USGS StreamStats

The USGS StreamStats command allows the user to click on a stream location in the Map View, and the software will delineate the watershed basin boundary, compute the basin characteristics, and provide estimates for flow based upon site-specific USGS regression equations. The software will generate a shapefile containing the determined watershed boundary and basin characteristics, as well as a PDF report for the selected site.

Hydraulic Calculator

For the defined HEC-RAS cross section, the Cross Section Data dialog box has a panel containing a built-in Hydraulic Calculator. This calculator allows the user to choose an unknown variable and the software will then automatically compute the solution after the user enters the known parameters. For example, for a given water surface elevation and energy (or bed) slope, the software will compute the discharge rate. It accounts for Manning’s roughness subareas, but does not account for ineffective flow areas, conveyance obstructions, levees, or lids.

Apply Channel Template Cut

The Apply Channel Template Cut command is used to revise the channel cross section geometry (between the bank stations only) using a specified cross section template for all or selected river cross sections. Typically this command is used to revise the channel geometry where there is insufficient terrain data available to adequately define the channel geometry. Running this command causes the software to apply the defined template to create the channel geometry. The defined channel cross section template is sized horizontally to intersect with the defined left and right bank stations.

Note that the green line shown above represents the constructed channel cross section that is applied to the cross section using this command. The black line represents the original terrain data.

Steady Flow Calibration

To assist in calibrating a HEC-RAS steady flow model, the semi-automated Steady Flow Calibration tool is provided. The user can enter observed water surface elevations along the river reach and the software will interpolate the corresponding water surface elevation at the defined cross sections. The software will then run the HEC-RAS analysis in “batch mode” allowing the user to quickly adjust the Manning’s roughness values along the river reach to have the computed water surface elevations match the observed water surface elevations.

Duplicate Current Scenario

The Duplicate Current Scenario command makes an identical copy of the current scenario (plan). The user can optionally make a copy of the current geometry and steady flow data. This is helpful when the user needs to create different alternative designs for comparison—like when comparing different roadway crossing designs.

Map Data Layer Panel GIS Object Display

The items displayed in the Map Data Layer panel match the color of the element on the Map View. This makes it much easier for the user to differentiate what GIS layers correspond to what is shown on the Map View.

Reverse Cross Section Geometry

The Reverse Cross Section Geometry command is used to flip the horizontal stationing for a cross section or a selection of cross sections. Sometimes existing HEC-RAS (and HEC-2) models are encountered where the cross section geometry was specified with the point of reference looking in an upstream direction (compared to the conventional downstream direction). This command corrects this issue.

Roadway Crossing Geometry Adjustment

The Bridge & Culvert Data dialog box Geometry Adjustment panel allows the user to adjust the horizontal stationing of the upstream or downstream face bounding cross sections so that a standard reference station, such as the center of the river (thalweg) can be set to a specific station value (e.g., 0 or 1000). In this way, everything else can be referenced off of that reference station. In that way, the high chord (roadway) geometry, low chord geometry, pier locations, and culvert stationing can be more easily referenced with a common reference station. In addition, the high and/or low chord elevations can be adjusted to match an elevation datum.

Cross Section Fixed Sediment Elevation

The Fixed Sediment Elevations command allows the user to fill-in selected cross sections with sediment. The sediment is assumed to be at a constant elevation in a cross section. The sediment fill is also shown in the cross section plot.

Cross Section Pilot Channels

In order to stabilize unsteady flow models, placing a thin Pilot channel along the river reach helps the model to converge to a stable solution. A pilot channel acts as a cushion of water during the computations, greatly speeding up the unsteady flow computations. The user can graphically adjust the pilot channel in the river profile view, selecting the region to apply the pilot channel cut along. This is helpful when the channel bottom is highly irregular along the river reach, by creating a uniform pilot channel slope along the river reach which tends to dampen out the effects of the channel bottom irregularities. The pilot channel is also shown in the cross section plot.

Flood Elevation Grid

While generating the flood map, the software provides an option to generate a water surface elevation grid based upon the computed water surface elevation. This depth grid can be color contoured by depth as well as exported in common elevation grid formats.

Flood Mapping for Large Terrain Models

Computing the flood map for large terrain models has been greatly improved. The software will slice up the terrain model into smaller chunks so that an accurate edge of water can be computed. In this way, the software is able to manage the level of detail based upon the terrain model cell size and keep performance and speed optimized around the computational and memory constraints of the user’s computer.

Generate Contours

The Generate Contours command allows contour lines to be generated for elevation grids. The user can specify major and minor contour line spacing, line weigh, line colors, and more. Elevation contours help the user in deciding where to place cross sections on the Map View to most effectively capture the flow area as the flow travels downstream.

Extract Storage Area Volume Curve

The Extract Storage Area Volume Curve command allows the software to determine the corresponding elevation-area-volume storage curve for each storage areas. The software will display the minimum and maximum elevations for the ground terrain underlying the storage area polygon. The user can define the precision to be used when extracting the storage area volume curve.

Progress Bar during Long Command Processing

To improve the user experience, a progress bar is now shown to help inform the user how long a particular process will take. It displays the progress of the command along with status messages. We have implemented this feature for some commands, such as loading a CAD file and generating a flood map, and will add this feature to other commands as our software development efforts continue.

Download Online Elevation DEMs

The software will download elevation data to your computer for the area that you are working in. For the United States, available elevation grid resolution is 10 m (elevation grid point every 10 meters). For areas outside of the United States, the elevation grid resolution is 30 m. The software will automatically merge online elevation data with higher resolution elevation data loaded from the local computer. Both US elevation units (ft) and metric elevation units (m) are provided.

Automatic Determination of Lateral Structure ID

When assigning or drawing a lateral structure on the Map View, the software will automatically determine the lateral structure river station based upon the adjacent river reach and existing cross sections. The user can override the suggested river station.

Unsupported HEC-RAS Data Warnings

While GeoHECRAS supports all major capabilities of HEC-RAS, there are some miscellaneous capabilities that it does not yet support. During import of HEC-RAS models, the software will report any unsupported HEC-RAS data that is encountered.

Editing of River Names and Reach Names

The user can rename a river and/or reach by double clicking on the reach name on the Map View. No need to display corresponding data dialog box.

Picking Cross Section Stations from Map View

There are occasions when the user will need to pick a cross section’s horizontal station from the Map View, like when assigning multiple roughness subareas to a cross section. The user can click on the […] pick button in the Horizontal Station column header in the Cross Section Geometry data table and the Cross Section Data dialog box will temporarily disappear. The horizontal station points will be displayed on top of the current cross section. The user can then click on a horizontal station point and will then be returned to the dialog box with the selected horizontal station highlighted in the Cross Section Geometry data table. In addition, the corresponding ground point will also be highlighted on the cross section plot.

3D Model Adjustment

The user can adjust the vertical and horizontal placement of 3D structures, such as SketchUp models. The user can choose to clamp the structure to the ground, or raise or lower the structure base elevation as necessary. In addition, some 3D structures might not be precisely located. The user can drag and rotate the structure to precisely locate where it should reside. In addition, the user can lock the 3D model layer to prevent the 3D structure from accidentally being moved.

Cloud Licensing Support

A new cloud licensing option is available, simplifying and improving the IT administrative experience by eliminating the need for managing a local area network license server. This helps reduce internal IT support costs while increasing flexibility, scalability anytime/anywhere accessibility.

Check-Out / Check-In Licensing Support

For both floating network licenses and cloud licenses, the user can check out a local workstation license for up to 7 days.. After the check-out time period has expired and the license is not yet checked back in, the license is automatically checked back into the floating network or cloud license pool. This allows the user to check-out a local workstation license to a laptop computer and work on the software outside of the office.