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Accuracy in Channel Drainage Design October

2012

Discover how our new design software allows you

to create more effective and accurate hydraulic
design plans.
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Executive
Summary
Environmental sustainability is a As a result, they can develop
key objective in UK construction optimised solutions that demonstrate
projects, while emerging government sustainability, comply with legislation,
legislation is encouraging the and use resources efficiently in a way
development of ever-greener that was not previously possible with
initiatives. This has major free software.
implications for hydraulic design.
ACO Design Software represents
Surface water management schemes the most ‘true-to-life’ free option
must minimise disruption to their currently available in the industry.
surrounding ecosystems – while Following successful trials, it is now
simultaneously saving time, cost being rolled out to the wider hydraulic
and materials. To achieve this, highly design community.
detailed and accurate planning is
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required prior to deployment.
Click here to read more about our
ACO’s new hydraulic Design Software approach to sustainable surface
offers intelligent support that is water management.
unprecedented in previous free
applications. By enabling more
accurate water flow measurement
predictions in channel designs,
engineers can anticipate their
performance far more effectively.

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Hydraulic channel design:
the plans and pitfalls
Engineers and architects across
the construction industry face an
array of challenges when it comes
to surface water management. The
UK Government has implemented
its ‘Green Deal’ – a new initiative
encouraging businesses and home
owners to employ more green
technologies in their properties.
Emerging SuDS standards have
brought the issue of sustainability in
drainage systems to the fore. But of
course not all challenges relate to the
green agenda. Other drivers such as
cost savings, efficiency of materials
and time savings remain key. Plus
the performance of surface water
management systems in protecting
the environments that architects
and engineers are creating. The
development of intelligent design
planning software for channel
drainage systems is essential
to meeting all these challenges.
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Traditionally, this has been an
invaluable tool for engineers looking Engineers and
to devise the most effective response
when tendering for commissioned architects across
projects. By anticipating and
calculating the potential impact the construction
of their ideas based on existing
knowledge, they can present more industry face an
accurate and cost-effective proposals
and discuss them constructively prior array of challenges
to work commencing.
when it comes
Current free software is useful for
general hydraulic design planning. to surface water
It is capable of measuring the overall
channel size required to manage a management.
particular flow of water run-off based
on a predetermined area. However,
when it comes to optimisation, it is
rather less reliable. Because it cannot
accurately calculate the ideal depth
or length of channel when water
enters the channel along the course
of flow, its resulting predictions are
inaccurate and do not represent
the most efficient use of available
resources. Therefore, existing free
software cannot be relied upon
to satisfy the demands of the
green agenda.
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New ACO Design software:
The easier way to effective
hydraulic design planning
As the world’s leading supplier of
channel drainage systems, ACO Water
Management has remained at the
forefront of accurate hydraulic design
throughout our history.
Design engineers and specifiers
across the world rely on ACO’s
innovative, reliable solutions to help
them create effective, inspirational
and sustainable programmes that
enrich the environment in which
we work and live.
Register now for our FREE
secure online design software
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ACO’s new design software represents
the latest evolution in hydraulic design
planning and support. Independent
technologies meet the challenges of
accurate flow measurement head-on,
enabling engineers to anticipate the
performance of their surface water
management schemes much more
effectively than with previous free
applications available to them.
The software itself follows on
from ACO Hydro, the basis of their
hydraulic design advice for many
years. Now it will enable designers
and specifiers alike to configure
and test their own design proposals,
using highly accurate hydraulic
modelling techniques.
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How ACO Design Software
can help you
ACO’s new design software can bring
a host of benefits to the hydraulic
design planning process, by enabling
you to deploy solutions that improve
environmental sustainability, meet
strict legislation requirements, save
money and materials, and improve
workforce productivity.
This advanced program uses the
‘spatially varied flow’ differential
equation for steady, non-uniform
channel flow – which allows a visual
evaluation of the backwater curve
profile of water in those channels.
This dynamic equation correctly
analyses the flow in a particular
channel where allowance is made
for the flow across its entire length,
and where there are stepped sizes
present.
It also allows for the inclusion of end
inflow and point inflows entering the
channel itself.
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secure online design software
Although these spatially varied
backwater curves have the same
origins as the Saint Venant equations,
because ACO’s software assumes a
With ACO Design
steady state with constant rainfall
intensity there is no need to consider
Software you can:
variation with time. This means that
engineers can accurately diagnose • Create fully-editable catchment models
the likely size and shape of run they • Easily change design criteria (rainfall
will need to deploy for projects with intensities, product type, additional runs)
changing or staggered channel sizes.
• Quickly and confidently assess alterations
ACO’s Design Software application • Store designs in a personal allocated
is hosted on the web, which marks space – and keep them confidential
an evolution in terms of delivery. • Create and download a PDF summary
Users are able to access securely
and instantly in the cloud – anytime, document of all entered criteria
anywhere. Updates – whether product
or technical – can be carried out
quickly and easily, so you can be
confident that software is always up-
to-date. What’s more, you never need
to worry about losing or misplacing
information: it’s always accessible,
regardless of your location.
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A closer look at the software

Input data
ACO’s Design Software allows users
to select the appropriate design
rainfall intensity for any location in
the UK and Eire, the return period, WATCH OUR
and an allowance for climate change STEP BY STEP
where required. SOFTWARE GUIDE
The software will automatically
default to a five-minute storm
duration (in accordance with BS EN
752); however for large catchments,
alternative storm durations can
be selected. Alternatively, you can
enter the value of your desired
rainfall intensity.
Once all this information has been
inputted, you will be able to calculate
an accurate representation of the
capacity and storage volume required
by the selected channels. You can test
the design in three different ways.

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Checking the design
Straight design evaluation
This will calculate the hydraulic
perfomance of the chosen channel
size within the chosen channel range
to ensure it has sufficient capacity
based on the inputted data.
Optimised design
This generates a solution to meet the
design parameters you have set. It will
give you the freedom to permanently
change your design to incorporate
an appropriate channel size to meet
hydraulic requirements. It makes the
design process easier and useful for
more complicated catchment areas.
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Optimised system
The last of the three options
enables you to find out the efficient
solution for your particular project.
It automatically selects the most
appropriate range of channel
dimensions from within a channel
system to suit your design. Unlike
the first two options this approach
can offer more than a single channel
sizing as the most appropriate solution.
As with the optimised design, it allows
you to permanently incorporate the
option into your layout.
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Managing flow
In an ACO channel design with
multiple inlets, water flow is assumed
to be steady and non-uniform. That
is to say, rainfall is presumed to be
constant (steady) but also non-uniform
because additional flow is entering the
channel at different points all along its
length. This means that although the
channel flow will not vary with time,
it will vary with distance.
By analysing drainage runs installed
on changing angles of slope, ACO’s
new design software can accurately
calculate a run that not only
accommodates channels of changing
sizes, but also optimises channel
sizes when installed level, or, where
appropriate, on slopes where there is
sub-critical-critical flow. This marks
an industry breakthrough — as the
first piece of free third-party software
capable of calculating this. In a
situation where the slope of surface
might be sufficient to cause super-
critical flow in a defined channel,
the software calculates one of three
possible outcomes:
1. It proves the pre-selected channel
is able to accommodate the
defined flow, and that it is therefore
possible to try and optimise the
size of channel for this flow.
2. It evaluates a negative result.
i. It is still possible to
try‘optimising’and if a channel
of suitable dimension is available,
it will recommend it.
ii. By using ‘optimise’ by 2m length,
it will attempt to select a
range of stepped channels to
accommodate the defined flow
and determine at what positions
those changes
should occur.
3. It delivers a ‘warning’ to indicate
that super-critical flow has been
encountered, and that although
the depth/velocity calculation
is imprecise, the channel has
sufficient capacity to accommodate
the defined flow. As in point 2,
in some cases it is possible to
optimise or optimise by 2m lengths.
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The backwater curve calculations in
ACO Design Software are based on
partial differential equations.
Their accuracy depends on the rate
of change of variables such as depth,
area, wetted perimeter and flow,
along with distance. The software
breaks down these distances into
very small units, and iterates them
as necessary in order to maintain
accuracy throughout the calculation.
As a result, the design output
accurately deals with any discontinuity
in hydraulic conditions — including
steps in the channel invert, changes in
channel size or shape, point inflows,
and changes in ground slope.
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Safe Design
By providing this unprecedented
flexibility and choice, ACO Design
Software now offers the most ‘true-
to-life’ free option in the industry
for creating a fully-optimised design
solution you can be confident in. All
solution outputs are fully compliant
with current and emerging SUDS
legislation, while ACO’s exclusive
Storm Profile methodology considers
all potential drainage needs as part
of the calculation process – including
rainfall, runoff, permeability, climate
change and efficiency of space use.
Following successful trials with a
number of engineers and architects,
this software is now rolling out to the
wider hydraulic design community. In
addition to its impressive functionality,
it has been configured to be as
user-friendly, intuitive and interactive
as possible, whilst remaining fully
secure. Users receive their own
specific login details to access
their own information.
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As experts in water management
solutions, ACO is fully-equipped
to guide you through the hydraulic
design development process. We use Register now for our FREE
plain English and simple functionality secure online design software
to help make your life easier and
put the power of design in your hands.
As a result, you get the tools you
need to do an even better job
when it comes to implementing
commercially and environmentally
successful hydraulic design projects.
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Excellence
through
innovation
ACO is renowned across the world for our
uncompromising commitment to innovation.
Our new Design Software delivers the forefront
of industry thinking via a free-to-use platform,
as we continue to drive high standards and
constant improvement in water management.
We continue to search for new and ever-more
effective ways to deliver sustainable and cost-
effective water management solutions that embrace
the challenges posed by climate change, legislation
and urbanisation. This can often be a complex task,
and success in combining products and processes
requires a thorough understanding of how they can
best work together.
The ACO Design Services Team can work closely
with you throughout the design process to ensure
smooth delivery of plans, on-time, on-spec and on-
budget. Our services are free-of-charge, free from
obligation, and include:
• W hole system design — from collection to
attenuation of surface water
• Advice on specification, design
and installation
• Hydraulic calculations &
AutoCAD detailing
• Parts scheduling
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ACO:
Protecting
environments
ACO is a world leader in the design, development
and implementation of sustainable surface water
management systems. For over 50 years, we’ve
pioneered unique solutions that satisfy the need
for high performance, environmental excellence,
optimal return on investment and long operational
life across a vast range of applications.
Our award-winning innovation and dedicated
expertise has given us a reputation for protecting
environments. With global research facilities
spanning four continents and over 3,500 employees,
we combine a rich heritage with the latest
technologies to create products and systems that
protect people, businesses and infrastructure –
while improving water quality and enhancing
urban spaces.
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Find out more about the ACO group here
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Find out more

To find out more about ACO’s
industry-leading products and unique
approach, please contact us on
01462 816 666 or visit www.aco.co.uk

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