WaterCAD
Description:
WaterCAD is a user friendly hydraulic and water quality modeling
solution for water distribution systems. It is a useful tool
with a variety of applications and capabilities including
hydrologic model building, model management and optimization,
and water quality modeling. WaterCAD has additional features
that allow for elegant presentation of results and numerous
tools for their interpretation.
This program is not available in the GIS Lab, but an educational demo version is available for use in the Civil Department's computer lab on the 6th floor of Mudd.
Capabilities:
WaterCAD is designed to assist in the analysis, design, and
optimization of water distribution systems. Its capabilities
include:
• 2-D and 3-D CAD features
• Energy consumption and capital cost management
• Constituent-concentration analysis
• Water-age, tank-mixing, and source-trace analysis
for the development of such things as chlorination schedules
• Simulation of contamination events
• Visualization of zones of influence for various water
sources
• Aid in improving turbidity, taste, and odor by identifying
water-blending problems and recommending solutions
• Fire-flow analysis (availability of water for fire-protection,
hydrant placement, etc)
Limitations:
The full version of WaterCAD is not available, only
an educational demo version which has many of the features
of the full version, but with limited capabilities with respect
to saving files and designing and running complex simulations.
Additionally it may not be possible to take advantage of the
program's full CAD capabilities for performing advanced analysis
with other CAD programs.
Basic Inputs:
WaterCAD allows users to input information from virtually
any data source to jumpstart the model building process to
get a simulation up and running very quickly. Alternatively
they can construct a scenario from scratch and adjust different
parameters to optimize the design.
Inputs include previously created CAD drawings, GIS data, databases, spreadsheets. The user can also design water systems including piping, routing methods, treatment plant locations, fire hydrants, and discharge points.
Basic Output:
WaterCAD outputs results in a number of forms including visualizations,
databases, and spreadhseets. In general WaterCAD's outputs
are easily integrated with other CAD environments for additional
analysis. The results generated by WaterCAD are intended to
aid the user in making decisions relating to both management
practices and system design. A variety of additional analysis
tools are also available to interpret simulation results.
How to Run the Model:
Basic steps for making use of WaterCAD are as follows:
• Design a system and its characteristics (label pipes,
their materials, diameters, reynolds numbers, fire hydrant
locations, treatment facilities, etc)
• Run a simulation. Depending on the type of problem
you are trying to solve, this may involve simulating a rain
event and how the system handles in- and out-flows, or simulating
a treatment process and comparing the untreated water with
the treated water.
• Review the results, generate tables and figures with
the included analysis tools to present your findings
Developer: WaterCAD was developed by Bentley Systems, Inc.
Faculty Contact: Patricia Culligan
Application:
