Check Data and Validate

This feature allows you to validate your model against typical data entry errors, hard to detect topology problems, and modeling problems. When the Validate box is checked, the model validation is automatically run prior to calculations.

It can also be run at any time by clicking Validate. The process will produce either a dialog box stating No Problems Found or a Status Log with a list of messages.

The validation process will generate two types of messages. A warning message means that a particular part of the model (i.e., a pipe's roughness) does not conform to the expected value or is not within the expected range of values. This type of warning is useful but not fatal. Therefore, no corrective action is required to proceed with a calculation. Warning messages are often generated as a result of a topographical or data entry error and should be corrected. An error message, on the other hand, is a fatal error, and the calculation cannot proceed before it is corrected. Typically, error messages are related to problems in the network topology, such as a pump or valve not being connected on both its intake and discharge sides.

Note: In earlier versions of the software, it was possible to create a topological situation that was problematic but was not checked for in the network topology validation. The situation could be created by morphing a node element such as a junction, tank, or reservoir into a pump or valve. This situation is now detected and corrected automatically, but it is strongly recommended that you verify the flow direction of the pump or valve in question. If you have further questions or comments related to this, please contact Bentley Support. Warning messages related to the value of a particular attribute being outside the accepted range can often be corrected by adjusting the allowable range for that attribute.

The check data algorithm performs the following validations:

Network Topology—Checks that the network contains at least one boundary node, one pipe, and one junction. These are the minimum network requirements. It also checks for fully connected pumps and valves and that every node is reachable from a boundary node through open links.
Element Validation—Checks that every element in the network is valid for the calculation. For example, this validation ensures that all pipes have a non-zero length, a non-zero diameter, a roughness value that is within the expected range, etc.