Release Notes - Subsurface Utilities CONNECT Edition Update 2
This version of Subsurface Utilities is based on the Haestad CONNECT Edition release (10.00.00.45).
Enhancements
Modeling and Drawings
- Some OpenRoads Designer Drawing Production functionality has been implemented for Subsurface Utilities. In this update, you can lay out and annotate plan sheets which will include Subsurface Utilities data if the named boundary cuts it in the 3D model.
- New functionality has been added to calculate the one-dimensional flow paths and ponds created by overflows. If the storm event being analysed causes overflows to occur at any manholes or catch basins, the total volume of the overflow for the event is calculated. This volume is then routed from each node, across the selected terrain model. If local depressions are found, then they will be filled, and any remaining volume will continue down until it reaches a true low point, and the area of ponding which occurs will be displayed. This enhancement makes it easy to see how a storm event affects the surrounding topography, so that you can assess the consequences of this, and consider whether the conveyance system needs to be adjusted. This functionality requires a time-varying analysis of the system to be done, which is available if CivilStorm or SewerGEMS are activated.
- The Civil Profile Model now shows the Hydraulic and Energy Grade Lines (HGL and EGL) if hydraulic conduits are being drawn. Previously, this information was only shown in the Analysis and Engineering Profiles, which meant that you had to use different views depending on the purpose. With this enhancement, the Civil Profile Model becomes the only view that you will normally need to use - particularly as it also supports tooltips, and lets you change conduit and node invert levels. If you run a Dynamic Wave analysis of the drainage system, the HGL and EGL will vary over time, and this is shown in the Civil Profile Model. Simply use the Time Browser to set or step through the time steps, and the HGL and EGL will update accordingly. The HGL and EGL are shown in the profile drawing model, and can be annotated and sheeted for finished drawings.
- Functionality to Create/Update Dynamic Profile has been added to the Profile Model. This makes it possible to show crossing utilities, such as other conduits, as well as any other 3D data.
- Conduit shapes and sizes are now automatically used for the graphics in the 3D model when external data is imported. Previously, a circular shape of a default size was assumed, until a feature definition was applied. If you are importing data from other systems, this enhancement means that the 3D model is much more correct straight away, and is ready for conflict detection without further processing.
- Support has been added for different ground and invert elevations for nodes which are modelled using a single 3D cell, such as a headwall. Previously, the properties showed the same elevation for the ground and invert elevations, and this could cause some hydraulic calculations (such as the Implicit solver) to fail. Note that the 3D cell and the feature definition need to be adjusted to enable this functionality.
- The Haestad Cross Section and Channel element types have been implemented in Subsurface Utilities. This enhancement makes it possible to design and analyse irregular channels, and import Haestad data that includes these element types.
- The Set Feature Definition command has been extended so that it is now possible to use it for node, conduit, and catchment element types. This provides a more efficient workflow than using the Properties dialog, because events are batch processed, rather than one-by-one. In addition, the list of available Feature Definitions in the Properties dialog now only lists those that are for the same type as the selected element.
- The available types of waste water node now align with those in the Haestad SewerCAD and SewerGEMS products. This means that Subsurface Utilities can now be used to lay out sanitary sewer networks, which can then be designed and analysed hydraulically by activating a SewerCAD or SewerGEMS licence.
Hydraulics
- A New Storm Event Scenarios tool has been added. It is available in the Scenarios dialog, and makes it much easier to create the storm events and scenarios that are needed to analyse the range of storm return periods, durations, and climate change factors that are used in some countries, such as the United Kingdom.
- New functionality has been added to find the critical storm event from many scenarios - i.e. the event that gives the highest HGL and volume of overflow. This removes the need for time-consuming manual comparisons of results, by analysing a selected set of scenarios and finding the worst case. This may vary for every node in the system, as events of a shorter duration are normally critical at the top of a system, while longer duration events are critical further down the system, particularly if there is attenuation.
- New functionality has been added to only use the Haestad sizes for hydraulic conduits. Previously the sizes set in the conduit table in the feature definition were used when a conduit was placed, and the Haestad sizes were used by the hydraulics calculations. This could cause confusion about what sizes were used and when, and meant that both lists of conduit sizes had to be kept synchronised. A new environment variable - SUDA_USE_HAESTAD_CONDUITS - controls whether this functionality is enabled or not. It is set on by default. Note that the sizes of non-hydraulic conduits (such as electric and communications cables and ducts) are still set in the feature definition, as they are only stored there, and are not affected by hydraulic calculations.
- The ability to use the Colebrook White equation instead of the Swamee Jain equation to calculate pipe friction has been added in the GVF-Rational solver.
- Bentley's implementation of the SWMM solver has been enhanced to give you the option to use a Bentley technique to calculate how the transition between pipe full and surcharged flow occurs. The Bentley technique, which is the same as the one that's used in the Implicit solver, gives a smoother transition between pipe full and surcharged, instead of a rapid jump in the HGL. This results in the HGL rising more realistically as the pipe starts to surcharge. The setting can be found in the Calculation Options for the SWMM solver.
- If a pipe at the top of a branch has no flow, this gave a rainfall intensity that was too high. To avoid this, a new calculation option - "Use Minimum Tc as Minimum System Time" - has been added in the GVF-Rational solver. With this option set to "True", and a small flow (e.g. 0.01 L/s) added to the node at the top of the pipe, the Minimum Tc will be used as the Minimum System Time.
- New functionality to label conduits by branch has been added. This was previously available in MX Drainage.
UK Hydraulics
- Road Note 35 and the Wallingford Procedure note that Tc = Te + Tf, where Tc is Time of Concentration, Te is Time of Entry, and Tf is Time of Flow (i.e. in the pipe). The ability to calculate Tc in this way has been added as a calculation option in the GVF-Rational solver.
- The ability to import and export the WinDes MDX file format has been added. This makes it possible to easily create accurate 3D models from imported data, and export data for use in WinDes.
- Extra durations have been added to the Intensity Duration Frequency data that is calculated for the Flood Studies Report, to suit the need to analyse longer storm durations, such as when attenuation is being designed.
Defects
- It is now possible to include Subsurface Utility Engineering data, Hydraulic Analysis data, or both, when you publish an i-model. The data to be included is configured in the Tools > Project Tools > i-model Configuration option, which means that you can tailor the content appropriately, to suit different consumers.
- Materials that are attached to the cells used for nodes are now correctly applied to the nodes in the 3D model. Note that this will not happen automatically when you open the DGN - you will need to change the feature definition for the node to one that is not being used in the DGN.
- The connection region graphic for a node no longer behaves as a separate entity to the node itself. In previous versions of OpenRoads Designer, it was possible to pick this graphic and move it independently of the node itself, and picking it did not display the properties of the node.
- The Dynamic Cross Section view now correctly shows a slice through a node
- The ability to display tooltips on Subsurface Utility data has been reinstated. These tooltips can be configured to show any required properties, and the settings for this are now correctly stored and recalled.
- An exception that occurred when adding tabular annotation to a profile drawing has been fixed, so it is now possible to add boxes containing information on invert levels etc below a drainage profile in the Engineering Profiles dialog.
- The calculation option for 'Full Flow Velocity" in the GVF-Rational solver was using the full depth, so this has now been renamed to "Full Depth Velocity" and a new "Full Flow Velocity" option has been added.
- Calculating the rainfall intensity for Intensity Duration Frequency data using the "Flood Studies Report" procedure is now done using the equations directly, and not from the graphed values derived from the equations, to give a more accurate result.