HEC-RAS

River Analysis System

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features

Version 6.4.1
Exported - July 2023

Approved for Public Release. Distribution Unlimited.

Table of Contents

1 MAJOR FEATURES ................................................................................... 4

2 MINOR IMPROVEMENTS ........................................................................... 9
3 TUTORIALS........................................................................................... 13
4 HEC-RAS PUBLICATIONS ........................................................................ 14

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features – 2

22 Jun 2023 HEC-RAS 6.4.1 released

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features – 3

 Major Features

1 MAJOR FEATURES
1. 1D Unsteady Flow Encroachment Analysis
1D Unsteady flow encroachment analysis provides capability for the 5 traditional methods of analysis as well
as integrating Encroachment Regions for limiting the water surface in the floodplain fringe.   It is intended
that users can perform floodway encroachment analysis on 1D, 2D, or combined 1D/2D models with a mix of
encroachment methods.  However, it is anticipated that the final runs will be performed using
Encroachment Regions.

2. 2D Unsteady Flow Encroachment Analysis

2D Unsteady flow encroachment analysis provides the capability to perform encroachment analysis on 2D
models.  The tools and methods in HEC-RAS allow the user to create Encroachment Regions which are
applied as a Terrain Modification which fills the floodplain fringe thereby allowing the reuse of the same 2D
mesh for a Base geometry and the Encroached run.  Tools are available to automatically generate
Encroachment Regions based on mapping results from previous (base) runs.

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 Major Features

3. Flow Optimization
Flow Hydrograph Optimization in HEC-RAS is an automated tool that allows the user to specify a Reference
Location for the model to monitor either Stage or Flow and perform adjustment to the inflow hydrographs
to hit a Target Value specified by the user.  This option may to be used to identify flow requirements by
scaling a predefined hydrograph (or set of hydrographs) by a specified Flow Ratio for flows coming into a
reservoir or in a river at a levee location in order to bring the stage up to a specific height (to breach a
structure or keep water from over-topping).

4. Atmospheric Pressure
In order to support modeling of compound flooding in coastal areas, HEC-RAS has added spatially variable
atmospheric pressure forcing to all flow solvers. Atmospheric pressure can be specified at Meteorological
Stations, DSS grids, or GDAL raster files. The atmospheric pressure input is very similar to how other spatially
variable meteorological data is entered (see figure below). 

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 Major Features

Below is an example grid of atmospheric pressure forcing in the Dickinson Bayou, in Galveston Bay, Texas. 

5. Render Mode Improvements

An additional interpolation scheme is available in 6.4.  A simple Sloping method using 2D cell corners for
interpolation has been re-introduced.

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 Major Features

6. Composite Land Classification Values - A new feature for land classification values allows to be spatially
composited over each cell rather than a single point value at the center.

7. Reference Area Query and Volume Time Series (Video)

Users can add a "Reference Polygon" to Mapper (like a reference line or point) and aggregate or average
results for all the cells in that area.  This will be useful for computing the total volume associated with a
group of cells, an average velocity, or a total bed change in a sediment model (summing erosion and
deposition to compute the net bed change).

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 Major Features

8. Fixed Bed 2D Sediment Transport Analysis: (Capacity Only and Concentration Only)
The 2D sediment model now supports "fixed bed" sediment modeling which simplifies sediment analysis
substantially and offers "incremental complexity" sediment analyses between a simple, hydraulic, shear
stress analysis and a full mobile bed model.  The "Capacity Only" tool evaluates the transport capacity
associated with each cell and cell face at each flow without the feedbacks (or computational expense) of
erosion or deposition.  The result below used the RASter calculator to compute the capacity with and
without the evaluated structures, generating spatial and cross section analysis on how these structures will
affect sediment transport through this reach.

9.  Raster Export Options

All map results have export options to write information to a file.  Map results can be exported to a raster
dataset (GeoTiff) or to vector contours.  The various export options discussed below are available by right-
click on the map layer and choosing from the Export Layer menu items.

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features – 8

 Minor Improvements

2 MINOR IMPROVEMENTS
1. Automated Annual Sediment Load Computation (and Sedigraph) in the Sediment Rating Curve Calculator
(Video) 
The HEC-RAS Sediment Rating Curve Analysis Calculator will automatically pull the flow data (blue line
below) from a USGS gage and use the rating curve developed with the sediment data to develop a full time
series of sediment load (brown line below), plotting it with the observed sediment loads (black dots below). 
Then the tool will annualize these loads, to report an average annual sediment load (in tons/year) to help
users develop their sediment budget.

2. Large Woody Debris (LWD) Terrain Modification (Video)

Version 6.4 includes a LWD terrain modification that allows users to add tree with a separate root wad
diameter to the terrain.  The trees are compound shapes, combining two rectangles or a rectangle and a
triangle and can be placed horizontally (above a specified base elevation - which can be partially buried) or
added to the terrain along a slope.

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 Minor Improvements

3. Hydrostatic Result Map (For LWD Stability Analysis)

4. LOESS Local Regression for Sediment Rating Curves (Video - 2nd half)

New tool in the Sediment Rating Curve Calculator in the Hydraulic Design Toolbox applies a non-parametric,
local regression using the LOESS method.  This method can compute an "optimal span" (the local moving
"window" of data that the model uses - higher spans tend to smooth data) and plot analytics on the different
span ranges.  But users can choose any span (0-1) to plot a local regression model and identify local trends in
their data.

5. New Cohesive Methods in 2D Sediment

a. Equilibrium Shear Stress Range
b. Non-Linear Excess Shear
The 2D sediment model added two alternate cohesive methods to make cohesive modeling more
flexible.  (Note: We also updated the documentation on the dimensionless vs dimensional (Kd vs M)

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 Minor Improvements

excess shear equations work and interact).

6. Convergence Messaging for 2D Sediment

The 2D Sediment model now writes orange messages if the model reaches max iterations during a sediment
solution time step.  These messages only tell users if a cell has gone to max iterations, not which cell or how
bad it is.  But we have added detailed  documentation on how to request and interpret the computational
level output file that helps users identify the offending cells and evaluate the magnitude of the problem.

7. Residual Plots for Piecewise Linear Sediment Regression

Version 6.4 includes a residual plot with the piecewise linear sediment rating curve algorithm to help users
decide if a local-residual minimum (e.g. in the more sensitive moderate-to-high flow region of the curve)

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 Minor Improvements

would be more appropriate than the global minimum.

8. New Icon for RAS Mapper process

The RAS Mapper Icon is used in the Task Bar to allow users to find the RAS Mapper window.

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features – 12

 Tutorials

3 TUTORIALS
• 1D Unsteady Flow Encroachment Analysis
• Flow Hydrograph Optimization
• 2D Rules Example
• Debris Flow Workshop
• 2D Sediment
• Parameter Summary Guide (which parameters do we recommend changing and within what range)
and
• Runtime Optimization Guide (how to make the model run faster)  

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features – 13

 HEC-RAS Publications

4 HEC-RAS PUBLICATIONS
• Sediment Rating Curve Calculator (SEDHYD)
• Example Dam Removal Sediment Model in HEC-RAS (SEDHYD)
• Mud and Debris Modeling (SEDHYD)
• Two Example Debris Flow Models in HEC-RAS (SEDHYD)
• Sediment Modeling Failure Modes and Best Practices (SEDHYD)

HEC-RAS 6.4 New Features – 14