the figure below.
 Curb Inlet Throat Types
h = Height of curb-opening inlet (m, ft)

di = Water depth at lip of curb (m, ft)
do = Effective head, measured from center of orifice throat (m, ft)
Θ = Throat angle for inclined-throat inlets
Slot Inlet in Sag

Weir Flow
Slotted inlets located in sag operate as weirs to water depths, d (measured at the curb from
the normal cross slope), of about 0.06 m (0.2ft).
The intercepted flow Qiw is expressed as:
Qiw = CwLd1.5
Cw = Weir coefficient—varies with flow depth and slot length (typically 1.4 SI, 2.48
U.S. customary)
d = Water depth at curb, measured from normal cross slope (m, ft)
L = Slot length (m, ft)
Orifice Flow
At water depths (measured at the curb) greater than about 0.12 m (0.4 ft), slotted inlets
perform as orifices.
The intercepted flow Qio is expressed as:
Qio = 0.8LW(2gd)0.5
W = Slot width (m, ft)

d = Water depth at slot (m, ft)
Transitional Flow
At depths between 0.06 m (measured at the slot from the normal cross slope) and 0.12 m,
the flow is in a transition stage.
The intercepted flow Qi is conservatively calculated in this depth range as:
Qi = min(Qiw, Qio)
Combination Inlet in Sag

According to HEC-22, combination inlets are considered advisable for use in sags where
hazardous ponding occurs.
Conservatively, the ponding depth computed at a combination inlet in sag will be the depth
which corresponds to the smaller of orifice or weir governing intercept, at each opening.
Often, the curb and grate inlet openings are of equal length. However, for improved
efficiency a longer curb inlet opening may be desirable.
Equal Length Inlets
Equal length inlets refer to a grate inlet placed along the side of a curb-opening inlet of
identical length. At lower flow depths, the grate inlet is operating as a weir and the
interception capacity of the curb is negligible (unless the grate is clogged, in which case the
curb is intercepting some flow). The flow Qiw intercepted by the combination is then:
Qiw = CwPd1.5
Cw = Weir coefficient (typically 1.66 SI, 3.0 U.S. customary)

P = Perimeter of grate, disregarding side along curb (m, ft)
d = Flow depth at curb (m, ft)
At higher flow depths, both the grate inlet and the curb-opening inlet are operating as
orifices.
Note: The clear opening area of the grate depends on the opening ratio of the grate (HEC-
22 defines an opening ratio for each grate type), as well as the clogging factor you specify.
The flow Qio intercepted by the combination inlet operating as an orifice is:
Qio = CoAg(2gd)0.5 + CohL(2gdo)0.5
Co = Orifice coefficient (Co = 0.67)

Ag = Clear opening of grate (m2 , ft2 )
g = Gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/sec.2 , 32.16 ft/sec.2 )
h = Height of curb-opening inlet (m, ft)
do = Head, measured from the center of the orifice throat (m, ft)
Sweeper Inlet
A sweeper inlet refers to a grate inlet placed at the downstream end of a longer curb
opening inlet. A sweeper inlet is more efficient than an equal length combination inlet in
intercepting debris.
Note that since the HEC-22 manual is not very explicit about this type of inlet in sag, some
assumptions were made in order to define the flows for this inlet.
The flow Qi intercepted by a sweeper inlet is the sum of the flow Qie as calculated above for
an equal length combination inlet of length L (where L is the length of the grate) and the
flow Qic intercepted by the additional length L (upstream of the grate) of the curb opening.
Qi = Qie + Qic
Transition Flow
At depths between 1.0 and 1.4 times the opening height, the flow is in a transition stage.
This intercepted flow Qi is calculated conservatively in this depth range as:
Qi = min(Qiw, Qio)
Gutter System Hydraulics
Stormwater from runoff enters the subsurface sewer conveyance system through catch
basin inlets in roadway gutters, parking lots, depressions, ditches, and other locations, and
often not all runoff water from the catch basin enters the inlet and additional water flows in
gutters further downstream. There are a few hydraulic aspects to be considered in order to
properly model the catch basin-inlet-gutter subsystem:
 Inlets are designed to have certain drainage capacities, and these capacities play an
important role in the interaction between sewer subsystems and gutter subsystems. There
are well-established design procedures to design inlets based on the design storm data.
Once an inlet is set with specific dimensions, its capacity or hydraulic performance is
known. In a Bentley SewerGEMS model, the user can optionally input this performance
with an inlet capacity rating curve. You can define the tabular relationship between total
catch basin drainage flow and the inlet captured flow is presented, or a maximum inlet
capacity flow amount. The model dynamically determines the inlet flow.
 When the inlet capacity is set, the excess water above its capacity will flow in the gutter to
a downstream point. The gutter can also represent an open channel. Bentley SewerGEMS
lets the user specify the gutter cross section just like an open channel; it can be a
trapezoidal or generic irregular section, and the user would also specify its Manning’s
friction coefficient.
 The following Gutter Shape Types are defined by HEC-22 methodology: Conventional,
Parabolic, V-Shaped, and Trapezoidal (Median). With the exception of the GVF-Convex
solver, these gutter types are supported by each of our numerical solvers, but differently.
HEC-22 Methodology is strictly adhered to for GVF-Rational and Explicit (SWMM) solvers.
However, the Implicit (DW) solver models a gutter link element as channel. Generally,
tcomputed gutter depth and gutter spread at the interface of the gutter and the inlet
opening are computed under assumed uniform flow conditions with the Manning's
equation. More specifically, the computed HEC-22 gutter bypass is used by the Manning's
equation to estimate the gutter depth and spread at the inlet.
The gutter link is modeled as a channel in the implicit solver. The channel is internally
modeled as a rating table of <Depth, Width> pairs for every 20% of Maximum Gutter
Depth. That is 6 points (including <0,0> and <max gutter depth value, computed max gutter
spread> points). This gutter-as-channel method is used to compute the upstream and
downstream pairs of results: 1) Depth (In) and Spread/Top Width (Start) and 2) Depth
(Out) and Spread/Top Width (Stop). The terms "Spread" and "Top Width" are used
interchangeably even though "spread" refers the width of flow in a gutter, and "top width"
is the same measurement but implicitly refers to a channel transect.
This holds true of GVF-Rational, SWMM, and implicit solvers: the software doesn't always
compute a Depth and Top Width/Spread. It will always compute Top Width/Spread and
Depth together, that is, if the software can compute the pair together at the upstream end the
it will compute both of them. Otherwise, the software presents N/A for both of them. At the
upstream/start end of gutter link the software computes depth and width of bypass flow in
the gutter, right after inlet interception at the upstream node. If the upstream node of the
gutter is a Catch Basin, and a physically defined HEC-22 type of catalog inlet, then the
software computes these 2 results. Otherwise the software does not attempt to compute
them (not having enough physical data to compute them at this time. At the
downstream/stop end of the gutter link element the software will always refer to the gutter
depth and gutter spread values at the stop node. Therefore, the stop node has to be a Catch
Basin with a HEC-22 Inlet for these values to be computed and not appear as N/A.
Conventional Gutters
Gutter and Local Depression
The gutter depression is the height of depression at the curb achieved from the steeper
grade of the gutter cross slope relative to the roadway cross-slope. Gutter depression is well
defined for conventional and v-shaped gutter section.
Local depression height is the vertical measure of depression at the location of the inlet. It
is the additional depression in the depression area nearest to the inlet opening. The height
and width of the local depression area can be modeled on a curb or slot inlet opening in the
Inlet Catalog. Local depression does not exist within the gutter upstream of, nor
downstream of the inlet. Local depression is measured relative to the gutter slope. The
depth of surface flow in the gutter, reported at the Catch Basin or Inlet includes any
applicable vertical measure of local depression and gutter depression modeled at the inlet
opening.
 DE = Road Cross Slope (V:H)

 AD = Slope of Depressed Gutter (V:H)
 CB=Slope of Local Depression (V:H)
 F=Width of Local Depression (ft, m)
 G=Gutter Width, Width of Gutter Cross Slope (ft, m)
 H=Spread, including Local Depression
 I=Height of Local Depression (ft, m)
 J=Gutter Depth, including local and gutter depression (ft, m)
Flow in Ditch or Median Section on Grade

V-Shaped Gutter Cross Section
Generally for on-grade inlets, spread is iteratively computed. In the case of a V-Shaped
gutter, the Sx term considers the proportion of wet road and gutter surfaces. This is well
documented in Example 4-4 on page 4-20 of Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22, Third
Edition.
Then V-Shaped gutter depth can be inferred from spread with the following relationship:
d=T*Sx
where:
 T= gutter spread (ft, m)

 d= gutter depth (ft, m)
Conversely, for in sag inlets, the gutter depth is first computed and then the spread.
It should also be noted for V-Shape gutter that its cross sectional gutter flow area is
computed geometrically with the computed on-grade gutter spread. The flow area is used to
find the uniform flow velocity at the frontal interface with the grate inlet opening.
The gutter link is modeled as a channel in the implicit solver. The channel is internally
modeled as a rating table of <Depth, Width> pairs for every 20% of Maximum Gutter
Depth. That is 6 points (including <0,0> and <max gutter depth value, computed max gutter
spread> points). This gutter-as-channel method is used to compute the upstream and
downstream pairs of results: 1) Depth (In) and Spread/Top Width (Start) and 2) Depth
(Out) and Spread/Top Width (Stop). The terms "Spread" and "Top Width" are used
interchangeably even though "spread" refers the width of flow in a gutter, and "top width"
is the same measurement but implicitly refers to a channel transect.
This holds true of GVF-Rational, SWMM, and implicit solvers: the software doesn't always
compute a Depth and Top Width/Spread. It will always compute Top Width/Spread and
Depth together, that is, if the software can compute the pair together at the upstream end the
it will compute both of them. Otherwise, the software presents N/A for both of them. At the
upstream/start end of gutter link the software computes depth and width of bypass flow in
the gutter, right after inlet interception at the upstream node. If the upstream node of the
gutter is a Catch Basin, and a physically defined HEC-22 type of catalog inlet, then the
software computes these 2 results. Otherwise the software does not attempt to compute
them (not having enough physical data to compute them at this time. At the
downstream/stop end of the gutter link element the software will always refer to the gutter
depth and gutter spread values at the stop node. Therefore, the stop node has to be a Catch
Basin with a HEC-22 Inlet for these values to be computed and not appear as N/A.
Parabolic Gutter Cross Section
Where:
H= Gutter Height
B = Gutter Width
a = linear term coefficient dervied with equation: a = 2H/B
b = quadratic term coefficient derived with equation: b=H/B2

See Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22, Third Edition Urban Drainage Design Manual
(2009) for more details
Flows at Catchbasins
Although the type of flow is indicative of its origin (for example a rational flow probably
comes from a catchment area), the Bentley stormwater products allow flow to be added
from several source locations. Bentley SewerGEMS also tracks flows and flow types as
they progress through the system, making it easy to control and observe storm sewer flows.
Flow (and related) results are broken down into different groups in Bentley SewerGEMS .
The groups are:
 System Flows - total flows in the subsurface (conduit) network, on the downstream side
(outlet conduit) of a catch basin, manhole or transition node. The system flows are equal
to the sum of the Local and Upstream flows.
 Local Flows - flows that occur at the catch basin inlet where the result is reported. For
example the Local Rational Flow at catch basin is the 'rational flow' (i.e. catchment runoff
computed using the Rational Method) generated by catchments that discharge directly to
that catch basin.
 Inflow (Collection) - these flows enter at subsurface invert and is treated like carryover
flow in the implicit and explicit sovlers.
 Upstream Flows - total flows in the subsurface (conduit) network, on the upstream side of
a catch basin, manhole or transition node.
 Intercepted Flows - flows that are intercepted or captured by the inlet at a catch basin
node.
 Bypass Flows - flows that are not intercepted by the inlet at a catch basin node, and
continue on downstream via a gutter element
 Carryover Flows - flows at an inlet that were bypassed, via a gutter, from the inlet
upstream.
 Total Inlet Flows - the sum of the Local and Carryover flows that reach an inlet via the
surface network. In other words, the total flow that reaches an inlet. It does not include
flows that enter the invert from upstream conduits.
In addition, the GVF rational solver from Bentley SewerGEMS breaks flows down into
different flow types. The types are:
 Rational Flow - catchment runoff computed using the Rational Method.

 Additional Subsurface Flow - flow added directly to the subsurface (conduit) network. This
can represent a fixed inflow from a known source, such as an industrial discharge.
 Additional Carryover Flow - additional flow in the surface (gutter) network. This can
represent gutter flow that bypassed an upstream inlet, where that upstream inlet is not
included in the current model.
 Additional Flow - the sum of Additional Subsurface and Additional Carryover flows after
they have mixed together in the subsurface (conduit) network.
 Known Flow - a flow where the total flow rate is known at various points in the system. A
known flow downstream will overwrite (not add to) a known flow upstream. This can be
used to represent flows derived from flow monitoring results.
 Fixed Flow - the sum of Additional and Known flows.
The major locations of load input and reporting are as follows:
 Surface Catchment Loads

 Surface Carryover Loads
 Inlet Approach Loads
 Inlet Captured (Intercepted) Loads
 Inlet Bypassed Loads
 Subsurface Piped Loads
 Subsurface External Loads
 Subsurface Total Piped Loads
Although input flow loads such as surface catchment loads and subsurface external loads
are only editable for inlets, calculated loads, such as subsurface total piped load, are
computed for all nodes.
Note: See also: Flow Balance at Junctions-589.

Known Flow

The surface catchment load includes rational loading (areas, rational coefficients, and time
of concentration) from the local catchment.
Note: This load may also include an additional load representing a fixed flow that
contributes to the gutter flow approaching the inlet (similar to subsurface external loads).
Note that supplementary rational gutter loads that are not part of the Bentley SewerGEMS
system can be accounted for simply as another sub-catchment area and C coefficient.

Surface carryover loads are loads that have been bypassed from upstream gutter inlets. Note
that the term "upstream" in this case refers to the directionality of the gutter network, which
does not necessarily correspond to the directionality of the subsurface piped network. In
fact, carryover loads may even come from inlets that are part of a separate pipe network.
Note that carryover loads are assumed to have the same time of concentration as the surface
catchment load. The times of concentration from their original catchments are not
considered.

The inlet approach load is the sum of the surface catchment load and the surface carryover
loads. This represents the total flow that is in the gutter or ditch immediately before it is
captured or bypassed.

The load intercepted by a surface inlet is calculated based on the HEC-22 methodology, the
inlet maximum capacity curve, or capture curve, depending on which type of inlet is used.
This represents the load that is actually captured by the inlet and enters the subsurface
structure. The captured load is assumed to have the same proportions of load (rational and
additional) as the approach load. Inlet captured loads are represented as a percentage of the
inlet approach load.

An inlet's bypassed load is the part of the approach load that is not intercepted by the
surface inlet. This load is assumed to have the same proportion of load (rational and
additional) as the approach load. Bypassed loads may be directed to any other inlet in any
pipe network, or may be lost. Lost flows are accumulated and accounted for at outlets, but
never contribute to subsurface piped flow.



The total piped load is the total load leaving a node, and is calculated by summing all of the
contributing loads: intercepted surface load, subsurface piped loads, and subsurface
external loads. For nodes where there are no surface loads or external loads entering, the
total piped load is equal to the sum of subsurface piped loads (upstream).
Note: The rational component of the total piped load will be based on the overall
controlling time, which is the largest of the upstream system time, the intercepted load time
of concentration, or the external load time of concentration.
Known Flow
Known flows are a special type of fixed load. Known flows remain constant as they
progress downstream, and combine directly as a simple sum similar to additional loads. The
overwrite behavior of known loads is special. When another known load is specified at a
downstream inlet, the local known load replaces the upstream known load, rather than the
local known load adding directly to the upstream known load. If the local known flow is
left equal to 0, the upstream flow is propagated downstream without being overwritten. A
non-zero flow input at any inlet will be used regardless of the magnitude of the combined
incoming known flow loads.
HEC-22 (2nd edition) Structure Loss

Similar to the standard method, the HEC-22 Energy method (from the FHWA's Urban
Drainage Design Manual, Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22) correlates structure
headloss to the velocity head in the outlet pipe using a coefficient. Experimental studies
have determined that this coefficient can be approximated by:
K = KoCDCdCQCpCB
where:
 K = Adjusted headloss coefficient

 Ko = Initial headloss coefficient based on relative junction size
 CD =Correction factor for the pipe diameter
 Cd = Correction factor for flow depth
 CQ = Correction factor for relative flow
 Cp = Correction factor for plunging flow
 CB = Correction factor for benching
Hydraulic Boundaries
In order to numerically solve the Saint Venant equations, boundary conditions are needed
in the model to provide the necessary additional equations to form a complete set of
equations.
There are two types of hydraulic boundaries:
 "External Boundaries"
 "Internal Boundaries"
External Boundaries
Internal Boundaries
External Boundaries
External boundaries in a sewer system include outfalls at the downstream ends and very
first section at the upstream ends. For the upstream end boundaries, usually a simple zero
flow is used as upstream boundary condition or a flow time series can be used as upstream
boundary condition.
There are a few different boundary conditions users can select for the outfall at the
downstream end:
 A constant user-defined tail water elevation.

 A user-defined water elevation time series (time-elevation curve), such as a tide surface
elevation time series.
 A user-defined tabular relation between the outfall water elevation and outflow discharge
(elevation-flow curve), often called as single-valued rating curve or simply rating curve.
Sometimes more than one outfall discharges to one receiving point; in this situation, the
discharge in the rating curve would be the summation of all the flows from these
discharging pipes.
 A free outfall, which means that the outflow is freely discharged without any anticipated
backwater effects. In this case, the model automatically applies the proper boundary
equation, either a normal flow equation or a critical flow equation, to the outfall boundary
based on the dynamic hydraulic condition at the boundary. The normal flow equation will
be used if the flow is in supercritical condition and the critical flow equation will be used if
the flow is subcritical.
In the first three cases, the control elevation h at the downstream boundary (outfall) is
determined from the curves at each time step. It can be replaced by normal or critical flow
elevations if it falls below those normal or critical elevations.
The dynamic model also supports boundary elements, such as ponds or storage nodes, as
downstream boundaries even when there are no further outflow outlets from there. In this
case, a storage equation is used as a boundary condition. If there are no outlets from these
boundary elements, then these elements are treated as internal regular elements.
Related Topics:
 "Hydraulic Boundaries"
 "Internal Boundaries"
 Internal Boundaries
 Along a sewer pipeline, there are hydraulic structures and control devices, such as
manholes, weirs, and orifices where the flow is often rapidly varied rather then
gradually varied in space. The Saint-Venant equations are not applicable at these
locations since the gradually varied flow assumption in the Saint-Venant equations
derivation is no longer valid. Instead these locations are treated as hydraulic internal
boundaries; usually alternative empirical internal boundary equations are used for
these internal local computational reaches (a computational reach is a link between
two computational sections).
 Typical internal boundaries are:
 Manholes and Sewer Junctions
 Manholes
 Flow Control Structures
 Culverts
 Tap Connections
Manholes and Sewer Junctions

Manholes and sewer junctions are the most common internal boundaries. Hydraulically
they represent significant changes in many properties such as bottom slope, boundary
roughness, and cross section shape. They may have different vertical and horizontal
alignments, such as drop manhole or perched manhole. As a consequence of these
significant hydraulic property changes, the dynamic hydraulic conditions in manholes and
junctions are very complicated and modeling these conditions is one of the most
challenging aspects in sewer dynamic modeling.
Usually a manhole and a junction has a storage area and may have open access to ground
surface (the user would be able to set a manhole as bolted so that the access to the ground is
turned off). Bentley SewerGEMS ' dynamic model applies a manhole storage equation (a
form of continuity equation) as one of the internal boundary equations. When the water
elevation is above the ground rim elevation, additional street storage and street flooding
may occur. For more information about flooding, see "Flooding" .
Manholes
Manholes are the most common internal boundaries. Hydraulically they represent
significant changes in many properties such as bottom slope, boundary roughness, and
cross section shape. They may have different vertical and horizontal alignments, such as
drop manhole or perched manhole. As a consequence of these significant hydraulic
property changes, the dynamic hydraulic conditions in manholes and junctions are very
complicated and modeling these conditions is one of the most challenging aspects in
dynamic modeling.
Usually a manhole has a storage area and may have open access to ground surface (the user
would be able to set a manhole as bolted so that the access to the ground is turned off).
Bentley SewerGEMS ’s dynamic model applies a manhole storage equation (a form of
continuity equation) as one of the internal boundary equations. When the water elevation is
above the ground rim elevation, additional street storage and street flooding may occur. For
more information about flooding, see "Flooding" .
Junction Headloss Methods

HEC-22 Junction Energy Loss Method
Minor Losses
Junction Headloss Methods

Another internal boundary equation is the balance of hydraulic heads at a junction. At each
junction, the user may optionally model headloss with a user specified and static value, or
by calculating the loss through one of several methods:
 Standard loss method - a user-defined loss coefficient is used to calculate the head loss
based on the velocity head of the exit conduit. The standard method calculates structure
headloss based on the exit pipe's velocity. The exit velocity head is multiplied by a user-
entered coefficient to determine the loss.
For numerical stability reason an empirical velocity filter is used when the velocity
is larger than 5.0 ft/s as follows:
v’ = 5.0 + 0.1*(v -5.0)

in which v’ is the velocity applied to the head loss equation and v is the original
velocity.
 Absolute loss method - a user-defined loss amount (relative change in elevation) is used as
the head loss.
 HEC-22 Energy (Second Edition) method - a procedure of calculating the junction head loss
specified in Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22 (HEC-22) Second Edition manual is used
to calculate the head loss. See "HEC-22 Junction Energy Loss Method"-354.
 HEC-22 Energy (Third Edition) method - a procedure of calculating the junction head loss
specified in Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22, (HEC-22), Third Edition manual is used
to calculate the head loss. See "HEC-22 Junction Energy Loss Method"-354.
 Generic loss method - a user defined loss coefficient is used to calculate the head loss
based on the velocity head difference between entry and exit conduits. The loss will be set
as zero if the value given by the equation is negative.
 The AASHTO method - (as defined in the AASHTO Model Drainage Manual) for structure
headloss is based on power-loss methodologies.
 The HEC-22 Minor Loss method - (as defined in the HEC-22 Manual) computes a loss based
on the conservation of momentum. It is best suited for modeling the loss at the joining of
a lateral pipe into a larger pipe, and that connection is not an access hole structure.
All of the available head loss methods can be specified for the GVF solvers. However,
because of the complexity of the dynamic wave solvers (implicit and explicit), only certain
head loss methods can be specified for a given solver. . Those methods are listed in the
tables below.
The default method is Absolute with a head loss set to 0 which works across all solvers.
For those methods that can be applied based on EGL or HGL, the user selects the mode
globally in the Calculation Options under the property "Structure Loss Mode".
HEC-22 Junction Energy Loss Method

In an update from the junction energy loss method detailed in the Second Edition, the U.S.
DOT - FHA has released a new procedure for computing this head loss in the Hydraulic
Engineering Circular No. 22, (HEC-22), Third Edition manual is used in Bentley
SewerGEMS .
In addition to the formula outlined in the HEC-22 manual, the following calculation details
are notable:
Entrance Loss
In computing the entrance loss effects, the dimension of downstream pipe was chosen as
equivalent diameter.
Plunging Loss
Plunging inflow effects are evaluated for an incoming piped flows as well as any surface
inflow captured by the inlet opening of the structure. The referenced plunging elevations
include the inverts of the incoming links, and if applicable, the rim elevation of the
structure.
Exit Loss
During plunging inflow conditions, the exit loss of an incoming pipe is derived from the
difference in energy level representative of the free outfall condition and the energy level at
the upstream end of the structure after including entrance and additional structure losses.
Exit loss is calculated with the velocity of the inflow pipe computed at its downstream end.
Flooding and Non-Bolted nodes:
For non-bolted manholes (or other gravity node) HGL (In) and (Out) results are equal to the
rim elevation or less. The software assumes energy loss due to surface flooding. Special
considerations include:
 When Addition of Entrance Loss Results in Flooding: If the Entrance Loss raises hydraulic
grade above the non-bolted rim elevation of the node, entrance loss is reported as the
difference between the outflow pipe's HGL In and the node's rim elevation. The sum of
total additional structure losses is reported as zero. The individual values for loss due to
benching, plunging, and angled inflow are reported as N/A, because they cannot be
reported accurately. All of the connected upstream pipes will report zero exit loss so that
these incoming pipes can report their HGL (down) value as equal to the node's rim
elevation.
 When Addition of Additional Structure Losses Results in Flooding: If the addition of 'total
additional structure losses' raises the node's hydraulic grade to above its non-bolted rim
elevation, then the 'total additional structure losses' is reported as the difference of rim
elevation - (outflow pipe's Upstream HGL + exit loss). The individual values for loss due to
benching, plunging, and angled inflow remain unchanged, so the user can validate the sum
of these results relative to rim elevation. All of the connected upstream pipes will report
zero exit loss so that these incoming pipes can report their HGL (down) value as equal to
node's rim elevation.
 Addition of Exit Loss Results in Flooding: If the Exit Loss raises hydraulic grade above the
non-bolted rim elevation of the node, exit loss is reported as the difference in the node’s
rim elevation and the node’s HGL (In). Exit Loss is computed at the downstream of each
incoming pipe into a HEC-22 3rd Edition node. The HGL (down) on an incoming pipe is
computed as the sum of HGL (In) at the downstream node and Exit Loss.
Related Topics:
 "Manholes and Sewer Junctions"-352

 "Minor Losses"-356
Minor Losses
Minor losses in pressure pipes are caused by localized areas of increased turbulence that
create a drop in the energy and hydraulic grades at that point in the system. The magnitude
of these losses is dependent primarily upon the shape of the fitting, which directly affects
the flow lines in the pipe.
The equation most commonly used for determining the loss in a fitting, valve, meter, or
other localized component is:
h m = Loss due to the minor loss element (m, ft)
V = Velocity (m/s, ft/s)
g = Gravitational acceleration constant (m/s2, ft/s2)
K = Loss coefficient for the specific fitting
Typical values for the fitting loss coefficient are included in the Fittings Table at the end of
this chapter.
Generally speaking, more gradual transitions create smoother flow lines and smaller
headlosses. For example, the figure below shows the effects of a radius on typical pipe
entrance flow lines.
Related Topics:
 "Manholes and Sewer Junctions"-352

 "Junction Headloss Methods"-353
Flow Control Structures

Flow regulating structures, also known as control structures, are very common in storm
water drainage systems and in combined sewer systems. The most common control
structures are weirs and orifices.
In Bentley SewerGEMS , you can attach a weir or orifice at either the upstream end or the
downstream end of a conduit, or at both ends of the conduit. A control can also have a flap
gate which allows flow to travel in only one direction. Hydraulically these controls are
treated as internal boundaries, i.e., the empirical weir or orifice equations are used to
replace the momentum equations in the Saint Venant equations and the continuity equation
is simply that the flow is the same between the upstream face and the downstream face of
the internal boundary (control structure).
For more information on flow control structures, see:
Weirs
In-Line (Rectangular) Weir
Trapezoidal Weir
Side Weir
Orifices
Rating Curves
Weirs
Weirs are classified by their flow-diversion purpose as either a side weir or a transverse
weir, as described in the following definitions:
 Side weirs or overflow weirs are used to divert extra high flows to overflow waterways.
Typically a side weir is a weir parallel to the main sewer pipe and with enough high crest
elevation to prevent any discharge of dry-weather flow, but it is also low and long enough
to discharge required excess of wet weather flow. Weirs in an outlet of a detention pond
can be treated as one of the control elements in the composite outlet control structure.
Another example of a side weir is the emergency overflow weir or spillway at the top of a
detention pond. Side weirs are only used to model flow splits in the implicit or explicit
solvers. In the GVF based solvers, flow splits should be modeled using diversions or a user
notification will be issued when the model is run.
 Transverse weirs or inline weirs are typically placed directly cross the sewer pipe,
perpendicular to the sewer flow and act like a small dam, to direct the low flow, usually
dry weather flow, to diversion pipe such as dry weather flow interceptor sewer pipe.
Weirs are also classified by their cross section shapes, such as rectangular, V-notch,
trapezoidal, and irregular. Accordingly the computational equations for the weirs are
different, the discharge through a rectangular weir is proportional to the 1.5 exponent of the
head above the weir crest, and the exponent for the V-notch weir becomes 2.5.
Bentley SewerGEMS users need to specify the weir discharge coefficient. Typically a weir
discharge coefficient ranges between 2.65 and 3.10 (English units). Since the weirs in a
sewer system are mostly sharp-crested weirs, a value of 3.0 is a common default
assumption without knowing the weir specifics and hydraulic conditions.
Weirs can occur in models either as control structures in conduits or in pond outlet
elements. The properties of weirs are set in the Components under Conduit Control
Structures or Composite Outlet Structures. Once they have been defined, they can be
assigned to individual conduit or pond outlet elements.
There are three types of in-line weirs:
 "In-Line (Rectangular) Weir"

 "Trapezoidal Weir"
 "V-Notch (Triangular) Weir"
In-Line (Rectangular) Weir

The flow is given by:
B = weir length, L
h = effective head, L
C = weir coefficient
n = number (0,1,2) of end contractions
The weir coefficient can be further given (for weirs stretching across the channel) by:
g = gravity
be = effective width (essentially the width)
He = effective head (essentially the head)
Cv = 0.602 + 0.075 h/p for full width weir0.587 - 0.023 h/p for fully contracted weir
where p = depth of weir crest above channel bottomh = head
Note: The weir coefficient required by the program is the C coefficient, not Cv.
Trapezoidal Weir
Where:
 Q = flow
 L = crest length
 h = head above weir
 C = weir coefficient
 Cs = weir coefficient for the side section
The following illustration assumes that the trapezoidal weir is equivalent to a rectangular
channel and a V-notch weir.
Side Weir
The flow and head for a side weir are determined as:
Q = C L h5/3
The units on the weir discharge coefficient are ft1/3/s when flow is in cfs, and L and h are in
ft.
Orifices
Orifices are usually circular or rectangular openings in the wall of a tank or in a plate
normal to the axis of the conduit. Orifices can be oriented in a variety of ways, such as side
outlet or bottom outlet. Bentley SewerGEMS can also treat an orifice as one of the
controlling elements in a detention pond composite control structure; other controlling
elements within a composite control structure include weirs, risers and culverts.
Orifices are treated the same as weirs to be internal boundaries except that the flow
equation of an orifice is used to calculate the discharge. There are different flow conditions
in an orifice and the calculation of the discharge through the orifice is different:
 The discharge through the orifice is proportional to the 0.5 exponent of the head if the
orifice is fully submerged.
 A weir equation is usually used for unsubmerged conditions of the orifice.
 Special treatment is necessary for a smooth transition between unsubmerged and
submerged conditions due to the calculating equation switch.
The orifice discharge coefficients typically range between 0.6 and 0.7 (English units).
Without knowing the orifice specifics, a default value of 0.65 is commonly used.
Related Topics:
 "Flow Control Structures"-357

 "Weirs"-357
 "Rating Curves"-364
Rating Curves
Another generic control structure can be a rating curve in which a tabular relationship of
discharge and head (or elevation) for the structure is prepared offline in advance by the
user, then assigned to a weir or orifice by simply specifying that a rating curve is used. In
this case, the model uses this rating curve to calculate the discharge at any time base on the
dynamic head.
In general, a rating curve table can be used for any internal control structure to represent its
flow-head relationship if there are no anticipated backwater effects. A single-valued-rating-
curve can not be used in cases where there are backwater effects since the rating curves
assumes no such backwater effects.
Related Topics:
 "Flow Control Structures"-357

 "Weirs"-357
 "Orifices"-364
Culverts
Culverts are common hydraulic elements in a sewer system. There can be stand-alone
culverts under highway embankments or conduit vaults in detention pond outlet structures.
In Bentley SewerGEMS , a culvert can be a conduit specified as a culvert or one of
controlling elements in a composite control structure. Since a culvert is a type of hydraulic
structure that transports water as full or partially full, culvert hydraulics is more
complicated than other control structures.
Conduits can be treated as culverts if the "Is culvert?" property is set to True. This can only
be done for box and circular conduits.
Hydraulically a culvert can be under inlet control or outlet control conditions. The
computational procedures for these conditions are very different:
 Inlet control - A culvert is under inlet control if the culvert barrel hydraulic capacity is
higher than that of the inlet (entrance) and there is no backwater from downstream. In
this condition, the relationship of flow and headwater is mainly dependent on the inlet
configurations.
 Outlet control - A culvert is under outlet control when the culvert barrel is not capable of
conveying as much flow as the inlet opening will accept. When the culvert is under outlet
control, the flow will depend not only on the headwater but also the tailwater.
 EQT curves - Dynamic culvert conditions are complicated in that the flow can change from
inlet control to outlet control or vice versa. As a result of this complexity, the computation
of culverts can be tedious. In Bentley SewerGEMS , a sophisticated procedure has been
developed to build up a comprehensive EQT data set for any culvert configuration. The
EQT represents the headwater (E), flow (Q), and tailwater (T) tabular curves in the way it
covers all possible operating ranges of the headwater and tailwater so that any hydraulic
conditions are accounted for by the EQT. The Bentley SewerGEMS dynamic engine builds
the EQT for every culvert and uses the EQT for culvert computation dynamically at any
time step.
 Culvert calculations for DW solver - Dynamic culvert conditions are complicated in that the
flow can change from inlet control to outlet control or vice versa. As a result of this
complexity, the computation of culverts can be tedious. In Bentley SewerGEMS DW solver
, a sophisticated procedure has been developed to build up a comprehensive EQT data set
for any culvert configuration. The EQT represents the headwater (E), flow (Q), and
tailwater (T) tabular curves in the way it covers all possible operating ranges of the
headwater and tailwater so that any hydraulic conditions are accounted for by the EQT.
The Bentley SewerGEMS DW dynamic engine builds the EQT for every culvert and uses the
EQT for culvert computation dynamically at any time step.
 Culvert calculations for SWMM solver - The explicit solver in Bentley SewerGEMS (SWMM)
uses culvert code developed in EPA SWMM to carry out the culvert calculations.
 Culvert calculations for GVF solver - The GVF solvers in Bentley SewerGEMS (GVF-Rational,
GVF-Convex) use procedures that are similar to HDS-5 methods, an energy-equation-
based backwater calculation is carried out from the downstream end-wall-node up to the
upstream inlet node and the depth from the backwater profile calculation is compared
with the culvert inlet control depth and the largest depth is used, and the control status
(inlet control or outlet control) is determined accordingly based on the depth being used
at the inlet-head-wall-node.
 Broken-Back-Culvert: this is a case that a culvert is composed of a series of culvert
conduits between a head-wall and end-wall. In this case the conduits are connected by
transition nodes and only the most-upstream culvert conduit is specified as a culvert. The
culvert data can be defined either from the head-wall and end-wall data or by user-
defined culvert data in the conduit.
Note: Conduits can be treated as culverts if the "Is culvert?" property is set to True. This can only
be Done for box and circular conduits.
A culvert-conduit can have different section shapes, the following table lists sections that
are supported by solvers:
Generic-arch is defined by rise and span, Pipe-arch is defined by rise, span, bottom-height,
bottom-radius, top-radius and corner-radius.
Note: The SWMM solver uses EPA culvert-code-number and other solvers use pre-
calculated EQT curves.
Culvert Calculations in GVF Convex and GVF Rational Solvers
Culvert Calculations in GVF Convex and

GVF Rational Solvers
Pond outflow is determined by the types of pond outlet structures which are associated with
a given pond. The pond outlet can simply represent a connection point between the pond
and a downstream conduit, or a more complex composite outlet structure.
The composite outlet structure at a pond outlet is a parallel set of outlet components which
empty into the pond outlet's downstream link.
Composite outlets consist of the following types of structures:
 "Riser Structures"
 "Orifices"
 "Weirs at Pond Outlets"
Tap Connections
The injection point of a lateral inflow into the hydraulic network can be modelled with a
Lateral link connected to a Conduit or Channel via Tap node. A Tap is a node that
references a Gravity Link and graphically displays the connection both in plan and profile
view.
With the elevation and invert options available on both the upstream connected Lateral and
the Tap itself, it is possible to display the vertical drop of a lateral connection. However the
head loss through a plunging tributary surface or sub-surface flow is not simulated. Minor
loss or junction loss through a tap connection cannot be modeled or computed.
A tap node can also be considered an internal hydraulic boundary in the model because the
hydraulic conditions are not computed upstream of the tap. Within the GVF solvers, and
similar to virtually-shaped sections, computational time is saved by not performing
gradually varied flow analysis through the lateral links. Also, travel time is not accrued for
a lateral rational flow until it reaches the boundary of the tap connection.
Taps cannot be placed on gutters, on pressure pipes or along lateral links. They can be
attached at the downstream end of a lateral link. A tap may have several lateral links
attached to it.
There is a Network Navigator query under Network Review for "Taps without Reference
Link" to identify taps that aren't associated with a network hydraulic element.
Dynamic Storage Routing

Pond outflow is determined by the types of pond outlet structures which are associated with
a given pond. The pond outlet can simply represent a connection point between the pond
and a downstream conduit, or a more complex composite outlet structure.
The composite outlet structure at a pond outlet is a parallel set of outlet components which
empty into the pond outlet's downstream link.
Composite outlets consist of the following types of structures:
Weirs at Pond Outlets

Riser Structures
Orifices
Pumps
Storage Elements
Weirs at Pond Outlets

Weirs can be one of the flow controls at a pond outlet element. The properties of a weir are
set in Components . Composite Outlet Structures (link to that help topic). Once the
properties of the weir are set, the composite outlet structure is assigned to a specific pond
outlet element by setting "Has Control Structure" to Yes and selecting the composite outlet
structure in the "Composite Outlet Structures" property.
In the GVF rational and GVF convex solvers, weirs cannot be submerged from tailwater. A
warning message will be given if that condition exists. Submerged weirs can be solved in
the implicit and explicit dynamic solvers.
Rectangular Weirs
V-Notch Weirs
Irregular Weirs
Rectangular Weirs
In Bentley SewerGEMS , a rectangular weir is characterized by two equations: suppressed
and contracted.
Suppressed weirs prevent the contraction of the flow through the weir and hence the
associated losses. These types of weirs are usually, but not solely, associated with broad
crested weirs, and are defined by the following equation:
Q = flow (cfs, cms)

C = weir coefficient (US, SI forms)
L = length (ft, m)
H = head (ft, m)
Flow over a contracted weir does contract as it goes over the crest of the weir. These types
of weirs are often associated with the sharp crested types of weirs, and are defined by the
following equation:
Q = flow (cfs, cms)

L = length (ft, m)
H = head (ft, m)
Note: For most rectangular weirs at ponds, C is usually 3.2 (US Customary units; for SI
units, C is usually 1.8).
V-Notch Weirs
V-Notch weirs are defined in Bentley SewerGEMS by the following equation:
Q = flow (cfs, cms)

C = coefficient of discharge (US, SI forms)
g = gravitational constant
è = angle of notch (degrees)
H = head above the bottom of the notch (ft, m)
H is measured from the water level to the bottom crest of the weir.
Irregular Weirs
Whenever the culvert headwater begins to rise above the minimum elevation of the
roadway, overtopping will occur. The weir x-y structure can be used to model overtopping.
Overtopping flow is modeled as a special type of weir flow expressed by the general broad-
crested weir equation.
Note: Do not use the irregular structure to model an overflow channel. The equations which
define the irregular weir are different then channel equations and would result in
significantly different flows.
Broad-Crested Weir
Broad-Crested Weir
A broad-crested weir has a crest that extends horizontally in the direction of flow far
enough to support the nappe (sheet of water flowing over the crest of the weir) so that
hydrostatic pressures are fully developed for at least some short distance.
In order to model Embankment or Roadway overtopping, the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) has developed a methodology that can be found in the manual
FHWA, HDS No. 5, Hydraulic Design of Highway Culverts, 1985, which uses the general
broad-crested weir equation.
Q = Discharge over weir (m3 /sec., ft3 /sec.)

Cd = Weir coefficient
L = Length of roadway crest (m, ft)
Hr = Overtopping depth (m, ft)
Broad-Crested Weir
The overtopping discharge coefficient Cd is a function of the submergence using the

equation:
The variables Kt and Cr are defined in the following figures, reproduced from the manual
FHWA, HDS No.5, Hydraulic Design of Highway Culverts, 1985. The first two figures are
used by Bentley SewerGEMS to derive the base weir coefficient Cr resulting from deep and
shallow overtopping, respectively. The submergence correction Kt is determined implicitly
using the third figure.
Discharge Coefficient Cr, for Hr/L > 0.15
Discharge Coefficient Cr, for Hr/L≤ 0.15
Submergence Factor, k
Riser Structures
Risers are represented as a single opening at some elevation above the invert of the pond.
The flow from the riser is then controlled by the flow through the downstream conduit of
the pond outlet with which the riser is associated.
A riser can be represented as either a stand pipe or a inlet box. The only distinction between
the two is essentially the open area and perimeter of the opening. In other words, the area
and perimeter for a stand pipe are determined from the input diameter, while the area and
perimeter for an inlet box are input directly.
Flow Stages on a Riser
Flow Stages on a Riser

As water rises in a pond the riser structure will exhibit three distinct flow stages:
Weir Stage
Orifice Stage
Full Riser Barrel Flow Stage
Weir Stage
As the pond stage begins to go over the riser crest elevation, flow into the riser acts like a
weir with the perimeter of the opening being the weir length. The following equation
dictates the flow into the riser for low pond stages relative to the crest elevation.

L = effective weir length
H = depth of flow at the standpipe crest (ft, m)
Orifice Stage
As the pond stage rises relative the crest elevation, the riser will then act like an orifice, and
the flow is defined by the following equation.
C = contraction and energy loss coefficient

A = effective orifice area (sq. ft, sq. m)
g = acceleration due to gravity
H = orifice head (ft, m)
Note: For the type of orifices found in most ponds, C = 0.6.
A Note on Weir to Orifice Transition

The transition between the weir and orifice flow hydraulics is a turbulent transition which is
computationally abrupt. To enhance convergence characteristics, Bentley SewerGEMS
supports the formulation of a weir to orifice transition zone. You can specify a hydraulic
transition zone height which is (by default) centered about the theoretical transition point.
Over this transition range, Bentley SewerGEMS will linearly interpolate the stand pipe
flow between the lower transition elevation at which weir flow governs to the upper
transition elevation at which orifice flow governs.
Full Riser Barrel Flow Stage

Whenever the downstream conduit is undersized with respect to the standpipe capacity, full
riser barrel flow will occur if the pond water surface elevation rises high enough. In these
cases, the program assumes a negligible loss through the riser barrel and sets the riser flow
equal to the downstream conduit flow rate.
If there are other orifices (perforations), slots (weirs), etc, flowing into the riser or inlet box,
their flow rates are set equal to zero since the upstream elevation (pond water surface) and
downstream elevation (inlet box headwater elevation) are identical (i.e., drop in head equals
zero across these elements).
A Note on Perforations and Slots in Risers
If components of a particular composite outlet structure contains a riser structure in

addition to orifice and weirs with elevations lower then the crest elevation riser, then
Bentley SewerGEMS treats the orifices and weirs as perforations and slots in the riser
structure, and calculates the overall composite structure accordingly.
Related Topics
 "Weir Stage"-367
 "Orifice Stage"-368
Orifices
There are two types of orifices that are associated with a pond outlet’s complex outlet
structure:
 Circular
 Orifice area
Both structures are defined by behaviors when submerged and unsubmerged.
For more information, see the following topics:

Submerged Orifice Hydraulics
Circular Unsubmerged Hydraulics
Orifice Area Unsubmerged Hydraulics
Orifice Orientation
Submerged Orifice Hydraulics

When the orifice is submerged, the flow is defined by the following equation for both
orifice types:
C = contraction and energy loss coefficient
A = effective orifice area (sq. ft, sq. m)
g = acceleration due to gravity
H = orifice head (ft, m)
The orifice head, H, is measured as the difference between the water surface elevation and
the greater of the center elevation of the circular orifice or the controlling tailwater
elevation.
By inspection it can be seen that the equation is mathematically invalid whenever H is less
than zero (i.e., the water surface is below the centroid during unsubmerged conditions).
Also, for the equation to be applied correctly, assume that the flow area must be fully
submerged.
Related Topics
 "Orifices"-369
 "Circular Unsubmerged Hydraulics"-370
 "Orifice Area Unsubmerged Hydraulics"-371
 "Orifice Orientation"-372
Circular Unsubmerged Hydraulics

To develop a continuous discharge rating relation for an orifice structure, it is necessary to
handle flow situations in which the orifice opening is not fully submerged.
For circular orifices, Bentley SewerGEMS models partially submerged orifices by

balancing specific energy across the culvert opening. This is implemented in the program
by assuming a thin culvert (L = 0.002 ft). This approach makes friction conditions
negligible. The inlet loss, Ke, is calibrated so that it matches the results of the orifice flow
at the "just submerged" elevation.
Related Topics
 "Orifices"
 "Submerged Orifice Hydraulics"
 "Orifice Area Unsubmerged Hydraulics"
 "Orifice Orientation"
Orifice Area Unsubmerged Hydraulics

 To develop a continuous discharge rating relation for an orifice structure, it is
necessary to handle flow situations in which the orifice opening is not fully
submerged. For area-based orifice calculations, Bentley SewerGEMS performs a
straightline interpolation, setting the flow by multiplying the full flow, Qt, (at
unsubmerged head, Ht) by the ratio of actual H to Ht.
Qu = unsubmerged discharge
Qt = full discharge at Ht
Hu = unsubmerged head
Ht = height of the orifice opening
 Heads are measured from the opening invert or from the controlling tailwater,
whichever is greater.
Orifice Orientation
Bentley SewerGEMS supports modeling area-based orifice openings which are aligned
horizontally and vertically, expressed as oriented parallel or perpendicular to flow
direction, respectively. Orifices which are oriented parallel to flow do not require a datum
input (since it is assumed to be equal to the opening invert).
In Bentley SewerGEMS , circular orifices are all oriented perpendicular to flow. To model
an opening oriented parallel with flow, use the Orifice-Area option, or a Stand Pipe.
Related Topics
 "Orifices"
 "Submerged Orifice Hydraulics"
 "Circular Unsubmerged Hydraulics"
 "Orifice Area Unsubmerged Hydraulics"
Pumps
Pump Definition Types
There are numerous types of pump definitions in Bentley storm and sanitary sewer models.
These are described below. These pump definitions are established by the user using
Components > Pump Definitions. The user can assign these definitions to any pump
elements. Pump definitions contain the pump curves describing pump performance. The
only curves that are mandatory are the pump head curves. Efficiency and motor curves are
only used in Bentley water models.
Some of the definitions are used only in the implicit and explicit dynamic wave solvers
while others are only used in the pressure portion of the GVF-convex solver. The only
definition type that is common to all solvers is the Multipoint pump head curve.
The pump definition dialog is show below and is described in detail in "Pump Definitions
Dialog Box"-181.
The individual pump definitions are described below. The suffixes (GVF or DW) indicate
whether they are used in the GVF-convex solver or implicit or explicit dynamic wave
solvers.
Volume vs Flow - DW
This pump definition type is best suited for pumps which have either wet wells or ponds as
the source element. The curve relates the volume of water in the source element to the
outflow of the pump station. As the volume increases, the discharge increases.
Depth vs Flow - DW
This pump definition type simply relates the depth of flow of the source element to the
outflow of the pump. As the depth increase, the discharge increases incrementally.
Multipoint - DW and GVF
This is the most standard pump definition type. It relates the head difference between the
upstream and downstream nodes to the discharge of the pump. As the head difference
increases, the amount of discharge decreases.
Depth-Flow (Variable Speed) - DW
This pump definition type also relates the depth of the source node to the discharge of the
pump. As the depth increases, the discharge increases continuously.
Constant Power - GVF
When selecting a Constant Power pump, the following attribute must be defined:
 Pump Power-Represents the water horsepower, or horsepower that is actually transferred

from the pump to the water. Depending on the pump's efficiency, the actual power
consumed (brake horsepower) may vary with flow but is not accounted for in this type of
pump definition.
Design Point (One-Point) - GVF
When selecting a Design Point pump, the rated head and flow of the pump are specified
and a reasonable head vs. flow relationship is used based on a radial flow centrifugal pump.
Standard (Three-Point) - GVF
When selecting a Standard Three-Point pump, three points on the pump curves must be
specified. Tthe following flow vs. head points must be definedare usually used:
 Shutoff - Point at which the pump will have zero discharge. It is typically the maximum
head point on a pump curve.
 Design - Point at which the pump was originally intended to operate. It is typically the best
efficiency point (BEP) of the pump. At discharges above or below this point, the pump is
not operating under optimum conditions.
 Max Operating - Highest discharge for which the pump is actually intended to run. At
discharges above this point, the pump may behave unpredictably, or its performance may
decline rapidly.
Standard Extended - GVF
When selecting a Standard Extended pump, the following flow vs. head points must be
defined:
decline rapidly.
 Max Extended - Absolute maximum discharge at which the pump can operate, adding zero
head to the system. This value may be computed by the program, or entered as a custom
extended point. This value is automatically calculated for Standard Extended pumps.
Custom Extended - GVF

When selecting a Custom Extended pump, the following attributes must be defined:
decline rapidly.
 Max Extended - Absolute maximum discharge at which the pump can operate, adding zero
head to the system. This value may be computed by the program, or entered as a custom
extended point.
Storage Elements
This section describes how the following volume/storage elements in Bentley SewerGEMS
are defined:
Wet Wells
Ponds
Catch Basins, Manholes, and Surface Storage
Wet Wells
The Wet Well volume can be determined by one of the following ways:
 Depth-Area Curve
 Constant area - Circular
 Constant area - Non-Circular
 Depth to Area Functions
 Variable Volume
Depth-Area Curve
This option allows for the modeling of an irregular shaped volume associated with the wet
well. The curve is then translated to volumes using conic sections.
Constant Area
Sets up the volume using with a constant cross sectional area. The volume is analogous to a
cylinder.
Depth to Area Functions (ft, m)
The Area is determined based on the following function which calculates the surface area
for a given depth.
Either select the function based on feet or meters.
Area = Surface Area at Given Depth ft2, m2
Coeff = user input value which is derived from existing area data ft(2-Exp), m(2-Exp)
Depth = distance from the invert of the pond ft, m
Exp = user input value which is derived from existing area data unitless
Constant = the area at the bottom of the pond and is a user input value ft2, m2
Related Topics
 "Ponds"
 "Catch Basins, Manholes, and Surface Storage"
Ponds
Pond volumes are defined one of four ways:
 Elevation-Area Curve
 Elevation-Volume Curve
 Depth to Area Functions
 Pipe Volume
Elevation-Area Curve
Volumes are typically defined as a series of Elevation-Area points, which are easily pulled
from the contour map. The simulation then computes the volumes based on the changes in
area between two elevations.
Elevation-Volume Curve
This option defines the volume directly by a series of elevation volume points. This allows
for more complex storage structures that don't lend themselves to an Elevation-Area curve.
If for example you have a fill, or obstructions in the pond you can enter the volume directly
without having to work out adjustments to the areas.
Depth to Area Functions (ft, m)
The volume is determined based on the following function which calculates the surface
area for a given depth.
Either select the function based on feet or meters
Area = Surface Area at Given Depth ft2, m2

Coeff = User input value which is derived from existing volume ft(2-Exp), m(2-
Exp)
data
Depth = Distance from the invert of the pond ft, m
Exp = User input value which is derived from existing volume unitless
data
Constant = The area at the bottom of the pond and is a user input value ft2, m2
Pipe Volume
The Pipe Volume option supports modeling horizontal, vertical, or sloped pipes. Typically,
the upsized pipes are significantly larger than would be required to simply convey the
runoff from the site. For this reason upsized pipes will be terminated by an orifice or small
diameter pipe stub which will provide the necessary peak discharge control.
The Pipe option automatically generates the cumulative volume rating table needed for the
simulation. It should be emphasized that in upsized pipe systems the assumption is that the
water surface elevation in the upsized pipe is taken to be level. This means that inflow into
the upstream end of the pipe is immediately translated to the downstream end of the pipe -
the standard detention routing assumption.
Related Topics
 "Wet Wells"
 "Catch Basins, Manholes, and Surface Storage"
 "Ponds"
 Pond Attributes
Catch Basins, Manholes, and Surface
Storage
In virtually all cases except a sanitary sewer system with no wet weather inflows, it is
necessary to directly enter wet weather flow or perform some type of hydrologic
calculation to convert precipitation (or snow melt) into a flow rate. Methods can be
described based on how they handle time, whether they apply to nodes, links or catchments,
and whether they are based on SWMM or Bentley hydrology methods.
The first modeling decision is whether the analysis is to be conducted over time and needs a
hydrograph or if it will be a peak flow analysis using the rational method or a fixed flow.
Calculations for a single flow rate are performed using the rational method [rational method
link] in the GVF-rational solver. Steady flows can be specified as a known flow [known
flow link], inflow at any node [inflow help] or in the GVF-convex solver as an infiltration
on a conduit [infiltration help].
The user can directly input a hydrograph at any node [inflow collection dialog box] or in
the case of the GVF-convex solver, along any conduit. These values are independent of and
supplemental to precipitation.
To convert precipitation hyetographs into surface flow for a catchment, a variety of

hydrologic methods are provide. Methods to calculate hydrographs can be divided into two
categories
 SWMM Hydrology
 Bentley Hydrology
When SWMM hydrology is used, the catchment runoff method is set to EPA-SWMM
Runoff and a loss method must be provided. If the SWMM-RTK method is used, no loss
method is required and the runoff appears at a manhole node rather than at a catchment
[link SWMM RTK Unit Hydrograph Dialog Box].
When Bentley hydrology is used, the user must first select a hydrograph method which can
include Unit Hydrograph, Modified Ration Method [modified rational method] or User
Defined Hydrograph [Runoff hydrograph]. If Unit Hydrograph method [unit hydrograph
methodology] is selected, the user must select one of the Unit Hydrograph types: the SCS
[Soil Conservation Service], RTK [RTK method] or Generic Unit Hydrograph [Generic
unit hydrographs]. The SCS and Generic unit hydrograph methods require a loss method
(fLoss, Green-Ampt, Horton, or SCS-CN. For most of the hydrograph methods, storm data
is needed in the form of a hyetograph (precipitation vs. time). The exception is the modified
rational method which is driven from IDF storm data [Storm Data and Runoff Methods].
It is also very important to be aware of whether the flow being calculated are to be used as
runoff in a stormwater or combined sewer model or the wet weather inflow/infiltration to a
sanitary sewer model. In general, EPA-SWMM and SCS methods are better for surface
runoff while RTK method tend to be preferred for sanitary sewer I&I although a calibrated
generic unit hydrograph is also acceptable.
Catchment hydrology information is stored in the Hydrology Alternative. Storm data is

entered under Components > Storm Data and is stored in the Rainfall-Runoff Alternative.
An outline of the available hydrologic method is given below
 Single flow
 Hydrograph
 Catchment SWMM runoff
 SWMM node RTK
 Unit Hydrograph
 SCS
 RTK
 Generic
 Modified rational
 User define hydrograph
Other related help includes:
 "Rainfall"
 "Snowmelt"
 "Time of Concentration"
 "Rational Method"
 "SCS CN Runoff Equation"
 "Hydrograph Methods"
Hydrograph Methods
In virtually all cases except a sanitary sewer system with no wet weather inflows, it is
necessary to directly enter wet weather flow or perform some type of hydrologic
calculation to convert precipitation (or snow melt) into a flow rate. Methods can be
described based on how they handle time, whether they apply to nodes, links or catchments,
and whether they are based on SWMM or Bentley hydrology methods.
The first modeling decision is whether the analysis is to be conducted over time and needs a
hydrograph or if it will be a peak flow analysis using the rational method or a fixed flow.
Calculations for a single flow rate are performed using the rational method [rational method
link] in the GVF-rational solver. Steady flows can be specified as a known flow [known
flow link], inflow at any node [inflow help] or in the GVF-convex solver as an infiltration
on a conduit [infiltration help].
The user can directly input a hydrograph at any node [inflow collection dialog box] or in
the case of the GVF-convex solver, along any conduit. These values are independent of and
supplemental to precipitation.
To convert precipitation hyetographs into surface flow for a catchment, a variety of

hydrologic methods are provide. Methods to calculate hydrographs can be divided into two
categories
 SWMM Hydrology
 Bentley Hydrology
When SWMM hydrology is used, the catchment runoff method is set to EPA-SWMM
Runoff and a loss method must be provided. If the SWMM-RTK method is used, no loss
method is required and the runoff appears at a manhole node rather than at a catchment
[link SWMM RTK Unit Hydrograph Dialog Box].
When Bentley hydrology is used, the user must first select a hydrograph method which can
include Unit Hydrograph, Modified Ration Method [modified rational method] or User
Defined Hydrograph [Runoff hydrograph]. If Unit Hydrograph method [unit hydrograph
methodology] is selected, the user must select one of the Unit Hydrograph types: the SCS
[Soil Conservation Service], RTK [RTK method] or Generic Unit Hydrograph [Generic
unit hydrographs]. The SCS and Generic unit hydrograph methods require a loss method
(fLoss, Green-Ampt, Horton, or SCS-CN. For most of the hydrograph methods, storm data
is needed in the form of a hyetograph (precipitation vs. time). The exception is the modified
rational method which is driven from IDF storm data [Storm Data and Runoff Methods].
It is also very important to be aware of whether the flow being calculated are to be used as
runoff in a stormwater or combined sewer model or the wet weather inflow/infiltration to a
sanitary sewer model. In general, EPA-SWMM and SCS methods are better for surface
runoff while RTK method tend to be preferred for sanitary sewer I&I although a calibrated
generic unit hydrograph is also acceptable.
Catchment hydrology information is stored in the Hydrology Alternative. Storm data is

entered under Components > Storm Data and is stored in the Rainfall-Runoff Alternative.
An outline of the available hydrologic method is given below
 Single flow
 Rational
 Node inflow
 Conduit infiltration
 Known flow
 Hydrograph
 User defined hydrograph (conduit, catchment or node)
 SWMM hydrology
 Catchment SWMM runoff
 SWMM node RTK
 Bentley hydrology (catchment)

 Unit Hydrograph
 SCS
 RTK
 Generic
 Modified rational
 User define hydrograph
Other related help includes:
 Rainfall
 Snowmelt
 Time of Concentration
 Rational Method
 SCS CN Runoff Equation
 Hydrograph Methods
Rainfall
Snowmelt
Rational Method
Modified Rational Method
SCS CN Runoff Equation
SCS Peak Discharge
Hydrograph Methods
Flows in Gutters on Grade
Backwater Analysis
Time-Area Hydrologic Method
Rainfall
Bentley SewerGEMS considers rainfall in terms of:
Design Storms
I-D-F Data
Rainfall Curves
Design Storms
Bentley SewerGEMS design storms include:
 Rational design storms

 Cumulative rainfall curve storms
Rational Design Storms
Design storms for use with the Rational method can be created with one of two methods.
 The I-D-F table method uses a table of duration versus intensity values to describe rainfall
events of a particular frequency (return period).
 The e, b, d coefficients method uses a collection of three coefficients (e, b, d) to define a
mathematical relationship between the rainfall intensity and the duration of the rainfall
event for a given frequency.
Both methods yield the equivalent of a rainfall I-D-F curve, and therefore must be created
for use in a particular geographic location.
Cumulative Rainfall Curve Storms
Hydrograph methods, such as the SCS Unit Hydrograph procedure, cannot use I-D-F
curves for rainfall data (as used in the Rational method). Instead, complex hydrograph
methods require time-based rainfall curves. Design storms for use with the hydrograph
methods (e.g., SCS Unit Hydrograph) can be created with one of two methods: time-depth
or synthetic.
Time-depthThe time-depth curve method uses a table of time versus rainfall depth values to
describe the rainfall event. This method is typically used when gauged data from actual
storm data is available.SyntheticThe synthetic curve method uses a table of time versus
rainfall depth fraction values, a duration multiplier, and a total rainfall depth to describe the
rainfall event. This arrangement is very flexible because the same rainfall event shape can
be used for storms of various durations and total depth.
I-D-F Data
Intensity-duration-frequency (I-D-F) data includes:
I-D-F Curves
I-D-F Tables
I-D-F e, b, d Equation
I-D-F Curves
Note: The rainfall intensities that are used with the Rational method are generally
determined by regulatory agencies. Historical rainfall information is analyzed and compiled
into I-D-F curves based on the frequency of the storm data. These curves give the engineer
a quick reference to determine the intensity of rainfall that occurs at given return periods.
I-D-F (Intensity-Duration-Frequency) curves provide the engineer with a way of

determining the rainfall intensity for a given storm frequency and duration.
Reading an I-D-F Curve
For example, a 5-year frequency, the resulting average intensity is 5 inches an hour for 12
minutes. In other words, if an average intensity of 5 inches/hour falls for a period lasting 12
minutes, it would be considered a 5-year event.
Parent topic: I-D-F Data
I-D-F Tables
Bentley SewerGEMS lets you enter I-D-F data into a table and saves the data so you may
use it again for other models. Entering the design intensities is a very simple process of
looking up data from a graph and entering it into the I-D-F Table.
Related Topics:
 I-D-F Curves"I-D-F Curves" on page 5-387

 I-D-F e, b, d Equation"I-D-F e, b, d Equation" on page 5-388
I-D-F e, b, d Equation
I-D-F curves can be fit to equations. The most common form of these equations is:
I = rainfall intensity (in/hr.)

T = rainfall duration (min.)
e, b, d = rainfall equation coefficients
This equation represents the mathematical relationship between the rainfall intensity and
the rainfall duration for a storm of a given frequency and a given geographical location.
The rainfall equation coefficients vary with storm data frequency and storm data location.
To use rainfall equations properly requires that they yield results that are consistent with the
historical rainfall data for the design locale. If the preceding equation does not provide such
consistency, then it is not appropriate for your design.
Related Topics:
 I-D-F Curves"I-D-F Curves" on page 5-387

 I-D-F Tables"I-D-F Tables" on page 5-388
Rainfall Curves
Rainfall curves fall into two categories:
Gauged (Time Versus Depth)

Rainfall Tables
Synthetic Rainfall Distributions
Dimensionless Depth: SCS Distributions
Modeling Storms with SCS Distributions
Dimensionless Depth and Time
Example: Dimensionless Time and Depth Curves
Synthetic Rainfall Tables
Bulletins 70/71
Rainfall Time-Distribution Information
Watershed Area
Rainfall Duration
Data Sources
Data Format
Bulletin 70/71 Data
Circular 173 Data
Rainfall Curves: Build from I-D-F Data
Gauged (Time Versus Depth)

A rainfall curve is the measure of total rainfall depth as it varies throughout a gauged storm.
A good way to understand a rainfall curve is to visualize the Y-axis as a rainfall gauge. As
the storm progresses, the gauge begins to fill. The curve describes the gauged rainfall depth
at each point during the storm.
A steeper slope on the curve indicates the gauge is filling faster than it would for a less-
steep curve; hence, the rate of rainfall is more intense. The most intense portion of the
storm occurs between 0.1 and 0.2 hours and again between 0.5 and 0.6 hours (about 0.6
inches over 0.1 hour = 6 inches-per-hour intensity).
Gauged Rainfall Event
Rainfall curves are a mathematical means for simulating different storms. The next figure
shows conditions for two types of storms. The other two display dramatic differences
between these two rainfall events, even though the total depth and volume are the same for
each storm.
Conditions for Two Storms
Comparison of Two Storms

Hydrographs for Two Storms
Rainfall Tables
Rainfall hydrographs can be represented by tables. The table relates the cumulative rainfall
depth to the time from the beginning of a storm. The following table is an example of a
time versus depth rainfall table developed from data taken from a recording rain gauge.
Time versus Depth
Time (hr.) Accumulated Rainfall (in)

0.0 0.00
0.3 0.37
0.6 0.87
0.9 1.40
1.2 1.89
1.5 2.24
1.8 2.48
2.1 2.63
2.4 2.70
Time (hr.) Accumulated Rainfall (in)
2.7 2.70
3.0 2.70
3.3 2.71
3.6 2.77
3.9 2.91
4.2 3.20
4.5 3.62
4.8 4.08
5.1x 4.43
5.4 4.70
5.7 4.90
6.0 5.00
Synthetic Rainfall Distributions

In most cases, drainage engineers design facilities for future rainfall events (not actual
gauged storms). Rainfall distributions provide a way to model statistically predicted events
of various magnitudes. These distributions are sometimes referred to as synthetic storms,
since they are not actual gauged events.
Rainfall distributions fall into two categories:
 Dimensionless Depth—The Y-axis for these distributions range from 0.0 to 1.0 (0% to
100%) of total rainfall depth. The total storm duration is defined on the X-axis, in units of
time.
 Dimensionless Depth and Time—These are similar to dimensionless depth curves, except
that the X-axis is also dimensionless.
Related Topics:
 Gauged (Time Versus Depth)"Gauged (Time versus Depth)" on page 5-389

 Dimensionless Depth: SCS Distributions"Dimensionless Depth: SCS Distributions" on page
5-395
 Modeling Storms with SCS Distributions"Modeling Storms with SCS Distributions" on page
5-397
 Dimensionless Depth and Time"Dimensionless Depth and Time" on page 5-398
 Synthetic Rainfall Tables"Synthetic Rainfall Tables" on page 5-400
Dimensionless Depth: SCS Distributions
The SCS 24-hr. rainfall distributions are classic examples of dimensionless depth rainfall
distributions. The Y-axis is dimensionless so that different rainfall depths can be applied to
the distributions to create rainfall curves for various storm magnitudes and geographic
locations.
The following figure displays four SCS distributions used in the United States (Types I, IA,
II, and III).
24-Hour Rainfall Distributions
The approximate geographic boundaries for these rainfall distributions are shown below.
Approximate Boundaries
Modeling Storms with SCS Distributions

To create a design rainfall curve, multiply the Y-axis by the 24-hour total rainfall depth.
The following figure shows what each distribution looks like when applied to a 24-hour
total depth of 3.1 inches. Differences in storm magnitude and geographic variations can be
modeled by changing the total rainfall depth on the Y-axis.
SCS Distribution, 24-Hour P = 3.1 in.
Dimensionless Depth and Time

These rainfall curve distributions are typically developed based on statistical analyses of
storm data for different durations. When developed properly for a specific location, these
types of rainfall distributions provide the flexibility of modeling a variety of storms other
than the standard 24-hour event.
The basic philosophy of this approach is that longer-duration storms are expected to behave
differently than shorter-duration storms. For example, the most intense portion of a 24-hour
storm is expected to differ from the most intense portion of a 1-hour storm.
Typically, these types of curves are dimensionless on both the X and Y axes, so they can be
applied to a wide range of durations and rainfall depths. The following graph displays
dimensionless rainfall curves established for different ranges of durations. To create a
rainfall depth curve, select the curve for the desired duration. Then, multiply the X-axis by
total storm duration and multiply the Y-axis by the total rainfall depth for that given
duration.
Dimensionless Time and Depth Curve
Example: Dimensionless Time and Depth

Curves
Statistical analyses were performed using updated rainfall information for a certain geographic
location in the United States. This study yielded the statistical distributions shown in the figure
below. Given:A 10 year return event for a certain area has the following total rainfall depths
corresponding to various durations:
 1 hr. P = 2.11 in.

 6 hr. P = 3.37 in.
 12 hr. P = 3.91 in.
 18 hr. P = 4.13 in.
 24 hr. P = 4.49 in.
Find: Rainfall curves (time versus depth) for the 1-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-hour durations, using the
statistically derived distributions in the following figure.
Solution: First, select the distribution that corresponds to each desired duration. Then
multiply the Y-axis by the total rainfall depth for that duration and the X-axis by that
duration.
Solution to Example
The figure displays the results of this example. Different curve types (A, B and C from the
previous graph) were used to model different duration storms. Note how the total depth
increases, but overall intensity (slope of the curve) decreases as the duration is lengthened.
Synthetic Rainfall Tables
A synthetic rainfall curve is a plot of rainfall depth versus time that can be used in lieu of
actual rainfall event data. A synthetic rainfall distribution is useful because it incorporates
maximum rainfall intensities for a given event frequency arranged in a sequence that
produces peak runoff. Therefore, a single rainfall distribution can be used to determine
peak runoff rates for watersheds of various sizes and times of concentration.
Related Topics:
 Dimensionless Depth: SCS Distributions

 Modeling Storms with SCS Distributions
 Dimensionless Depth and Time
Bulletins 70/71
The following sections describe the use of the data used in rainfall tables:
 Rainfall Time-Distribution Information

 Watershed Area
 Rainfall Duration
 Data Sources
 Data Format
 Bulletin 70/71 Data
 Circular 173 Data
Rainfall Time-Distribution Information

Illinois State Water Survey Bulletin 70 and Bulletin 71 and Circular 173 data contains
synthetic rainfall time-distribution curves for heavy rainstorms in the Midwestern United
States. This information comes from Circular 173 (Huff1990). Rainfall time-distribution
curves are used for runoff computations related to the design and operation of runoff
control structures.
Time-distribution curves are divided into four categories, corresponding to first-, second-,
third- and fourth-quartile storms. Time distributions are represented as cumulative fractions
of the storm rainfall depth and the storm duration.
The Bulletin 70/71 data contains median (exceedance probability of 50%) curves. The
Circular 173 data gives the curves for exceedance probabilities of 10% and 90%.
Watershed Area
Time-distribution curves vary with the watershed area. Three time distribution types have
been presented here depending on the watershed size:
 point distributions (area from 0 to 10 square miles)

 intermediate distributions (area from 10 to 50 square miles)
 area average distributions (area from 50 to 400 square miles)
The curves presented here are applicable only for relatively small watersheds (area less
than or equal to 400 square miles).
Related Topics:

 Data Sources
 Data Format
Rainfall Duration
Storms with durations of 6 hours or less tend to be associated more often with first-quartile
distributions, and those lasting more than 6 hours and less than or equal to 12 hours are
most commonly the second-quartile type. Storms having durations longer than 12 and less
than or equal to 24 hours most commonly follow the third-quartile distribution. Storms with
a duration longer than 24 hours are most frequently associated with the fourth-quartile
distributions. However, a particular storm from any duration may be associated with any of
the four quartile types.
We recommend the use of the most common quartile for the design storms. A design storm
with a duration less than or equal to 6 hours should be a first-quartile type storm. The
second quartile type design storms should be used for durations longer than 6 and up to 12
hours. For storms longer than 12 hours in duration and less than or equal to 24 hours, we
recommend the use of the third-quartile time distribution. Finally, design storms longer in
duration than 24 hours should be modeled using the fourth quartile type.
Related Topics:

 Watershed Area
 Data Sources
 Data Format
Data Sources
Used 5% and 1% here instead of spelling out because the precision 0.01% cannot be spelled
out, the concept is scientific, and for consistency.
The rainfall time-distribution data given here are obtained from Circular 173 (Huff 1990).
Wherever the tabular data was available in Circular 173 it was used to develop rainfall
tables. However, tabular data in Circular 173 is given only for every 5% of the time
distribution. The tables available in the engineering catalogs give data for every 1% of the
rainfall time duration. The data in between tabular values have been obtained from the
figures in Circular 173. Due to the interpolation procedure used to develop graphs, a slight
discordance between tables and figures occurs in the tails of the distributions. Where this
was the case, higher precedence was given to the tabular data.
Additional differences between the data presented here and the Circular 173 tables comes
from the precision used in Circular 173. While Circular 173 rounds the data to the first
1%, the data presented in the Bentley SewerGEMS engineering libraries has a precision of
0.01%. However, due to the statistical nature of the data presented, these differences are
negligible.
Related Topics:

 Watershed Area
 Data Format
Data Format
Data presented here is reported in dimensionless (fractional) distributions both in time and
rainfall depth space. The temporal axes starts at 0.0 and ends at 1.0 with a time step of 0.01.
Duration Multipliers should be used in Bentley SewerGEMS to convert the dimensionless
time to the desired rainstorm duration.
Quartile distributions are identified using the following notation:
 1stQ—the first quartile time distribution

 2ndQ—the second quartile time distribution
 3rdQ—the third quartile time distribution
 4thQ—the fourth quartile time distribution
Watershed area ranges are identified using the following notation:

 00-10—point distributions (0 to 10 square miles)
 10-50—intermediate distributions (10 to 50 square miles)
 50-400—area distributions (50 to 400 square miles)
Exceedance probabilities are identified using the following notation:
 50%—median distributions (for design storms)

 10% - 90%—exceedance distributions (for analysis storms)
 90% - 10%—exceedance distributions (for analysis storms)
Related Topics:
 Rainfall Time-Distribution Information"Rainfall Time-Distribution Information" on page 5-

401
 Watershed Area
 Data Sources
Bulletin 70/71 Data

The Bulletin 70/71 tables contain the median (exceedance probability of 50%) time
distribution curves. Median distribution curves represent the most common rainfall types
and should be used for design purposes. Median temporal distribution curves are given for
point distributions, intermediate distributions, and areal distributions containing all four
distribution types.
Related Topics:

 Watershed Area
 Data Sources
 Data Format
Circular 173 Data

The Circular 173 (Huff 1990) tables contain the 10% and 90% exceedance probability
time-distribution curves. These curves could be used for the analysis of extreme cases
(what-if scenarios). These temporal distribution curves are given for point distributions and
areal distributions, containing all four distribution types.
Related Topics:
 Watershed Area
 Data Sources
 Data Format
Rainfall Curves: Build from I-D-F Data

Intensity-Duration-Frequency (I-D-F) data can be used to build center peaking rainfall
curves for any duration contained within that I-D-F curve.
The total rainfall depth is computed by multiplying the intensity corresponding to the
desired storm duration and the duration. For example, the total depth for a 5 hour storm
whose intensity (found from the I-D-F curve) is 0.469 in./hr. is 2.345 in. This total depth is
then temporally distributed throughout the duration of the storm according to a center
peaking pattern. The center peaking storm pattern dictates that the most intense portion of
the storm is during the middle of the storm, and that the beginning and end of the storm are
less intense.
Related Topics:
 Gauged (Time Versus Depth)

 Synthetic Rainfall Distributions
 Bulletins 70/71
Snowmelt
The snowmelt routine, available when running the SWMM engine, is a part of the runoff
modeling process. It updates the state of the snow packs associated with each subcatchment
by accounting for snow accumulation, snow redistribution by areal depletion and removal
operations, and snow melt via heat budget accounting. Any snowmelt coming off the pack
is treated as an additional rainfall input onto the subcatchment.
At each runoff time step the following computations are made:
1. Air temperature and melt coefficients are updated according to the calendar date.
2. Any precipitation that falls as snow is added to the snow pack.
3. Any excess snow depth on the plowable area of the pack is redistributed according to the
removal parameters established for the pack.
4. Areal coverages of snow on the impervious and pervious areas of the pack are reduced
according to the Areal Depletion Curves defined for the study area.
5. The amount of snow in the pack that melts to liquid water is found using:
1. a heat budget equation for periods with rainfall, where melt rate increases with increasing
air temperature, wind speed, and rainfall intensity
2. a degree-day equation for periods with no rainfall, where melt rate equals the product of
a melt coefficient and the difference between the air temperature and the pack's base
melt temperature.
3. If no melting occurs, the pack temperature is adjusted up or down based on the product of
the difference between current and past air temperatures and an adjusted melt
coefficient. If melting occurs, the temperature of the pack is increased by the equivalent
heat content of the melted snow, up to the base melt temperature. Any remaining melt
liquid beyond this is available to runoff from the pack.
4. The available snow melt is then reduced by the amount of free water holding capacity
remaining in the pack. The remaining melt is treated the same as an additional rainfall
input onto the subcatchment.
The time of concentration (Tc) is found by summing the time for each individual flow
segment within the drainage area. Both single and multiple flow segments are modeled with
the Tc calculator.
The General Equation for Tc
Tc = Total time of concentration

Ti = Flow travel time through segment i
Li = Length of flow segment i
Vi = Average velocity through segment i
The Tc equations provided in Bentley SewerGEMS can be categorized into two broad
categories:
 Equations that solve for velocity, then use velocity to solve for the travel time through a
flow segment
 Equations that directly solve for the travel time through a flow segment--in these cases,
the software back solves for velocity and includes it in the output report
Note: Some types of Tc equations can apply to flow segments within a multiple-segment Tc
calculation (see preceding diagram). Other Tc methods are equations intended to model the entire
average subarea flow distance and slope in one single flow segment. When combining multiple
flow segments to compute Tc, it is up to you to only combine Tc methods that can be modeled in
combination with multiple flow segments.
Minimum Time of Concentration
User-Defined
Carter
Eagleson
Espey/Winslow
Federal Aviation Agency
Kirpich (PA)
Kirpich (TN)
Length and Velocity
SCS Lag
TR-55 Sheet Flow
TR-55 Shallow Concentrated Flow
TR-55 Channel Flow

Kerby-Hathaway
Bransby-Williams
Friend’s Equation
HEC-22 Open Channel and Pipe Flow
HEC-22 Shallow Concentrated Flow
HEC-22 Sheet Flow
Kinematic Wave Equation
Wallingford (United Kingdom) Travel Time
Minimum Time of Concentration

Certain hydrologic methods for computing runoff hydrographs require the time of
concentration to be greater than some minimum value. For example the TR-55
methodology dictates that the minimum Tc to be used is 0.1 hr.
The minimum Tc is used in lieu of the calculated Tc whenever the calculated Tc is smaller
than the minimum.
User-Defined
The user-defined time of concentration (Tc) is a method that allows the direct input of the
Tc rather than using an equation to calculate it. This method would be used when the Tc
needs to be calculated using a methodology that is not supported by Bentley SewerGEMS ,
or when a quick estimate of Tc is sufficient for the analysis.
Carter
Tc = Time of concentration (hr.)

Lm = Flow length (mi)
Sm = Slope (ft/mi)
Eagleso
Lf = Flow length (ft)
n = Manning’s n
R = Hydraulic radius (ft)
Sf = Slope (ft/ft)
Espey/Winslow

φ = Espey Channelization factor
Sf = Slope (ft/ft)
Ip = Impervious area (%)
Federal Aviation Agency

C = Rational C coefficient
L = Length of overland pipe flow (ft)
S = Slope (%)
Kirpich (PA)
Sf = Slope (ft/ft)
Mt = Tc Multiplier (Tc adjustment)
Kirpich (TN)

Sf = Slope (ft/ft)
Mt = Tc Multiplier (Tc adjustment)
Length and Velocity

V = Velocity (ft/sec.)
SCS Lag
Note: There is a factor of 0.6 built into this equation (in the constant 0.0000877) to convert
this equation from a lag time to a time of concentration.
n = Manning’s n
Sf = Slope (ft/ft)
TR-55 Sheet Flow

This number represents the sheet flow time computed for each column of sheet flow data.
Flow time for sheet flow is computed as:
T = Sheet flow time (hr.)

n = Manning’s roughness coefficient from TR-55 table
L = Flow length (ft)
P2 = Two-year, 24-hour rainfall (in)
Sf = Slope (ft/ft)
TR-55 Shallow Concentrated Flow

This number represents the sheet flow time computed for each column of shallow
concentrated flow data. Flow velocity for this flow time is computed as:
Unpaved Surfaces Paved Surfaces
V = Average velocity (ft/sec.)

Sf = Slope of hydraulic grade line (ft/ft)
TR-55 Channel Flow

This number represents the channel flow time computed for each column of channel flow
data. Flow velocity for this flow time is computed as:
where

R = Hydraulic radius (ft)
Sf = Average slope (ft/ft)
n = Manning’s roughness value
Kerby-Hathaway
This equation is best suited for small sheet flow dominated area of less than 10 acres. It is
recommended that small area should have an overland slope less than 1%, and average
Manning's n of less than 0.08.
Tc Time of concentration (min)
L Flow length (ft)
n Manning's Roughness Coefficient
S Slope (ft/ft)
Bransby-Williams
This equation assumes catchment runoff is quickly concentrated into channel flow. It is
most applicable where channels exist, or the drainage area has a steep grade.
Tc Time of concentration (hours)

L Channel flow length (miles)
A Drainage area (sq. miles)
S Channel slope (%)
Friend’s Equation
This equation describes the nomograph constructed from Friend's (1954) study of overland
sheet flow times.

L Overland flow length (m)
n Horton's Roughness n
S Slope (%)
HEC-22 Open Channel and Pipe Flow
This equation is declared in Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 22 (HEC-22) Urban
Drainage Design Manual for computing the travel time watershed runoff that is conveyed
in a channel.

V Velocity of Channel Flow (ft/s)
L Flow length (ft)
i Rainfall intensity (in/hr)
S Slope (ft/ft)
n Manning's Roughness
R Hydraulic Radius (ft)
HEC-22 Shallow Concentrated Flow

Drainage Design Manual for computing the portion of travel time corresponding to a
segment of overland flow with shallow concentration flow conditions.

V Velocity of Shallow Conc. Flow (ft/s)
L Flow length (ft)
k Intercept coefficient (from HEC-22 Table 3-3)
Sp Slope (%)
HEC-22 Sheet Flow

Drainage Design Manual for computing the travel time of sheet flow.

L Flow length (ft)
i Rainfall intensity (in/hr)
S Slope (ft/ft)
n Manning's Roughness
Kinematic Wave Equation

This equation applies to planes of sheet flow of homogenous slope and roughness.
Cumulative watershed travel time should be summation of sub-areas with different slopes
or overland roughness.
Note: Surface Roughness (n') is similar but not identical to the Manning's n value for the
same surface.

L Overland sheet flow path length (m)
n' Surface Roughness (Retardance Coefficient)
i Rainfall intensity (mm/hr)
S Slope (m/m)
Wallingford (United Kingdom) Travel

Time
The Wallingford Procedure computes a drainage area's time of concentration as an
empirical approximation based on its flow path length and slope.

L Hydraulic length (ft)
S Slope (%)
Rational Method
The Rational method solves for peak discharge based on watershed area, Rational
coefficient, and rainfall intensity for the watershed. The following equation is used to
compute flow using the Rational method:
Q = Flow (cfs) for drainage area A
C = Weighted runoff coefficient for drainage area A
i = Intensity (in/hr.) for the given design frequency and storm duration (this value is taken
from the I-D-F curves for your design area)
A = Drainage area (acres)
Note: A conversion factor of 1.008 acre inches/hour per cfs makes the Rational equation unit-
consistent, and is used by PondPack.
Some localities have C adjustment factors for different storm frequencies.
C, the Rational coefficient, is the parameter that is most open to engineering judgement. In
many cases, an area weighted average of C coefficients is used as the C for the entire
drainage area. Bentley SewerGEMS calculates the weighted C for drainage areas.
Related Topics:

 SCS Peak Discharge
Weighting C Values
Basic Assumptions about Rational Method
Weighting C Values
If the drainage area consists of more than one subarea, a weighted C value for the area must
be computed. The weighted C for a drainage area is computed by dividing the sum of all
subarea CAs by the total area, where CA is the subarea C value multiplied by the area of
the subarea.
Example: An engineer wants to compute the weighted C value for the composite drainage
area shown below. In this example the C values are not adjusted for storm frequencies
Basic Assumptions about Rational Method
 There are several assumptions that form the basis for rational method hydrology:
 Drainage areas are smaller than 300 acres (120 hectares).
 Peak flow occurs when the entire catchment is contributing.
 Rainfall intensity is uniform over a duration of time equal to or greater than the time of
concentration.
Rational coefficients are independent of the intensity of the rainfall.
The Rational Method has been tested on urban catchments up to 150 hectares in area with
times of concentration up to about 30 minutes and outfall pipe diameters of up to around 1
metre. The catchments tested had reasonably uniform slopes and impervious area
distributions. These tests have shown that the method is as accurate as other more
sophisticated urban runoff methods for calculating peak runoff. (Department of
Environment, National Water Council, Standing Technical Committee, 1981)
The accuracy of the method for conditions outside those described above is unknown, and
therefore the method can't be positively recommended in those cases.
Modified Rational Method

The Modified Rational Method provides a way to calculate the hydrograph from a
catchment based on rational method C values and the peak intensity. There is no "loss
method" associated with the modified rational method. The underlying assumption is that
the peak intensity is maintained for a long enough duration to reach peak flow at the outlet
of the catchment. This results in a trapezoidal hydrograph as shown below.
Qpeak is determined from the rational method (link to rational method topic)
Q=CiA
When using English units i is intensity in in/hr, A = area, acres, Q = flow, cfs and C is
runoff coefficient, dimensionless.
The time to reach the peak is based on the time of concentration in the catchment which the
user can manually enter or calculate using a variety of methods ( "Rational Method" ).
The length of the recession leg is based on the time of concentration times a recession
multiplier which is set in the calculations options.
The intensity and duration are taken from the IDF curves (tables) based on the duration and
frequency (return period) of the storm.
SCS CN Runoff Equation

The SCS Runoff equation is used with the SCS Unit Hydrograph method to turn rainfall
into runoff. It is an empirical method that expresses how much runoff volume is generated
by a certain volume of rainfall.
The variable input parameters of the equation are the rainfall amount for a given duration
and the basin’s runoff curve number (CN). For convenience, the runoff amount is typically
referred to as a runoff volume even though it is expressed in units of depth (in., mm). In
fact, this runoff depth is a normalized volume since it is generally distributed over a sub-
basin or catchment area.
In hydrograph analysis the SCS runoff equation is applied against an incremental burst of
rain to generate a runoff quantity. This runoff quantity is then distributed according to the
unit hydrograph procedure, which ultimately develops the full runoff hydrograph.
The general form of the equation (U.S. customary units) is:
Q = Runoff depth (in)
P = Rainfall (in)
S = Maximum retention after runoff begins (in)
I a = Initial abstraction
The initial abstraction includes water captured by vegetation, depression storage,

evaporation, and infiltration. For any P, this abstraction must be satisfied before any runoff
is possible. The universal default for the initial abstraction is given by the equation:
The ratio, 0.2, is rarely, if ever, modified.
The potential maximum retention after runoff begins, S, is related to the soil and land
use/vegetative cover characteristics of the watershed by the equation:
Where the runoff curve number is developed by coincidental tabulation of soil/land use
extents in the weighted runoff curve number parameter, CN.
Related Topics:
 Rational Method"Rational Method" on page 5-421

 SCS Peak Discharge"SCS Peak Discharge" on page 5-430
 Hydrograph Methods"Hydrograph Methods" on page 5-434
Runoff Curve Number
Runoff Volume (CN Method)
CN Weighting
Runoff Curve Number

In Bentley SewerGEMS , the sub-basin runoff is defined solely by the CN input for each
watershed. Bentley SewerGEMS features built-in spreadsheet forms that aid you by
automatically computing weighted CN values as a function of soil hydrologic class and
cover characteristics.
The USDA has classified its soil types into four hydrologic soil groups. The CN values for
various land uses and cover characteristics for each soil classification are described below.
To describe a sub-basin using CN, you must overlay a land cover layer over a hydrologic
soil mapping overlay and a delineated drainage basin mapping overlay. You then determine
the component CN areas that comprise each sub-basin, and enter these into Bentley
SewerGEMS , which develops the actual weighted CN for use in hydrograph generation.
Definition of SCS Hydrologic Soil Groups
Definition of SCS Hydrologic Soil Groups

Group A
Group A soils have low runoff potential and high infiltration rates even when thoroughly
wetted. They consist chiefly of deep, well to excessively drained sands or gravels and have
a high rate of water transmission (greater than 0.30 in./hr.).
Group B
Group B soils have moderate infiltration rates when thoroughly wetted and consist chiefly
of moderately deep to deep, moderately well to well drained soils with moderately fine to
moderately course textures. These soils have a moderate rate of water transmission (0.15 to
0.30 in./hr.).
Group C
Group C soils have low infiltration rates when thoroughly wetted and consist chiefly of
soils with a layer that impedes downward movement of water and soils with moderately
coarse textures. These soils have a moderate rate of water transmission (0.05-0.15 in./hr.).
Group D
Group D soils have high runoff potential. They have very low infiltration rates when
thoroughly wetted and consist chiefly of clay soils with a high swelling potential, soils with
a permanent high water table, soils with a claypan or clay layer at or near the surface, and
shallow soils over nearly impervious material. These soils have a very low rate of water
transmission (0.00 to 0.05 in./hr.).
TR-55 provides an extensive table detailing different land uses, soil types and their
associated CN values.
Runoff Volume (CN Method)

The amount of actual runoff from a watershed is dependent upon the amount of
precipitation that occurs, the initial amount of precipitation that is intercepted, infiltrates, or
is stored before runoff begins, the actual retention that occurs after rainfall begins, and the
potential maximum retention that can occur after rainfall begins.
The SCS method for estimating the volume of direct runoff from storm rainfall relates the
initial abstractions, and retention parameters to watershed properties as described by the
curve number (CN).
The potential maximum retention after runoff occurs is related to the CN as follows:
S = Potential maximum retention after runoff begins
CN = Curve number
The initial abstraction is related to the potential maximum retention as follows:
Ia = Initial abstraction (includes interception, surface storage, and infiltration)
The runoff volume is related to the precipitation and the potential maximum runoff as
follows:
Q = Actual runoff volume
P = Rainfall (P >= Q)
For complex watersheds that consist of several subareas each having a distinct CN, the total
actual runoff volume can be computed in two different ways.
 The cumulative volume method computes the actual runoff occurring from each subarea
individually (using the individual CNs and areas), and then sums these runoff volumes to
determine the total for the watershed.
 The composite volume method computes the actual runoff using a composite CN and the
total watershed area.
CN Weighting
Note: Figures and tables referred to in this help section are referring to the TR-55
document. The tables are reproduced, see: Reference Tables .
These sections are reproduced from TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S.
Soil Conservation Service 1986b):
Antecedent Runoff Condition

Urban Impervious area Modifications
Connected Impervious Areas
Antecedent Runoff Condition

The index of runoff potential before a storm data is the antecedent runoff condition (ARC).
ARC is an attempt to account for the variation in CN at a site from storm to storm. The CN
for the average ARC at a site is the median value as taken from sample rainfall and runoff
data. For more information on the CNs for the average ARC, which is used primarily for
design applications, see "Runoff Curve Number"-426. See the National Engineering
Handbook (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1969) and TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small
Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b) for more detailed discussion of storm-
to-storm variation and a demonstration of upper and lower enveloping curves.
Urban Impervious area Modifications

Several factors, such as the percentage of impervious areas and the means of conveying
runoff from impervious areas to the drainage system, should be considered in computing
CN for urban areas (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b). For example, do the
impervious areas connect directly to the drainage system, or do they outlet onto lawns or
other pervious areas where infiltration can occur?
Connected Impervious Areas

An impervious area is considered connected if runoff from it flows directly into the
drainage system. It is also considered connected if runoff from it occurs as concentrated
shallow flow that runs over a pervious area and then into a drainage system.
Urban CNs (for more information, see "Runoff Curve Numbers for Urban Areas" on page
B-899) were developed for typical land use relationships based on specific assumed
percentages of impervious area. These CN values were developed on the assumptions that:
 Pervious urban areas are equivalent to pasture, in good hydrologic conditions.

 Impervious areas have a CN of 98 and are directly connected to the drainage system.
Some assumed percentages of impervious area are shown in "Table B-1: Runoff Curve
Numbers for Urban Areas"on page B-899.
If all of the impervious area is directly connected to the drainage system, but the
impervious area percentages or the pervious land use assumptions in "Table B-1: Runoff
Curve Numbers for Urban Areas"on page B-899 are not applicable, use Figure 2-3 from
TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b) to
compute a composite CN. For example, "Table B-1: Runoff Curve Numbers for Urban
Areas"on page B-899 gives a CN of 70 for a 1/2-acre lot in HSG B, with an assumed
impervious area of 25 percent. However, if the lot has 20 percent impervious area and a
pervious area CN of 61, the composite CN obtained from Figure 2-3 (U.S. Soil
Conservation Service 1986b) is 68. The CN difference between 70 and 68 reflects the
difference in percent impervious area.
SCS Peak Discharge

SCS Peak Discharge includes:
TR-55 Graphical Peak Discharge (SCS Graphical Peak)

TR-55 Graphical Peak Discharge (SCS
Graphical Peak)
This option uses the Graphical Peak Discharge method to compute the peak discharge for
up to three different storm data. The following information is required:
 The drainage area in acres ( Bentley SewerGEMS automatically converts it to sq. mi.)
 Amount of pond and swamp areas (percentage of total drainage areas)
 The 24-hr. precipitation (P) for the selected return period
 The appropriate rainfall distribution (Type I, IA, II, or III)
 The time of concentration, Tc
 The runoff curve number, CN
Initial Abstraction, Ia (in)

Ia/P Ratio
Unit Discharge, qu (csm/in.)
Runoff, Q (in.)
Pond and Swamp Adjustment Factor
Peak Discharge, qp (cfs)
Initial Abstraction, Ia (in)

The initial abstraction is computed from the precipitation and CN number and inserted in
this field. For more information, see Ia/P, and Chapter 2 of TR-55, Urban Hydrology for
Small Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b).
Ia/P Ratio
The initial abstraction (Ia) is divided by the precipitation (P) and printed in this field. For
more information on Ia/P, see TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S. Soil
Conservation Service 1986b).
Unit Discharge, qu (csm/in.)

The unit discharge (qu) for the watershed is computed and printed into this field. Graphs
depicting the relationship between time of concentration (Tc), Ia/P, and qu (csm) are
displayed in Exhibit 4-I, 4-IA, 4-II, and 4-III in TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small
Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b). These graphs are described in the
equation below from Appendix F, in TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S.
Soil Conservation Service 1986b).
qu = Unit peak discharge (csm/in)

Tc = Time of concentration (hr.) (minimum T c = 0.10 hr., maximum T c = 10.0
hr.)
C0, C1, = Coefficients from Table F-1 in TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small
C2 Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b)
Bentley SewerGEMS computes two qu values by selecting C0, C1, C2 coefficients

corresponding to the specified distribution type and the two Ia/P values that are closest to
the computed Ia/P for the watershed. Bentley SewerGEMS then linearly interpolates
between the two computed qu values to obtain the actual qu used to compute peak
discharge. If the watershed’s computed Ia/P ratio exceeds the limits of Table F-1, the
limiting value for Ia/P is used to compute qu (csm).
Runoff, Q (in.)
Runoff (inches) is computed from the CN and precipitation (P). For more information, see
Chapter 2 in TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation
Service 1986b).
Pond and Swamp Adjustment Factor

The pond and swamp adjustment factor (Fp) is selected from the values given in Table 4-2
in TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b).
If the value entered for pond and swamp areas does not exist in Table 4-2, the nearest
adjustment factor (Fp) is used.
Peak Discharge, qp (cfs)

The peak discharge for a given storm is computed by the equation below, from Chapter 4 in
TR-55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986b).
This value is computed from the watershed’s area (sq. mi.), runoff (in.), and unit discharge
(csm/in.).
qp = Peak discharge (cfs)
qu = Unit peak discharge (csm/in)
Am = Drainage area (mi 2 )
Q = Runoff (in)
Fp = Pond and swamp adjustment factor
Hydrograph Methods
Hydrograph methods include:
Q/Qp Hydrographs
Unit Hydrograph Methodology
Q/Qp Hydrographs
Note: For some localities, different templates may be used for different ranges of Tc.
This method computes a hydrograph by using a dimensionless hydrograph template that

has values for T/Tc versus Q/Qp. Time for any given ordinate can be computed by:
T/Tc = Value in Q/Qp template

Tc = Time of concentration for the drainage area
Any given ordinate flow can be computed by:
Q/Qp = Value for Q/Qp corresponding to T/Tc

Qp = Peak flow for the drainage area
Q/Qp versus T/Tc
Note: Q/Qp templates are entered with the Rational Method Enter Q/Qp Template option.
Example
Computing a Hydrograph Given Tc = 15 minutes Q = 60 cfs for the 100-year storm

Compute A Q/Qp hydrograph Computing Hydrograph Solution
Hydrograph Time Hydrograph Flow

T/Tc T (min.) Q/Qp Q (cfs)
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
1.00 15.00 0.15 9.00
2.00 30.00 0.20 12.00
3.00 45.00 0.28 17.00
4.00 60.00 0.44 26.00
5.00 75.00 1.00 60.00
6.00 90.00 0.34 20.00
7.00 105.00 0.27 16.00
Hydrograph Time Hydrograph Flow
8.00 120.00 0.19 11.00
9.00 135.00 0.12 7.00
10.00 150.00 0.00 0.00
Unit Hydrograph Methodology

The Unit Hydrograph theory assumes that the watershed is a linear system. This means that
the outflow is proportional to the inflow regardless of the magnitude of the inflow. This is
generally not the case however. When the flow in stream channels and on overland flow
surfaces increases, the velocity also increases, causing a reduction in the time of travel to
the outlet. Yet, for most natural streams, the velocity increases as the depth increases only
until overbank flow begins. At this point, the velocity tends to remain constant, which
satisfies the requirement of linearity. Therefore, unit hydrographs should be derived only
from the larger floods for a particular watershed.
The Unit Hydrograph theory also assumes that the input rainfall excess is uniform over the
watershed, and that the response to this input is invariable. Typically, the spatial variation
of rainfall, and the difference in watershed characteristics can cause the rate of runoff to
vary widely from place to place at any time. However, many watersheds do experience
similar patterns of rainfall from event to event, and therefore the response to that rainfall
excess can be effectively characterized by the unit hydrograph.
The unit hydrograph theory depends on the principle of superposition. This principle states
that a flood hydrograph for a particular storm data can be built up from the unit hydrograph
applied to the incremental rainfall excess during each period. In other words, the unit
hydrograph can be applied to a series of inputs, and the resulting hydrographs can be added
together to form the total hydrograph.
Related Topics:
 Generic Unit Hydrographs

 Soil Conservation Service (SCS)
 Unit Hydrograph Runoff Methods
 RTK Methods
Generic Unit Hydrographs
Generic Unit Hydrographs

In calculating a runoff hydrograph from rainfall data, users can use a default triangular or
curvilinear hydrograph such as provided by the SCS or RTK methods. However, if a
hydrograph does not closely follow those shapes, the generic unit hydrograph method can
be used to develop a more accurate unit hydrograph if the user has sufficient rainfall and
runoff data for the catchment.
This method is selected for a catchment by setting the Runoff Method to Unit Hydrograph
and the Unit Hydrograph Method to Generic Unit Hydrograph. The values of the
hydrograph entered by the user are a collection corresponding to the runoff per unit of
excess precipitation (rainfall minus loss) over time. These values should be based on field
data collection. These values are unique to each catchment and are not scaled by the area.
The time step size on which the resulting hydrograph is based is referred to as the
"convolution time step". It must be greater than zero and should be less than or equal to the
rainfall increment. The hydrograph will be smoother if the time step is smaller but there is
no benefit in making it smaller than the output increment set in the Calculation options.
For each plug of runoff generated over a single time step, an individual runoff hydrograph
is generated. All the successive unit hydrographs are superimposed to form the ultimate
runoff hydrograph for the catchment. The underlying theory is described in Stormwater
Conveyance Modeling and Design, by Bentley Institute Press (pp. 158-162) or Wastewater
Collection System Modeling and Design, by Bentley Institute Press (pp. 252-254).
The fundamental equation for this method is show below.
Qk = flow at time step k, cfs

Pi = precipitation during time step i, in./hr
U k-i + 1 = flow at time step k from rain during time step I, cfs/in
k = duration of rain in time steps + duration of hydrograph
The theory behind unit hydrographs is that the volume of water, calculated as the area
under the hydrograph curve, should correspond to 1 inch of excess precipitation over the
area. The user needs to check if this is true.
For example, over a 2 acre area, the volume of water calculated under the unit hydrograph
should be 2 acre-in (7,260 cubic feet). If there is 1.5 in of excess precipitation (precipitation
– losses) over this catchment, the volume of water calculated using the unit hydrograph
method should be 3 acre-in (10,890 cubic feet). This runoff volume is displayed under the
Catchment tab of the Detailed Calculation Summary.
Flows in Gutters on Grade

Flows in gutters on grade includes:
Uniform Gutter Cross Slope

Composite Gutter Section
Backwater Analysis
The classic solution of gravity flow hydraulics is via a backwater analysis. This type of
analysis starts at the network outlet under free discharge, submerged, or tailwater control,
and proceeds in an upstream direction.
Steep pipes tend to "interrupt" the backwater analysis, and reset the hydraulic control to
critical depth at the upstream end of the steep pipe. A frontwater analysis may be needed
for a steep profile (such as an S2), with the backwater analysis recommencing from the
upstream structure.
Free Outfall
Structure Flooding
Free Outfall
Free Outfall
This program lets you define the tailwater condition at the outlet as either Free Outfall,
Crown Elevation or User-Specified.
For a pipe with a hydraulically steep slope, the Free Outfall condition will yield a starting
depth equal to normal depth in the pipe. For a pipe with a hydraulically mild slope, the Free
Outfall condition will yield a starting depth equal to critical depth. When an outlet has
multiple incoming pipes, the Free Outfall condition yields a starting elevation equal to the
lowest of the individual computed elevations.
The Crown condition should be used when the pipe discharges to an outlet where the water
surface elevation is equal to the elevation of the top of the pipe.
Structure Flooding
Flooding at manholes in SewerCAD and inlets in StormCAD occurs whenever the
elevation of water is above the structure rim elevation. When this occurs, the backwater
analysis will continue by resetting the hydraulic grade to the structure rim elevation or
ground elevation, whichever is higher. However, if a structure is defined with a bolted
cover, the hydraulic grade is not reset to the rim elevation.
In actual flooding situations, flows may be diverted away from the junction structure and
out of the system, or attenuated due to surcharged storage. In this program, even though the
governing downstream boundary for the next conduit is artificially lowered to prevent the
propagation of an incorrect backwater, the peak discharges at the structure are conserved
and are not reduced by the occurrence of flooding at a junction.
Time-Area Hydrologic Method

The time-area method of hydrologic catchment routing transforms an effective storm
hyetograph into a runoff hydrograph. The method accounts for translation only and does
not include storage.
Time-area method is based on the concept of time-area histogram, i.e. a histogram of

contributing catchment subareas (segmentations of the catchment). To develop a time-area
histogram, the catchment's time of concentration is divided into a number of time intervals.
Cumulative time at the end of each time interval is used to divide the catchment into
segments delimited by isochrones lines, i.e. the loci of points of equal travel time to the
catchment outlet. Based on the end times of each time interval and the area of the
corresponding segment the time-area histogram table can be built and used in the
hydrologic routing, as shown in the following figure:
For more technical details, see "Chapter 10 Catchment Routing, Engineering Hydrology:
Principle and Practice, Victor M Ponce, Prentice Hall, 1994"
The time area data type can be one of the following three types:
 User-defined: user inputs a time and segment area (not cumulative) table
 Linear Equation: the total area is linear distributed within the total flow time or time of
concentration
 HEC Equation: a synthetic time area equation was developed by US Army Corps Hydrologic
Engineering Center and this selection will use the equation. Note the equation is for the
cumulative area:
o For 0 < T < 0.5: AI = 1.414T1.5
o For 0.5 < T < 1: 1-AI = 1.414(1-T)1.5
Where: AI is the cumulative area as a fraction of total sub-basin area and T

is the fraction of time of concentration
The following graph compares the area distributions between the linear equation and HEC
equation:
Time-Area Runoff Method, Hydrology Time Step and Time of Concentration Considerations
Time-Area Runoff Method, Hydrology

Time Step and Time of Concentration
Considerations
The time-area method of hydrologic catchment routing transforms an effective storm
hyetograph into a runoff hydrograph. The method accounts for translation only and does
not include storage.
Time-area method is based on the concept of time-area histogram, i.e. a histogram of

contributing catchment subareas (segmentations of the catchment). To develop a time-area
histogram, the catchment's time of concentration is divided into a number of time intervals
based on the hydrology time step. Cumulative time at the end of each time interval is used
to divide the catchment into segments delimited by isochrones lines, i.e. the loci of points
of equal travel time to the catchment outlet. Based on the end times of each time interval
and the area of the corresponding segment the time-area histogram table can be built and
used in the hydrologic routing, as shown in the following figure.
As stated above, the method assumes that the hydrology computation has time intervals
(time segments) within the time of concentration of the catchment, and based on these time
segments the total area is also divided into corresponding sub-areas (area segments). In
general a minimum of 2 time/area segments are needed for good results, therefore the
hydrology time step should be less than half of the time of concentration. If user specifies a
larger time step the model will give a warning and results are less reliable.
Thiessen Polygon Generation Theory
"Naïve Method"
"Plane Sweep Method"
Naïve Method
Plane Sweep Method
Naïve Method
A Thiessen polygon of a site, also called a Voronoi region, is the set of points that are
closer to the site than to any of the other sites.
Let P = {p1, p2,…pn} be the set of sites and V = {v(p1), v(p2),…v(pn)} represent the
Voronoi regions or Thiessen polygons for Pi,which is the intersection of all of the half
planes defined by the perpendicular bisectors of pi and the other sites. Thus, a naïve method
for constructing Thiessen Polygons can be formulated as follows:
Step 1 For each i such that i = 1, 2,…, n, generate n - 1 half planes H(pi,pj), 1 </= j </= n, i
<> j, and construct their common intersection v(pi).
Step 2 Report V = {v(p1), v(p2),…v(pn)} as the output and stop.
This naïve procedure is, however, very inefficient for generating Thiessen polygons. The
computation time increases exponentially as the number of sites increases. There are many
other more competent methods for constructing a Thiessen polygon.
Plane Sweep Method

The plane sweep technique is a fundamental method for solving two-dimensional geometric
problems. It works with a special line called a sweepline, a vertical line sweeping the plane
from left to right. It hits objects one by one as the sweepline moves. Whenever it crosses an
object, a portion of the problem is solved. Therefore, it enables a two-dimensional problem
to be solved in a sequence of one-dimension processing. Sweep plane technique provides a
conceptually simple and efficient algorithm. Steven Fortune (1986; 1987) has developed a
sweepline algorithm for constructing Thiessen polygons. This algorithm has been
implemented in the Thiessen Polygon Generator. The detailed working algorithm is given
as follows:
The sweepline algorithm is an efficient technique for constructing a Thiessen polygon. The
computation time required for the worst case is O(nlog n). It produces a far more competent
method than the naïve method and provides satisfactory performance for generating
Thiessen polygons for a large number of points.
Storage Chambers
Bentley SewerGEMS CONNECT allows you to create and reuse prefabricated storage
chambers as a type of pond volume definition. You can construct complex arrays of storage
chambers which can be combined with other standard pond components to create a single
storage entity to be used in the routing analysis.
The following diagrams illustrate the various parameters that are used to define a storage
chamber.
Storage System without Header Pipe

Storage System with Header Pipe
This diagram represents the addition of a header pipe which feeds inflow into the different
storage chamber rows and represents additional storage to the overall system.
Depth-Width Curve Type
Depth-Width Curve Type

Depth-Width Curve storage chambers are defined by a curve with three values:
 Depth - The depth of the chamber at that point in the curve.

 Inner Width - The internal width of the storage chamber.
 Outer Width - The width of the entire structure at that point in the curve.
Take the following example assuming an install length 10 ft

There are a few things to note:
1. The inner polygon is defined by the first non zero number and the last non zero number. If
you notice at depth 3 the inner width is 0 which implies that the previous inner width is
the top of the internal storage structure.
2. If you make an outer width that is less than or equal to the inner width it is assumed that
the outer width equals the inner width.
3. You can only have one open internal opening; i.e the inner width can't go to 0 as the depth
increases and then opens up again.
4. If you want the inner width to converge to 0 you have to put in a very small number as
opposed to 0.
The total storage volume of the above chamber is just the summation of the inner
trapezoidal areas multiplied by the install length:
[0.5*(6+4)*1 + 0.5(4+2)*1)*10 = 30
The total spatial volume is the sum of the outer trapezoidal areas multiplied by the install
length:
[0.5*(8+6)*1 + 0.5(6+4)*1 +0.5(4+2)* 1)*10 = 160
You can also do more complex shapes, giving a bottom to the structure like:
Hydrogen-Sulfide (H2S) Modeling
Hydrogen sulfide forms in wastewater collection systems when anoxic conditions exist and
results in corrosion, odor and toxicity problems. The rate of formation depends primarily on
the strength of the wastewater as characterized by BOD concentration (Biochemical
Oxygen Demand) and rate constants for the reactions which are dependent on temperature.
Hydrogen sulfide in most commonly a problem in systems with long detention times in
warm weather. The hydrogen sulfide calculations assume that sulfate concentration is not
limiting.
The calculations are based on the Pomeroy-Parkhurst equation for predicting H2S
concentrations in a sewer network; they can be used to evaluate the build-up or decay of the
H2S concentration in a sewer system. The sewer system can be gravity and pressure
combined system consisting of conduits, ponds, channels, wet-wells, pumps, pressure pipes
and junctions.
The application procedures of Pomeroy equation for sewer system were well documented
in the following publications:
 ASCE Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 69, Sulfide in Wastewater
Collection and Treatment Systems
 EPA Design Manual EPA/625/I-85, Odor and Corrosion Control in Sanitary Sewerage
System and Treatment Plants
The usual equation to predict sulfide formation is the Pomeroy-Parkhurst equation given in
English units as:
The first term in the equation covers creation of sulfide while the second refers to loss.
EBOD is essentially a temperature corrected BOD given by a modified van't Hoff-
Arrhenius equation:
EBOD=BOD1.07T-20
Where:
 BOD=5 day BOD

 T=temperature (degrees C)
In the case of surcharged pipes or force mains, the sulfide loss term goes away and the
recommended equation is:
Where:
 M=sulfide flux coefficient (m/hr)
Values for coefficient such as M, M' and N depend on velocity, pH, dissolved oxygen
concentration, amount of sediment in pipe, temperature and presence of other chemicals
that can catalyze or inhibit the reaction, none of which are explicitly considered in the
equations.
Approximate values of:
 M are 0.3x10-3 m/hr

 M' are 0.4x10-3 m/hr
 N are 0.96
but values will vary widely. Values of these empirical coefficients should be calibrated for
each model.
At node elements, the conventional mass balance equation is used:
Where:
 Qi=inflow from the i-th link

 Ci=concentration from i-th link
 n=number of inflow links
The above mixing/mass-balacing equation is used to determine a node's outlet

concentration for both H2S and BOD, for the storage type nodes (wet-well and pond), a
H2S reaction process is also considered. Using the H2S determined from above mixing
equation as inflow, S(in), a reaction equation is applied to determine an updated outflow
H2S concentration, the reaction equation is:
S(out) = S(in) + dS/dt (dt)
In which:
dS/dt = k C(BOD) 1.07(T-20)
T is the temperature (Celsius), k is a user-specified reaction rate (1/hour), and dt is the

detention time of the storage node.
Calculation assumptions: The Pomeroy equation was developed on steady flow condition.
Since most models using SWMM solver are of dynamic modeling, some assumptions must
be made for proper application of the Pomeroy equation. The primary assumption is that
the solver will use the average hydraulic condition for the H2S calculations. The solver
determines the average pipe flow by the total flow volume that has passed through the pipe
for the simulation duration, the node H2S/BOD mixing calculations will also be based on
the average flows of incoming and outlet pipes. The pipe detention time is determined by
the pipe length and average flow velocity; the node detention time is determined by the
average node volume and average outlet flow.
As a result of these assumptions the model provides a steady result set for the network
which represents the expected average changes.
For details on running a H2S model, see “H2S Modeling Workflow”.
H2S Modeling Workflow
H2S Modeling Workflow

To run a hydrogen sulfide model, the explicit solver must be selected in the Calculation
Options or Compute Center and Run Hydrogen Sulfide Analysis needs to be set to True in
the Calculation Options.
For each node element, the user should specify the inflow H2S and BOD level. Usually,
there is very little H2S in the inflow but the presence of BOD (biochemical oxygen
demand), along with sulfate, leads to the formation of H2S. For domestic wastewater, the
BOD concentration may be on the order of 200 to 300 mg/L while for industrial waste, it
can vary widely.
H2S forms in link elements (conduits, pressure pipes and channels) and is a function of
temperature. The temperature default value is 20 deg C. The H2S flux concentration is on
the order of 0.0003/hr while the H2S loss rate is on the order of 0.9. These values need to
be calibrated for local conditions as there can be a great deal of variation. For pressure pipe
and inverted siphons, there is no loss coefficient as H2S gas cannot leave the liquid phase.
For wet wells, the Reaction Rate should be on the order of 0.2/day.
The results of a hydrogen sulfide analysis will be the H2S and BOD concentration and
detention time in each link element and wet well, and the H2S and BOD concentration at
each node element.
Special Considerations
There are a few special considerations that should be realized when analyzing a sewer
system. These are conditions where special asinverttions need to be made, or where
calculations may seem counter-intuitive at first glance. These considerations include:
Energy Discontinuity
Structure Energy Grade
Design Considerations
Carrier Pipes
Partial Area Effects
Flow Balance at Junctions
Energy Discontinuity
The program by default uses hydraulic grade as the basis for its hydraulic computations.
Energy grade at any given point is then computed by adding the velocity head to the
hydraulic grade. Because of this standard practice, energy discontinuities may occasionally
occur, such as when pipe size decreases in the downstream direction, or pipe slope
increases.
If you want the calculations to be based on the energy grade line you can change it with the
Structure Loss Mode Calculation Option.
Flow discontinuities can also be responsible for energy discontinuities. Since a structure is
analyzed based on a different system time than a pipe, a direct comparison of energy grades
is not reasonable.
Structure Energy Grade

The energy grade line (EGL) at the upstream side of a structure is computed based on the
characteristics of the structure and its upstream pipes. The reported EGL is generally
reported as the lowest EGL of all non- plunging upstream pipes, based on normalized flow
values. If there are no non-plunging pipes upstream, the structure's upstream EGL is taken
as the higher of the structure's downstream EGL and upstream hydraulic grade line (HGL).
In situations where the structure's upstream EGL is lower than its downstream EGL or
upstream HGL, the highest value governs. This rare condition may indicate that the
presumed headloss in the structure is not significant enough to produce the expected energy
loss. The modeler may accept this as a minor limitation of the hydraulic theory, or may
choose to use different structure headloss methods or values.
The reported upstream velocity and velocity head for the structure are based on the
difference between the structure's upstream EGL and HGL.
Design Considerations
As with any automated design, the program's design is intended only as a preliminary step.
It will select pipe sizes and pipe invert elevations based on the input provided, but no
computer program can match the skills that an experienced engineer has. The modeler
should always review any automated design, and should make any changes required to
adjust, improve, and otherwise polish the system.
Carrier Pipes
When using either the Rational Method or Modified Rational Method, Bentley
SewerGEMS has an option to ignore the time of flow through long lengths of carrier pipes
(i.e. pipes with no contributing sub-catchment) when calculating the system time / time of
concentration (see also Calculation Options ). This allows modelers to eliminate the flow
reductions that would otherwise occur as a result of the increased system time.
Note: This definition of the term Carrier Pipe should not be confused with its use to
describe a non porous pipe.
The following diagrams show different configurations of carrier and non carrier pipes in a
simple network, and their effect on flow.
The diagram above shows how the system time or time of concentration (ToC) changes
through a network when there are no carrier pipes. At a minimum the ToC increases by the
pipe travel time at each node in the network (it may increase by more if a downstream
catchment has a larger time of concentration).
At the junction of branch 2 with branch 1, the longer of the two ToC's is used for the
downstream pipe. This is one of the basic principles of Rational Method hydraulics.
In the diagram above the time in pipe of the carrier pipe is ignored when calculating the
flow for the following pipe, so the running ToC for the downstream node of the carrier pipe
is the same as the upstream node.
The next pipe downstream is not a carrier pipe. The ToC at its downstream node therefore
includes the previously ignored travel time in the carrier pipe.
In the diagram above the ToC does not increase in the consecutive carrier pipes.
In the diagram above the ToC does not increase in the consecutive carrier pipes. At the
junction branch 1 has the highest carrier ToC (10.2 minutes), but branch 2 has the highest
running ToC (10.9 minutes). Therefore the carrier pipes downstream of the junction use the
carrier ToC from branch 1 (10.2 minutes).
For the first non carrier and subsequent pipes (including any subsequent carrier pipes) the
ToC is taken from the running ToC of branch 2. This is calculated as 10.9 + 0.6 + 0.8 + 0.3
= 12.6 minutes.
Note: the above diagrams are intended to explain the effect of carrier pipes on the node
ToC's so subcatchments areas and the resulting flows have not been shown.
Summary
The rules for system time (time of concentration) in carrier and non-carrier pipe cases are
when the 'Ignore Travel Time in Carrier Pipes' calculation option is set to TRUE are:
 When calculating the running ToC for the nodes, the pipe travel time is ignored for
carrier pipes.
 The running ToC for the downstream node of the carrier pipe is the same as the
upstream node.
 If the downstream pipe from a carrier pipe is not a carrier pipe, the running ToC
will include the `time in pipe' from the previous carrier pipe(s).
 If there are several incoming pipes, and none of them are carrier pipes, then the
highest incoming ToC is used as the ToC for the outgoing pipe.
 If there are several incoming pipes and all of them are carrier pipes, and the
outgoing pipe is a carrier, then the highest carrier pipe ToC is used as the ToC for
the outgoing pipe.
 If there are several incoming pipes and they are a mixture of carrier and non carrier
pipes, and the outgoing pipe is a carrier pipe, then the highest running ToC is used
for the ToC for the outgoing pipe.
Partial Area Effects

The rational method typically assumes that peak flow occurs at the time when the whole
upstream catchment area contributes to the flow. However it is possible that a 'partial area'
can deliver higher peak flows than the total upstream area - for example when a large
impervious area with a small time of concentration is connected to a network downstream
of a small pervious area with a large time of concentration. Bentley SewerGEMS has an
option to correct for 'Partial Area' effects (see also Calculation Options) as described below.
For any inlet node, the final combined system rational flow should not be smaller than the
single maximum rational flow from contributing sources, these contributing sources
include:
1. Incoming and tributary pipes

a. Captured surface inflow from catchments and gutters
b. The inflows (rational portion) from diversions
c. External rational flows
If the calculation option is enabled and there are multiple rational flow sources entering a
node, the model will check all incoming flows to find out the largest rational flow from the
sources. This identified maximum flow is called the "partial area flow". The combined
rational flow is calculated by the normal procedure and then is compared with the partial
area flow. If the partial area flow is smaller than the combined rational flow, the combined
rational flow will be used. If the combined rational flow is smaller than the partial area
flow, the partial area flow is used as the new system rational flow at this point.
Note: In the current release of Bentley SewerGEMS the other properties, such as the system CA,
system flow time, etc. are not updated to reflect partial area flows.
When a partial area flow is used it also serves as a minimum rational flow for the
downstream elements. The downstream elements still follow the normal calculation
procedure and the calculated rational flow will be compared with any upstream partial area
flows. If the normal calculation procedure results in a flow that is smaller than the partial
area flow, that flow is replaced by the partial area flow.
The following examples illustrate the "Correct for Partial Area Effects" calculation option.
Tributary inflows
"Correct for Partial Area Effects" = TRUE:
"Correct for Partial Area Effects" = FALSE:

Catchments

External flow
(The large flow used is the external rational flow)

Gutter

Diversion

Flow Balance at Junctions

Because of the use of rational method hydrology, flow discontinuities may be noticed. This
is a condition where the sum of the inflows does not equal the sum of the outflows. The
main reason for this is that the rational method is only concerned with peak flows and has a
high dependence on duration (system time). As the system time changes, the intensity
changes and has a direct effect on the rate of flow in the system.
The most common cause of confusion with this discontinuity stems from rational loads that
are tracked through a long piping system without any other loads entering the network. At
the inlet of origin, the time of concentration may be relatively small, resulting in a high
intensity and a large peak discharge. As the load travels through the pipes, the system time
becomes larger, so the intensity lowers. This results in smaller discharge values, so the peak
flow at the outlet may be significantly smaller than the peak flow at the original inlet.
This may seem counter-intuitive at first, with questions like "Where did the rest of the flow
go?" coming to mind. In reality, the rest of the flow was not lost, but an attempt to balance
peak flows is not valid. Picture standing at the top of a hill with a bucket of water. If you
empty the entire bucket into the gutter in one second, then the peak rate of discharge at the
top of the hill is one bucket per second. Racing to the bottom of the hill, you can observe
the flow and see that the peak flow is much less than one bucket per second. However, the
flow lasts longer than one second. There was no water lost, but the peak was lower.
Bentley SewerGEMS does not simply add flow at a junction node; rather, it takes into
account the attenuation of peak flow as one moves downstream by keeping track of
upstream catchment properties and decreasing the peak intensity according to the time of
concentration and travel.
The flow out of a catchment is:
Where:
 Q = Flow
 C = Coefficient
 i = Intensity
 a = Area
And the flow out of a junction is:
One would think therefore that flow in equals flow out. However, the intensity (i) used for
determining the flow into the manhole will be higher than the intensity of the flow leaving
the manhole.
This intensity is calculated using the longest possible flow travel time in order to generate
the most conservative value for peak flow. For example, say a catchment empties into a
catch basin and has a Time of Concentration of 10 minutes. On the other hand the travel
time of the piped flow getting to the catch basin is 12 minutes. The rational flow generated
at the catch basin will be generated based on the intensity associated with the 12 minute
duration. This way you are assured that the whole system is contributing to the flow and
hence you are using the most conservative peak flow value at that point.
If you do not wish to have this flow attenuation taken into account, you should specify
Known or Additional flows at the catch basins.
See theSystem Time / Controlling Time / Duration topic for more information.
About Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle of the world's
infrastructure. The company's comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and
geospatial vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and
operations. Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-
Record Design 500 and major owner-operators. For more information, visit the Bentley
Web site at http://www.bentley.com.
Bentley Systems, Inc. offers software solutions to civil engineers throughout the world for
analyzing, modeling, and designing all sorts of hydrologic and hydraulic systems, from
municipal water and sewer systems to stormwater ponds, open channels, and more. With
point-and-click data entry, flexible units, and report-quality output, Bentley Systems, Inc. is
the ultimate source for your modeling needs.
In addition to the ability to run in Stand-Alone mode with a CAD-like interface, four of our
products-WaterCAD, StormCAD, SewerCAD, and Bentley SewerGEMS - can be totally
integrated within AutoCAD. These three programs also share numerous powerful features,
such as scenario management, unlimited undo/redo, customizable tables for editing and
reporting, customizable GIS, database and spreadsheet connection, and annotation.
Be sure to contact us or visit our Web site at http://www.bentley.com to find out about our
latest software, books, training, and open houses.
Click one of the following links to learn more:
Software
Bentley Institute Press
Training
Software
Bentley Systems, Inc. software includes:
CivilStorm
SewerGEMS
WaterGEMS
WaterCAD
SewerCAD
StormCAD
PondPack
FlowMaster
CulvertMaster
HAMMER
CivilStorm
CivilStorm revolutionizes municipal stormwater management. Whether your concern is a
stormwater master plan, localized flooding, GASB34 requirements, water quality BMPs,
NPDES permitting, or just simply being able to do faster and smarter designs every day,
CivilStorm fits your needs. It is the only commercially available software package that lets
you analyze all your system elements in one package. CivilStorm also gives you the ability
to perform analyses using either the SWMM algorithm or CivilStorm’s own implicit
solution of full Saint-Venant equations.
CivilStorm provides numerical solutions for the toughest interconnected pipe, pond, and
open channel networks, and provides stunning graphics and reporting tools for visualizing
your storm systems in action.
Use CivilStorm For:
 Comprehensive Stormwater Master Plans

 Watershed-Based Master Planning
 Analysis of Open-channel, Closed-conduit and Combination systems
 Floodplain Studies
 Complex Flow Regime Analysis
 Water Quality Assessments
 Integrated Stormwater Quantity and Quality Assessments
 NPDES Permitting
CivilStorm can be run in a MicroStation integrated interface, a Stand-Alone graphical user

interface, or an AutoCAD integrated interface.
SewerGEMS
SewerGEMS is the first and only fully-dynamic, multi-platform (MicroStation, ArcGIS,
AutoCAD, and Stand-Alone) sanitary and combined sewer modeling solution. With
SewerGEMS, you will analyze all sanitary and combined sewer system elements in one
package and have the option of performing the analyses with the SWMM algorithm or our
own implicit solution of the full Saint Venant equations.
Simply put, SewerGEMS offers the most comprehensive solution available for optimizing
Best Management Practice (BMP) designs and meeting sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) and
combined sewer overflow (CSO) regulations.
With SewerGEMS, you can:
 Develop system master plans

 Assess the impact of inflow and infiltration on SSOs
 Develop SSO and CSO remediation programs
 Perform system evaluations associated with US EPA CMOM and NPDES
 Optimize lift station and system storage capacities
 Determine developer connection fees
 Implement real-time control strategies
 Model relief sewers, overflow diversions, and inverted siphons
 Accurately simulate operations with variable-speed pumping and logical controls
 Simulate out-of-service or proposed sewers within the same model
 Tabular reporting (FlexTables) - Customize tabular views of all or portions of the network;
view all elements in a model, all elements of a specific type, or any subset of elements.
FlexTables can be filtered, sorted, and globally edited.
 model-Level Options - Modify global options including unit settings, drawing layout and
display settings, and element labeling.
WaterGEMS
WaterGEMS brings the concept of water modeling and GIS integration to the next level. It
is the only water-distribution modeling software that provides full, completely seamless
integration with GIS applications. Now the combined functionality of WaterCAD and GIS
can be utilized simultaneously, synthesizing the distinct advantages of each application to
create a modeling tool with an unprecedented level of freedom, power, efficiency, and
usability.
You can create, display, edit, run, map, and design water models from within the GIS
environment, and view the results of the simulations as native GIS maps or with traditional
Haestad Methods modeling tools. These abilities, in conjunction with the cross-product
functionality provided by the core Unified Data and Object Model architecture, provide a
powerful cutting-edge solution for your modeling projects.
WaterGEMS works within your choice of environments: MicroStation, ArcView, ArcEdit,

ArcInfo, AutoCAD, or the standalone WaterGEMS Modeler interface.
WaterCAD
WaterCAD is the definitive model for complex pressurized-pipe networks, such as
municipal water-distribution systems. You can use WaterCAD to perform a variety of
functions, including steady-state and extended-period simulations of pressure networks
with pumps, tanks, control valves, and more.
WaterCAD’s abilities also extend into public safety and long-term planning issues, with
extensive water quality features, automated fire protection analyses, comprehensive
scenario management, and enterprise-wide data-sharing capabilities.
WaterCAD is available with your choice of a MicroStation integrated interface, Stand-

Alone graphical user interface, and an AutoCAD integrated interface.
SewerCAD
SewerCAD is a powerful design and analysis tool for modeling sanitary sewage collection
and pumping systems. With SewerCAD, you can develop and compute sanitary loads, track
and combine loads from dry-weather and wet-weather sources. You can also simulate the
hydraulic response of the entire system (gravity collection and pressure force mains),
observe the effects of overflows and diversions, and even automatically design selected
portions of the system. Output covers everything from customizable tables and detailed
reports to plan and profile sheets.
SewerCAD can be run in a MicroStation integrated interface, a Stand-Alone graphical user

StormCAD
StormCAD is a highly efficient model for the design and analysis of storm sewer collection
systems. From graphical layout and intelligent network connectivity to flexible reports and
profiles, StormCAD covers all aspects of storm-sewer modeling.
Surface inlet networks are independent of pipe connectivity and inlet hydraulics conform to
FHWA HEC-22 methodologies. Gradually varied flow algorithms and a variety of popular
junction-loss methods are the foundation of StormCAD’s robust gravity piping
computations, which handle everything from surcharged pipes and diversions to hydraulic
jumps.
StormCAD can be run in a MicroStation integrated interface, a Stand-Alone graphical user

PondPack
PondPack is a comprehensive, Windows-based hydrologic modeling program that analyzes
a tremendous range of situations, from simple sites to complex networked watersheds.
PondPack analyzes pre- and post-developed watershed conditions and estimates required
storage ponds. PondPack performs interconnected pond routing, and also computes outlet
rating curves with tailwater effects, multiple outfalls, pond infiltration, and pond-detention
times.
PondPack builds customized reports organized by categories, automatically creating section

and page numbers, tables of contents, and indexes. You can quickly create an executive
summary for an entire watershed or build an elaborate drainage report showing any or all
report items. Graphical displays, such as watershed diagrams, rainfall curves, and
hydrographs, are fully compatible with other Windows software.
PondPack
PondPack is a comprehensive, Windows-based hydrologic modeling program that analyzes
a tremendous range of situations, from simple sites to complex networked watersheds.
PondPack analyzes pre- and post-developed watershed conditions and estimates required
storage ponds. PondPack performs interconnected pond routing, and also computes outlet
rating curves with tailwater effects, multiple outfalls, pond infiltration, and pond-detention
times.
PondPack builds customized reports organized by categories, automatically creating section

and page numbers, tables of contents, and indexes. You can quickly create an executive
summary for an entire watershed or build an elaborate drainage report showing any or all
report items. Graphical displays, such as watershed diagrams, rainfall curves, and
hydrographs, are fully compatible with other Windows software.
CulvertMaster
CulvertMaster helps engineers design new culverts and analyze existing culvert hydraulics,
from single-barrel crossings to complex multibarrel culverts with roadway overtopping.
CulvertMaster computations use HDS No. 5 methodologies, allowing you to solve for
whatever hydraulic variables you do not know, such as culvert size, peak discharge, and
headwater elevation. Output capabilities include comprehensive detailed reports, rating
tables, and performance curves.
HAMMER
HAMMER is the premier software in the world for analyzing hydraulic transients, surge
control devices, and water hammer effects. HAMMER models any hydraulic element,
transient source or surge protection devices, including:
 Transients for flow, head, or entrained vapor

 Pressurized pipelines and networks
 Ingress of contaminants into pipe networks
 Surcharged sewers or storage tunnels
 Pump start and shut down scenarios
 Flow shifting via pumps or valves
 Power or pump failure
 Rapid valve closure
 Catastrophic pipe or pump breaks
HAMMER can easily import steady-state model results from industry-standard models
such as WaterCAD, WaterGEMS, EPANET, or EXTRAN (for line filling). Users can also
build their own models using the advanced graphical interface or robust database
connections.
Bentley Institute Press

Bentley Institute Press provides civil engineering professionals with affordable, quality
reference and textbooks dedicated to the practical application of engineering theory to
hydraulics and hydrology. Bentley Institute Press publications include:
 References and Textbooks: Authored by industry-recognized experts, Bentley Institute

Press offers a complete line of reference books for use in both academic and professional
settings.
 Technical Journals: With an eye towards computer technology, journals like "Current
Methods" address the latest innovations in water-resources modeling and practical
modeling case studies, as well as offering credit towards certification.
 Independent Papers: Bentley Institute Press also provides funding for engineers to write
case studies of their projects, with potential publication in a variety of industry journals
and magazines.
Books from Bentley Institute Press:
 Advanced Water Distribution Modeling and Management, first edition; Haestad, Walski,
Chase, Savic, Grayman, Beckwith, and Koelle
 Computer Applications in Hydraulic Engineering, fifth edition; Haestad, Walski, Barnard,
Durrans, and Meadows
 Floodplain Modeling Using HEC-RAS, first edition; Haestad, Dyhouse, Hatchett, and Benn
 Proceedings of the First Annual Water Security Summit, first edition; HaestadStormwater
Conveyance Modeling and Design, first edition; Haestad and Durrans
 Wastewater Collection System Modeling and Design, first edition; Haestad, Walski,
Barnard, Merritt, Harold, Walker, and Whitman
 Water Distribution Modeling, first edition; Haestad, Walski, Chase, and Savic
To order or to receive additional information on these or any other Bentley Institute Press
titles, please call 800-727-6555 (U.S. and Canada) or +1-203-755-1666 (worldwide) or
visit www.bentley.com/books.
Training
The Bentley Institute manages professional training programs to ensure consistent, high
quality, user training for a variety of Bentley products and varying levels of application
experience. Bentley Institute training is developed to maximize your productivity by using
examples relevant to your day-to-day model efforts. Training is developed concurrently
with software applications to provide knowledge of the latest tools and features.
Additionally, all Bentley Institute faculty meet rigorous certification requirements.
The Bentley Institute offers complete training for Haestad Methods products.These training
programs are famous for efficiently and effectively teaching engineers how to apply
hydraulic theory and state-of-the-art software to real-world design situations.
 Modelers can become certified in a variety of water-related fields, through an assortment

of teaching methods including:
 JumpStart Seminars
 Comprehensive Workshops
 Publication-Based Programs
To obtain more information about Bentley Systems, Inc. certification programs or to see
upcoming events in a city near you, visit http://www.bentley.com.
Accreditations
Accreditations
Bentley Systems has achieved the highest levels of accreditation from both the International
Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and the Professional
Development Registry for Engineers and Surveyors (PDRES). In addition to our own
prestigious certifications, these endorsements enable modelers to earn Continuing
Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for their satisfactory
participation in various training and educational programs.
Reference Tables
 Mannings n Coefficients
 Inlet Design Coefficients
Inlet Design Coefficients
Mannings n Coefficients
Inlet Design Coefficients

Coefficients for Inlet Control Design Equations
Unsubmerg Submerge
ed d
Char Shape and Nomograp Inlet edge FOR K M C Y
t No. Material h Scale descriptio M
n
1 Circular 1 Square 1 0.0098 2 0.0398 0.67
Concrete edge with
headwall
2 Groove 1 0.0018 2 0.0292 0.74
end with
head wall
3 Groove 1 0.0045 2 0.0317 0.69
end
projectin
g
2 Circular 1 Headwall 1 0.0078 2 0.0379 0.69
CMP
2 Mitered 1 0.021 1.33 0.0463 0.75
to slope
3 Projectin 1 0.034 1.5 0.0553 0.54
g
3 Circular A Beveled 1 0.0018 2.5 0.0300 0.74
ring, 45?
bevels
B Beveled 1 0.0018 2.5 0.0243 0.83
ring,
33.7?
bevels
8 Rectangul 1 30? to 1 0.026 1 0.0347 0.81
ar Box 75?
wingwall
flares
Unsubmerg Submerge
ed d
2 90? to 1 0.061 0.75 0.0400 0.8
15?
wingwall
flares
3 0? 1 0.061 0.75 0.0423 0.82
wingwall
flares
9 Rectangul 1 45? 2 0.51 0.66 0.0309 0.80
ar Box Wingwall 7
flare,
d=.0430
2 18?-33.7? 2 0.486 0.66 0.0249 0.83
wingwall 7
flare,
d=.0830
10 Rectangul 1 90? 2 0.515 0.66 0.0375 0.79
ar Box headwall 7
with
chamfers
2 90? 2 0.495 0.66 0.0314 0.82
headwall 7
with 45?
bevels
3 90? 2 0.486 0.66 0.0252 0.86
headwall 7 5
with
33.7?
bevels
11 Rectangul 1 chamfers; 2 0.545 0.66 0.0505 0.73
ar Box 45? 7
skewed
headwall
2 chamfers; 2 0.533 0.66 0.0425 0.70
30? 7 5
skewed
headwall
3 chamfers; 2 0.522 0.66 0.0402 0.68
15? 7
Unsubmerg Submerge
ed d
skewed
headwall
4 45? 2 0.498 0.66 0.0327 0.75
bevels; 7
skewed
headwall
12 Rectangul 1 45? non- 2 0.497 0.66 0.0339 0.80
ar Box - offset 7 3
Chamfers wingwall
flares
2 18.4? 2 0.493 0.66 0.0361 0.80
non- 7 6
offset
wingwall
flares
3 18.4? 2 0.495 0.66 0.0386 0.71
non- 7
offset
wingwall
flares,
30?
skewed
barrel
13 Rectangul 1 45? 2 0.497 0.66 0.0302 0.83
ar Box - wingwall 7 5
Top flares -
Bevels offset
2 33.7? 2 0.495 0.66 0.0252 0.88
wingwall 7 1
flares -
offset
3 18.4? 2 0.493 0.66 0.0227 0.88
wingwall 7 7
flares -
offset
16- CM 2 90? 1 0.0083 2 0.0379 0.69
19 Boxes headwall
Unsubmerg Submerge
ed d
3 Thick 1 0.0145 1.75 0.0419 0.64
wall
projectin
g
5 Thin wall 1 0.034 1.5 0.0496 0.57
projectin
g
29 Horizontal 1 Square 1 0.01 2 0.0398 0.67
Ellipse - edge with
Concrete headwall
2 Groove 1 0.0018 2.5 0.0292 0.74
end with
head wall
3 Groove 1 0.0045 2 0.0317 0.69
end
projectin
g
30 Vertical 1 Square 1 0.01 2 0.0398 0.67
Ellipse - edge with
Concrete headwall
2 Groove 1 0.0018 2.5 0.0292 0.74
end with
head wall
3 Groove 1 0.0095 2 0.0317 0.69
end
projectin
g
34 Pipe Arch 1 90? 1 0.0083 2 0.0379 0.69
18" headwall
Corner
Radius
CM
2 Mitered 1 0.03 1 0.0463 0.75
to slope
3 Projectin 1 0.034 1.5 0.0496 0.57
g
Unsubmerg Submerge
ed d
35 Pipe Arch 1 Projectin 1 0.0300 1.5 0.0496 0.57
18" g
Corner
Radius
CM
2 No 1 0.0088 2 0.0368 0.68
Bevels
3 33.7? 1 0.003 2 0.0269 0.77
bevels
36 Pipe Arch 1 Projectin 1 0.0300 1.5 0.0496 0.57
31" g
Corner
Radius
CM
2 No 1 0.0088 2 0.0368 0.68
Bevels
3 33.7? 1 0.003 2 0.0269 0.77
bevels
40- Arch CM 1 90? 1 0.0083 2 0.0379 0.69
42 headwall
2 Mitered 1 0.03 1 0.0463 0.75
to slope
3 Thin wall 1 0.034 1.5 0.0496 0.57
projectin
g
55 Circular 1 Smooth 2 0.534 0.55 0.0196 0.90
tapered 5
inlet
throat
2 Rough 2 0.519 0.64 0.0210 0.90
tapered
inlet
throat
56 Elliptical 1 Tapered 2 0.536 0.62 0.0368 0.83
Inlet Face inlet - 2
beveled
edges
Unsubmerg Submerge
ed d
2 Tapered 2 0.5035 0.71 0.0478 0.8
inlet - 9
square
edges
3 Tapered 2 0.547 0.8 0.0598 0.75
inlet -
thin edge
projectin
g
57 Rectangul 1 Tapered 2 0.475 0.66 0.0179 0.97
ar inlet 7
throat
58 Rectangul 1 Side 2 0.56 0.66 0.0466 0.85
ar tapered - 7
Concrete less
favorable
edges
2 Side 2 0.56 0.66 0.0378 0.87
tapered - 7
more
favorable
edges
59 Rectangul 1 Slope 2 0.5 0.66 0.0466 0.65
ar tapered - 7
Concrete less
favorable
edges
2 Slope 2 0.5 0.66 0.0378 0.71
tapered - 7
more
favorable
edges
Headloss Coefficients for Junctions
Roughness Values-Mannings Equation
Roughness Values-Kutters Equation
Parent topic: Reference Tables
Headloss Coefficients for Junctions

These are typical headloss coefficients used in the standard method for estimating headloss
through manholes and junctions.
Typical Headloss Coefficients
Type of Manhole Diagram Headloss

Coefficient
Trunkline only with no bend at the junction 0.5
Trunkline only with 45° bend at the junction 0.6
Trunkline only with 90° bend at the junction 0.8
Trunkline with one lateral Small 0.6 Large 0.7
Two roughly equivalent entrance lines with angle < 90° 0.8
between lines
Two roughly equivalent entrance lines with angle > 90° 0.9
between lines
Three or more entrance lines 1.0
Roughness Values-Mannings Equation
Commonly used roughness values for different materials are:
Manning’s Coefficients n for Closed-Metal Conduits Flowing Partly Full
Channel Type and Description Min. Normal Max.

a. Brass, smooth 0.009 0.010 0.013
b. Steel
1. Lockbar and welded 0.010 0.012 0.014
2. Riveted and spiral 0.013 0.016 0.017
c. Cast iron
1. Coated 0.010 0.013 0.014
2. Uncoated 0.011 0.014 0.016
d. Wrought iron
1. Black 0.012 0.014 0.015
2. Galvanized 0.013 0.016 0.017
e. Corrugated metal
1. Subdrain 0.017 0.019 0.021
2. Storm drain 0.021 0.024 0.030
Roughness Values-Kutters Equation

Roughness Values--Kutter’s Equation
Channel Type and Description Minimum Normal Maximum
Brass, smooth 0.009 0.010 0.013
Steel; Lockbar and welded 0.010 0.012 0.014
Steel; Riveted and spiral 0.013 0.016 0.017
Cast iron; Coated 0.010 0.013 0.014
Cast iron; Uncoated 0.011 0.014 0.016
Wrought iron; Black 0.012 0.014 0.015
Wrought iron; Galvanized 0.013 0.016 0.017
Corrugated metal; Subdrain 0.017 0.019 0.021
Corrugated metal; Storm Drain 0.021 0.024 0.030
Kutter’s Coefficients n for Closed Non-Metal Conduits

Lucite 0.008 0.009 0.010
Glass 0.009 0.010 0.013
Cement; Neat, surface 0.010 0.011 0.013
Cement; Mortar 0.011 0.013 0.015
Concrete; Culvert, straight and free of debris 0.010 0.011 0.013
Concrete; Culvert with bends, connections, and some 0.011 0.013 0.014
debris
Concrete; Finished 0.011 0.012 0.014
Concrete; Sewer with manholes, inlet, etc., straight 0.013 0.015 0.017
Concrete; Unfinished, steel form 0.012 0.013 0.014
Concrete; Unfinished, smooth wood form 0.012 0.014 0.016
Concrete; Unfinished, rough wood form 0.015 0.017 0.020
Wood; Stave 0.010 0.012 0.014
Wood; Laminated, treated 0.015 0.017 0.020
Clay; Common drainage tile 0.011 0.013 0.017
Clay; Vitrified sewer 0.011 0.014 0.017
Clay; Vitrified sewer with manholes, inlet, etc. 0.013 0.015 0.017
Clay; Vitrified subdrain with open joint 0.014 0.016 0.018
Brickwork; Glazed 0.011 0.013 0.015
Brickwork; Lined with cement mortar 0.011 0.013 0.015
Sanitary sewers coated with sewage slimes, with bends 0.012 0.013 0.016
and connections
Paved invert, sewer, smooth bottom 0.016 0.019 0.020
Rubble masonry, cemented 0.018 0.025 0.030
Mannings n Coefficients
Manning’s n Coefficient Table
Lined Channels Manning’s

n
Concrete, with surfaces as indicated Formed, no finish 0.013 -

0.017
Trowel finish 0.012 -

0.014
Float finish 0.013 -

0.015
Float finish, gravel on bottom 0.015 -

0.017
Gunite, good section 0.016 -

0.019
Gunite, wavy section 0.018 -

0.022
Concrete, bottom float-finished, sides as Dressed stone in mortar 0.015 -

indicated 0.017
Random stone in mortar 0.017 -

0.020
n
Cement rubble masonry 0.020 -

0.025
Cement rubble masonry, 0.016 -

plastered 0.020
Dry rubble (riprap) 0.020 -

0.030
Gravel bottom, sides as indicated Formed concrete 0.017 -

0.020
Random stone in mortar 0.020 -

0.023
Dry rubble (riprap) 0.023 -

0.033
Brick 0.014 -
0.017
Asphalt Smooth 0.013
Rough 0.016
Wood, planed, clean 0.011 -

0.013
Concrete-lined excavated rock Good section 0.017 -

0.020
Irregular section 0.022 -

0.027
Unlined Channels Manning’s

n
Earth, uniform section Clean, recently completed 0.016 -

0.018
n
Clean, after weathering 0.018 -

0.020
With short grass, few weeds 0.022 -

0.027
In gravely soil, uniform 0.022 -

section, clean 0.025
Earth, fairly uniform section No vegetation 0.022 -

0.025
Grass, some weeds 0.025 -

0.030
Dense weeds or aquatic 0.030 -

plants in deep channels 0.035
Sides clean, gravel bottom 0.025 -

0.030
Sides clean, cobble bottom 0.030 -

0.040
Dragline excavated or dredged No vegetation 0.028 -

0.033
Light brush on banks 0.035 -

0.050
Rock: Based on design section 0.035
Based on actual mean section Smooth and uniform 0.035 -

0.040
Jagged and irregular 0.040 -

0.045
n
Channels not maintained, weeds and brush uncut Dense weeds, high as flow 0.08 - 0.12
depth
Clean bottom, brush on sides 0.05 - 0.08
Clean bottom, brush on 0.07 - 0.11

sides, highest stage of flow
Dense brush, high stage 0.10 - 0.14
Highway Channels and Swales with Maintained Manning’s

Vegetation n
(Values shown are for velocities of 2 and 5 fps)
Depth of flow up to 0.7 ft.
Bermuda grass, Kentucky bluegrass, buffalo grass Mowed to 2 in. 0.07 -

0.045
Length 4 to 6 in. 0.09 - 0.05
Good Stand, any grass Length about 12 in. 0.18 - 0.09
Length about 24 in. 0.30 - 0.15
Fair stand, any grass Length about 12 in. 0.14 - 0.08
Depth flow 0.7 ft. to 1.5 ft.
Bermuda grass, Kentucky bluegrass, buffalo grass Mowed to 2 in. 0.05 -

0.035
Length 4 to 6 in. 0.06 - 0.04
Good Stand, any grass Length about 12 in. 0.12 - 0.07

n
Fair stand, any grass Length about 12 in. 0.10 - 0.06
Gutters Manning’s
n
Concrete gutter Troweled finish 0.012
Asphalt pavement Smooth texture 0.013
Rough texture 0.016
Concrete gutter with asphalt pavement Smooth 0.013
Rough 0.015
Concrete pavement Float finish 0.014
Broom finish 0.016
For gutters with small slope, where sediment may 0.002

accumulate, increase all above values of n by
(Source: Searcy 1973.)(Source: U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1986.)
1. The n values are a composite of information compiled by Engman (1986).

2. Includes species such as weeping lovegrass, bluegrass, buffalo grass, blue grama grass, and
native grass mixtures.
3. When selecting n, consider cover to a height of about 0.1 ft. This is the only part of the
plant cover that obstructs sheet flow.

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Working in ArcGIS Mode Working in ArcGIS Mode Working in ArcGIS Mode

Working in ArcGIS Mode

GIS Terms and Definitions

Parent topic: Working in ArcGIS Mode

Feature Class1. A classification describing the format of geographic features and

2. The conceptual representation of a geographic feature. When referring to geographic

Parent topic: GIS Basics

 ArcView—ArcView provides the following capabilities:

ArcGIS Integration with Bentley SewerGEMS

Parent topic: ArcGIS Integration

Using ArcCatalog with a Bentley

For more information, see the following topic:

“ArcCatalog Geodatabase Components”

ArcCatalog Geodatabase Components

The ArcMap Client

Getting Started with the ArcMap Client

Getting Started with the ArcMap Client

To add a new hydraulic model:

To add an existing hydraulic model:

Attach Geodatabase Dialog

The following controls are available:

Importing Data From Other Models

Importing Data from Bentley Wastewater

Importing Data from Bentley Wastewater

To export Bentley Wastewater data to a set of output files:

To import Bentley Wastewater data from a set of output files:

1. Click File > Import > Submodels.

Pressure Pipe Considerations

 Diameter directly translates.

Presssure Junction Considerations

 The invert directly translates.

Importing From InRoads

 Variable Speed Pump Battery

Importing from LandXML

To import a LandXML .xml file:

1. Select File > Import > LandXML.

To import a WinDes file:

1. Select File > Import > WinDes.

PipeLabel Label on Conduit

0 kRoughness (mm) Darcy-Weisbach roughness on

1 PipeNumber Applied to local conduit

2 Length (mm) Length (User Defined) on

4 Area (ha) Imported as the User Defined

5 Diameter (mm) Imported as the local diameter

9 Time of Imported as the single User

15 Base Flow (lps) If the value is greater than 0

21 Upstream Cover Will be the ground elevation of

25 Downstream Will be the ground elevation of

30 Upstream Represents the diameter of the

31 Downstream Represents the diameter of the

32 Upstream Represents the Width of the If the value is 0 then the

33 Downstream Represents the Width of the If the value is 0 then the

41 Upstream Easting The x coordinate of the start

42 Upstream The y coordinate of the start

43 Downstream The x coordinate of the stop

44 Downstream The y coordinate of the stop

53 Manhole Sump Subtracted from the lowest

88 Mannings N Applied to the Mannings value

Parent topic: Importing Data From Other Models

Importing from WinDes (MDX)

1. Select the "File" tab.

Importing From GEOPAK

A GEOPAK drainage model consists of three files: