SMS

How to Include Sediment Transport in CMS-Flow

By aquaveo on April 25, 2023

As a civil engineer working with hydrodynamic modeling, you understand the importance of considering sediment transport in many models, such as CMS-Flow. The sediment transport equation is essential as it models the rate of sediment particle movement based on various factors, including local flow conditions and sediment properties. With the sediment transport module in CMS-Flow, you can achieve a more accurate representation of river or coastal systems. It also enables you to explore different scenarios such as changes in flow conditions, sediment input, or sea level rise.

Using the Surface-water Modeling System (SMS), the base of a CMS-Flow model is created on an unstructured grid (UGrid), with components such as save points, activity classification coverage, and boundary conditions. Save points are vital for identifying high temporal resolution output locations. Activity classification coverages exclude geographic regions from the simulation computations. A boundary conditions coverage is a required component for any simulation.

Example of Sediment Transport options for CMS-Flow

Once you have created these components, you can create a new CMS-Flow simulation by right-clicking in the Project Explorer. Next, apply the UGrid and any coverages you want to include in the simulation by dragging them under the simulation. You can then set the parameters for sediment transport by following these steps:

Right-click on the simulation and select Model Control to open the CMS-Flow Model Control dialog.
Select the Sediment Transport tab and check the box next to Calculate sediment transport.
Under the Sediment Transport tab, input various parameters to refine sediment transport in the simulation. These include sediment density and porosity, bed composition, transport formula, and more.
Set all other desired parameters in the tabs of the CMS-Flow Model Control dialog and click OK when finished.

Once you have set all the necessary parameters, you are ready to run the CMS-Flow simulation with its included sediment transport calculations. By utilizing sediment transport, you can refine your CMS-Flow model further and achieve more accurate results.

In conclusion, sediment transport is an essential process that needs to be considered in hydrodynamic models like CMS-Flow. With the sediment transport module in CMS-Flow, you can achieve a more realistic representation of river or coastal systems and explore various scenarios. Follow the steps outlined above to set the sediment transport parameters and refine your CMS-Flow model in SMS today.

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SMS

Methods for Redistributing Vertices

By aquaveo on April 4, 2023

The ability to redistribute vertices along an arc can be essential for any number of projects. The Surface-water Modeling System (SMS) offers a couple of different methods for redistributing vertices. This post will examine two of those methods.

The Redistribute Vertices Dialog

The first way to redistribute vertices is relatively simple. Select an arc, or multiple arcs, and either right-click and select Redistribute Vertices from the menu, or go to the Feature Objects menu and select the Redistribute Vertices command. This will pull up the Redistribute Vertices dialog window. From there you have a few different options as to the method of distribution.

Specified spacing: the number of vertices on an arc will be determined by how far apart the vertices should be.
Number of segments: how many pieces the arc should be broken up into.
Min/max spacing: with min/max spacing, the segments will start at the minimum set length and gradually get longer until the last one is the maximum set length.
Source arc: this requires you to choose two arcs. The number of vertices on the target arc will change to match the source arc.
Size function: this option requires a data source.

Example of the Redistribute Vertices dialog in SMS

In the Redistribute Vertices dialog you can choose to include a bias with specified spacing and number of segments options. Using a bias means that each segment will be a percentage larger or smaller than the one before it, which depends on whether or not the bias number is less or greater than one. The direction of the bias is determined by the direction in which the arc was created. For example, an arc created top to bottom will have the smallest segment at the top and the largest at the bottom if the bias number is greater than one.

The 2D Mesh Polygon Properties Dialog

Another option available in SMS is to use the 2D Mesh Polygon Properties dialog when redistributing vertices along the arcs of a polygon. This can be used on any polygon that has been created on a coverage. There are three ways to access the 2D Mesh Polygon Properties dialog window, but the simplest option is to double-click on the polygon itself.

The 2D Mesh Polygon Properties dialog window is primarily used for creating a mesh inside a polygon. However it can still be used to redistribute the vertices along an arc. The benefit of using the 2D Mesh Polygon Properties dialog window rather than Redistribute Vertices is that it offers a preview option so you can see what the polygon will look like with the new vertex distribution without having to open and close the Redistribute Vertices dialog to see the changes. This makes it easy to test out different options right in the same window. The downside of using this dialog window rather than Redistribute Vertices is that it doesn’t offer the same range of redistribution options. The only redistribution options the 2D Mesh Polygon Properties dialog offers for vertices is specified distribution along the arc, with or without a bias. If you’re looking for more specificity, this may not be the right option for your project.

Try the different methods of redistributing vertices in the SMS today!

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SMS

Using the Blend Arcs Tool

By aquaveo on March 21, 2023

Sometimes it may be useful to have a quick way to create an arc that lies between two other arcs. For example, you might need to quickly create a centerline arc between two bank arcs. The Surface-water Modeling System's Blend Arcs tool, which is new to SMS in version 13.2, means that creating a blended arc is only a few clicks away.

There are many applications for the Blended Arc tool in SMS. As mentioned earlier, it can be used to find the centerline of a channel using the bank arcs. It can also be used for a quick way to find the arc in the center of a bridge, culvert, or weir.There are many other potential applications for this tool.

The steps to use the blended arc feature are:

Create two arcs. The arcs can be parallel to each other, or even touching.
After selecting both arcs, right-click in the graphics window and choose Blend Arcs from the menu.

The blended arc is immediately generated. This can only be done with two arcs, however the two arcs you pick don't have to be right next to each other. You can still find the blended point of two arcs that are separated by other features, such as other individual arcs or polygons.

When working around polygons in your project, If a polygon has been created in the space where the blended arc will appear, when the Blend Arcs tool is used, the polygon will retain its original shape despite the fact that there is now an arc splitting it. This could be useful for your project, but if you intend for the new arc to split the polygon into two new shapes, you only need to click the Build Polygons macro one more time and the new polygons will be created with this new division.

Try the new Blend Arcs tool in SMS 13.2 today!

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Engineering with Nature in SMS

By aquaveo on March 14, 2023

Aquaveo has joined in the Engineering with Nature (EWN) initiative started by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by adding Engineering with Nature tools into the Surface-water Modeling System (SMS). EWN aims to move toward a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient approach to engineering by considering social, environmental, and economic impacts. To support the mission of EWN initiative, SMS has developed multiple tools. Let's look at some of these tools.

Adding engineering features into your project can sometimes be a long and tedious process. With the EWN Features tool in SMS you can streamline the process, reducing the amount of time that would have been spent inputting the necessary data before. The EWN Features tool is built especially for creating feature objects to represent structures in natural environments. To use the tool, create a new map coverage and select the EWN Features type in the Engineering with Nature folder under the list of Model types to begin building structures into your SMS project.

Once you have a EWN Features coverage, you can create polygons to model the feature. You then can assign attributes and properties to the polygon. Once you have the feature properties defined, you can use the tools in the coverage to insert the define feature into a 2D mesh or 2D unstructured grid (UGrid).

Another EWN tool is the Sediment Volume Management tool. The Sediment Volume Management tool allows you to calculate cut and fill for sediment volume. Like the EWN Feature tool, this tool is accessed by creating a new map coverage with the Sediment Volume Transport type found in the Engineering with Nature folder under the list of Model Types. In the coverage you can create polygons and assigned sediment parameters. Then the sediment volume calculations can be performed using the tools in the coverage.

Additional EWN tools are in development for SMS. Look for them in future releases of SMS. In the meantime, try out using EWN in SMS today!

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