- Why do I need a model like StormCAD to design a storm sewer system
- How do I get started creating a StormCAD model?
- How can I get training on StormCAD to help me get started?
- Does StormCAD integrate with MicroStation or AutoCAD?
- Storm sewer design is all about elevations. Can I look at profiles?
- Can StormCAD handle oddly shaped storm sewers including arches and ellipses? What about open channel sections?
- What if I want to use other formulas for head loss besides Manning’s?
- Can I use color coding to view pipes based on how full they are?
- How does StormCAD compute runoff from catchments?
- What rainfall information is required for a StormCAD calculation?
- How does StormCAD calculate inlet capacity?
- How does StormCAD compute headloss at junctions?
- Can I generate hydrographs of flow at any element in my system?
- What’s the difference between StormCAD and CivilStorm?
- Can I export my StormCAD model to CivilStorm at a later date?
- Do I need two licenses if I want to use both the AutoCAD and stand-alone interfaces?
- Is StormCAD included with an MLS subscription?
1. Why do I need a model like StormCAD to design a storm sewer system?
StormCAD provides tested solutions to accepted hydraulic design equations. It includes gradually varying flow calculations with manhole losses and transitions between sub and super-critical flow. It can handle free surface and surcharged gravity flow. With its automated design routine, StormCAD can provide you with pipe size and invert elevations—taking a lot of the trial and error out of design calculations. With StormCAD’s Scenario Manager, you can track through as many what-if designs as you’d like, using the visualization tools in the user interface to help with decision making.
2. How do I get started creating a StormCAD model?
Modern model building tools make it possible to create storm sewer models easily depending on your source of data. You can trace over a background file or automatically create the model from a CAD drawing, database, shapefile or LandXML file. Once you build the model, you can perform a large number of design calculations in a short time, giving you a better solution and more than paying for your cost in software.
3. How can I get training on StormCAD to help me get started?
Bentley offers a range of in-class and on-line training.
4. Does StormCAD integrate with MicroStation or AutoCAD?
Out of the box, StormCAD works as a stand-alone product or inside MicroStation. Optionally users can purchase StormCAD for AutoCAD in order to use StormCAD on the AutoCAD platform.
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5. Storm sewer design is all about elevations. Can I look at profiles?
StormCAD gives you the flexibility to view the model both in plan and profile. StormCAD profiles can be exported directly to MicroStation or AutoCAD (if working in either of those environments), or exported as a DXF file.
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6. Can StormCAD handle oddly shaped storm sewers including arches and ellipses? What about open channel sections?
In addition to standard circular storm sewers, StormCAD handles a variety of other shapes including arches, ellipses, and boxes. StormCAD now also includes the ability to model trapezoidal, triangular, rectangular and irregular-shaped prismatic open channel sections.
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7. What if I want to use other formulas for head loss besides Manning’s?
StormCAD also supports Kutter’s, Darcy Weisbach, and Hazen-Williams equations.
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8. Can I use color coding to view pipes based on how full they are?
You can color code pipes such that the color depends on average end depth / rise.
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9. How does StormCAD compute runoff from catchments?
StormCAD computes peak runoff using the rational method. Users need to enter catchment area (or draw their catchment to scale and let StormCAD compute the area), runoff coefficient and time of concentration for each catchment.
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10. What rainfall information is required for a StormCAD calculation?
StormCAD uses rainfall intensity-duration-frequency data when computing peak runoff. The IDF data can be entered in a tabular form, or StormCAD can compute the IDF table using a number of different standard equations.
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11. How does StormCAD calculate inlet capacity?
StormCAD will automatically calculate inlet capacity according to the methodology described in the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s Hydraulic Engineering Circular No 22 (HEC-22), second edition—Urban Drainage Design Manual. Alternatively, users can enter a maximum capacity, percent efficiency, gutter flow—capture curve, or gutter depth—capture curve to define the capacity of an inlet.
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12. How does StormCAD compute headloss at junctions?
StormCAD can compute headloss at junctions according to a number of different methodologies, including: AASHTO, HEC-22, flow-headloss curve, standard method and generic method.
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13. Can I generate hydrographs of flow at any element in my system?
No. StormCAD is a peak flow model only, it doesn’t model flows changing over time. To generate hydrographs for a storm sewer system, users should consider CivilStorm.
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14. What’s the difference between StormCAD and CivilStorm?
StormCAD and CivilStorm are complementary products with the following main differentiating features:
a. Hydraulic engine under the hood: StormCAD’s gradually varied flow engine makes it ideal for peak-flow simulations for system design and rehabilitation. On the other hand, CivilStorm uses a fully-dynamic engine (full resolution of St. Venant’s equations) that helps users to accurately model looped networks, flow splits, overflows, and storage capacity.
b. Automated design and rehabilitation: StormCAD users can leverage constraint-based automatic design features and flexible profiling features for optimized storm sewer designs. CivilStorm does not currently include automated constraint-based design features.
c. Modeling elements: StormCAD users can model catch basins, manholes, gravity pipes, prismatic channels, gutters, catchments and outlet structures. In addition to all StormCAD elements, CivilStorm users can also model non-prismatic open channels, culverts, pumps, wet wells, and detention structures.
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15. Can I export my StormCAD model to CivilStorm at a later date?
Yes, it’s easy to export a StormCAD 5.6 model to CivilStorm. Future releases of StormCAD and CivilStorm will share the same file format, so no import/export will be required.
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16. Do I need two licenses if I want to use both the AutoCAD and stand-alone interfaces?
No. If you purchase StormCAD for AutoCAD, you also get to use the StormCAD stand-alone interface, and the MicroStation integration, and your models are going to be 100 percent compatible regardless of what interface you use.
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17. Is StormCAD included with an MLS subscription?
Yes. StormCAD, as well as every other Bentley solution is available through the Municipal License Subscription for a fixed annual fee based on your local government's population. Learn more about MLS here.
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