5/5/2016

Free Surface Flow

(2D - New HEC-RAS ver 5)
WORKING WITH HEC-RAS AN
OVERVIEW

Working with HEC-RAS

Layout of the presentation

• History
• Hydraulic Analysis Components
• HEC-RAS documentation
• Installing HEC-RAS
• Getting started

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Working with HEC-RAS

History

• Developed by Hydrological Engineering

Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• It is public domain software
• Is capable of importing projects that were set
up on previous versions of HEC-RAS as well
as other data structures elements
• Version 5.0.1 (Released in April 2016 with 2D
capabilities)

Working with HEC-RAS

Hydraulic analysis components
• Steady Flow - Water Surface Profiles
– Steady gradually varied flow
– Any channel, any flow regime
– Basic computational procedure  One
dimensional energy equation
– Energy losses are evaluated by friction and
contraction/expansion
– Momentum equation where profile is rapidly
varied i.e. mixed flow regime (hydraulic jumps,
bridges etc.)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Hydraulic analysis components
• Unsteady Flow Simulation
– One-dimensional unsteady flow, can be
simulated through full network of open channels
– Can perform mixed flow regime assessments
– Hydraulic calculations for cross-sections,
bridges, culverts as used in steady state are also
incorporated into unsteady flow module

Working with HEC-RAS

Hydraulic analysis components
• Sediment Transport/Movable Boundary
Computations
– One-dimensional calculations, resulting from
scour and deposition over moderate time periods
– Potential sediment transport is computed by
grain size fractions distribution
– System can be used to evaluate deposition in
reservoirs
– Estimation of maximum possible scour during
large flood events can be undertaken

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Working with HEC-RAS

HEC‐RAS documentation
• User’s Manual
– Provides overview of modeling procedures
– How to get started?
– Detailed descriptions of modeling components
• Hydraulic Reference Manual
– Describes theory and data requirements
– Equations and their derivations
• Application guide
– Examples that demonstrate various aspects of
HEC-RAS

Working with HEC-RAS

Other HEC‐RAS documentation
HECRASController.
• The HECRASController API has a wealth 
of procedures which allow a 
programmer to manipulate HEC‐RAS 
externally by setting input data, 
retrieving input or output data, and 
performing common functions such as 
opening and closing HEC‐RAS, changing 
plans, running HEC‐RAS, and plotting 
output.
• Not only can the retrieval and post‐
processing of output be automated, but 
with the HECRASController, real‐time 
modeling and probabilistic experiments 
like Monte Carlo are possible.

http://hecrasmodel.blogspot.com/

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Working with HEC-RAS

Installing HEC‐RAS
• Hardware requirements
– PIV or higher recommended
– Minimum 550 MB hard disk space
– 256 MB memory recommended
– Any Microsoft Operating system
• Installing procedure
– Automatic – setup.exe
– Manuals
– Examples – Steady flow, Unsteady flow, Mobile
bed & Water temperature

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started
• HEC-RAS is an integrated package of
hydraulic analysis programs
• Graphical interaction is through the
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Contents:
– Starting HEC-RAS
– Entering geometric data
– Entering flow data and boundary conditions
– Performing hydraulic computations
– Viewing and printing results
– Other features

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
Double click the icon

Main screen will open

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
The data structure of a HEC‐RAS project is: 
• Project
– General description of project
– Lists all the files that form part of project
– *.prj file
• Plan
– Description of runs (analyses)
– *.p0? file
• Geometric data
– Physical characteristics of river system
– *.g0? file
• Flow data
– Steady (peak flow) of unsteady (curve)
– *.f0? or *.u0? File
• Hydraulic design
– Scour and stable channel design
– *.h0? file

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
HEC‐RAS Menus

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
More HEC‐RAS Menus

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
HEC‐RAS Menus (Help) Manning’s n values online

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
HEC‐RAS buttons

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
A HEC‐RAS project consists of: 
• Project
• Plan
• Geometry
• Flow and boundary data
• Hydraulic design

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Starting HEC‐RAS)
Steps required in setting up and running a model: 
• Enter geometric data such as cross sections,
roughness parameters, bridges/culverts and
analysis procedures
• Define the flow, steady or unsteady and enter the
required flow data
• Define a plan that describes the analysis selecting
the geometric and flow data combination run which
should be performed
• Analyse the system and evaluate the results
• Evaluate the potential scouring of the system

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)
For a specific project: 

• Enter the
geometry
data

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Entering geometric data)

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions )
Steps required in setting up and running a model: 
For a specific project:
Enter the Steady; 
Quasi‐unsteady; or 
Unsteady flow data

and the corresponding boundary conditions.

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions)
When to use Unsteady flow: 
• Tidal/estuary fluctuation
• Off-channel storage
• Dam breach routing
• Channels with flat slopes
• Levee overtopping
• Hydraulic structures affected by changing
backwater
• Large amounts of storage behind roads or culverts

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions)
Steady versus Unsteady: 
• Difference in handling boundary friction and
other losses
• Difference in numerical solution algorithm
• Difference in handling non-flow areas
• Difference in flow and boundary condition
data requirements
• Difference in calibration strategy
• Difference in application strategy

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions )
Steady

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions )
Quasi‐Unsteady 

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions )
Unsteady

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Flow data & boundary conditions )
Unsteady

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Performing hydraulic computations)

Steady Flow Analysis 

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Performing hydraulic computations)
Unsteady 
Flow Analysis 

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Performing hydraulic computations)

Sediment Transport Analysis 

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Viewing and Printing)
View Cross Sections 

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Viewing and Printing)
View Profile Plot 

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Viewing and Printing)
View Tabulated Output 

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Viewing and Printing)
View movies

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Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Other Features)
Hydraulic Design

Working with HEC-RAS

Getting started (Other Features)
Water Quality 

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