Integrating CFD modeling into your dam design workflow
Dam rehabilitation projects are commonly constrained by existing hydraulic conditions and available construction footprint. This can lead to unique designs that increase uncertainty when they fall outside of available technical recommendations. Confidence in these designs can be improved through higher factors of safety, physical modeling, or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Improved computing performance and user-friendly software (e.g., Flow-3D) have made CFD modeling cheaper and easier to utilize in recent years. CFD modeling is a readily available resource that can help gain insight during any step in the dam design process. This presentation will cover how CFD modeling can be utilized to establish existing conditions, validate calculated rating curves, and optimize spillway design by comparing their results to other accepted design tools.
Author Bio
Ben obtained his B.S. in civil engineering at Virginia Military Institute and his M.S. in the same discipline at Virginia Tech. He works as an assistant engineer with the dam and levees safety team at Hazen and Sawyer. He primarily focuses on hydrologic and hydraulic modeling with HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS and Flow-3D to support dam rehabilitation projects.
