ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CIVE1145 ASSIGNMENT 1 (FLOOD ESTIMATION) Submission

n Date (Monday 12th September 2011 by 9.00 am) The students are expected to do the assignment in Groups of 3 or 4 There are various methods to calculate flood hydrographs. The runoff-routing method is one such example. The objective of this project is for students to experience using a rainfall runoff model to calculate the design flood hydrograph resulting from a storm with a given Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) occurring over a catchment. Assume that the catchment drains to an environmentally sensitive wetland. The flood hydrograph at the catchment outlet is required to design the hydraulic features of the wetland. In doing this, you should become familiar with the runoff routing concept and gain an understanding of the RORB computer program. RORB is a nonlinear runoff program developed by the late Professor Laurenson and Professor Russel Mein at Monash University and used widely in Australia to estimate flood flow rates (see Ch.9, AR&R (1987) or Book V, Section 3.4.4, ARR (1998)). The program allows for the computation of a hydrograph at any point along a catchment stream and calculates the effects of proposed (or existing) retarding basins, dams etc on the hydrograph. RORB model parameters are calculated so as to provide the best reproduction of an observed hydrograph. The design storms are calculated using the IFD curves and temporal patterns as explained in Australian Rainfall and Runoff Vol. 1 Chapters 2 & 3 (ARR, 1987) or Book II, Sections 1 & 2 (ARR, 1998). The theory behind the RORB runoff-routing model 1. The catchment is divided into subareas bounded by drainage divides. 2. Rainfall on each subarea is adjusted to allow for infiltration and other losses. 3. A subarea rainfall-excess is assumed to enter the channel network at a point near the centroid of the subarea. 4. There it is added to any existing flow in the channel and the combined flow is routed through a storage by a linear or nonlinear storage routing procedure based on the continuity and a storage function. S=kQ m where, S = volume of stored water (m3) Q = discharge from water storage (m3/sec) m = an exponent which reflects the non-linearity of the routing process. A value of m = 1 would imply a linear response. For most reach storage m = 0.8. k = a coefficient related to the delay time of the storage concerned and the particular catchment being studied. k = kc kr where, kc = empirical coefficient applicable to the entire catchment and stream network kr =dimensionless ratio called the relative delay time, applicable to an individual reach storage. L k =F i ri d av

F= Li = dav= kri =

ai = A= n = di =

a factor depending on the type of the reach length of reach represented by storage i (km) average flow distance in channel network of subarea inflows (km) relative delay time of storage i. n d = (a d ) / A av i i i =1 area of the ith subcatchment total area of the catchment number of subcatchments distance from the centroid of the ith subcatchment to the outlet of the catchment.

5. Conceptual storage - nonlinear concentrated storage between nodes. S = 3600 kQm The nodes represent sub-area inflow points confluence of streams from different sub-catchments inflow points to storage reservoirs immediately down stream of the storage reservoirs at any point where significant outflow from a stream occurs at any gauging station, sites for which design flows are required or other points of special interest catchment outlet The program is designed to run in three modes. In the fitting or calibrating mode the values of kc and m and loss rates (initial and continuing) can be altered to make the calculated hydrograph resemble the observed hydrograph as closely as possible. In the test mode, the calibrated kc and m values are verified using an independent set of observed rainfall and hydrograph data. The design run uses the Intensity-Frequency-Duration (IFD) relationships and temporal patterns obtained from Australian Rainfall and Runoff as design storms and the fitted k c and m values as catchment parameters to predict the design hydrograph. The program requires following data: 1. sub-catchment areas and properties; 2. rainfall hyetographs over sub-areas; 3. reach length represented by the storage (in order to calculate routing delay times along the catchment streams); 4. The routing vector which controls the computer model operation. The runoff from each subcatchment in each time period is calculated and then treated as an output hydrograph at the subcatchment outlet. It is then routed, stored or added, with the appropriate time delay, to the inflow hydrograph according to the specified sequence given in this vector. The RORB V5 runoff routing program is available on the Department Computer network (c drive) under RORB. The students can also download the program from http://civil.eng.monash.edu.au/expertise/water/rorb Read the RORB user manual Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3. These sections give details of the way in which stream stsyems and catchments are represented in the RORB program. Sections 4.1 and 4.2. These sections give the control codes which represent the stream network Chapter 5 describes in detail how the input data file is prepared.

To familiarise with the model, a sample data file for the South Creek catchment has been created as SCKFIT.DAT. A map of the South Creek catchment and a copy of the data file are given in RORB user manual (Sec. 9.4). To familiarise with the model, run RORB using the South Creek data as a FIT run to determine optimum values of kc and m. Change separately both kc and m, and observe how these parameters influence the hydrograph shape. See Activity 1.5F in the Learning Guide. Exercise Calculate the design hydrograph at the outlet of the given catchment resulting from a storm with an average recurrence interval of 100 years, using the RORB model and the Rational method. Each catchment has 4 rain gauges. Use the Thiessen polygon method to calculate the areal uniform rainfall of the given catchment. (b) Obtain Intensity-Frequency-Duration curves and the design storm patterns for the given location and for a recurrence interval of 1:100 years using Graham Jenkins AUSIFD program V(2) (Unloaded on the myRMIT CIVE1145 Blackboard). Use standard durations between 1hr and 72 hours to obtain the storm patterns. (c) Use of the RORB runoff-routing model to calculate the flood hydrograph. Following steps need to be followed when running the RORB program:
(a)

Creating Data file Subcatchment boundaries, nodes and storages are marked in the catchment map. Measure reach lengths between nodes and subcatchment areas to create the input data file. Prepare the input data file as given in the user manual. To determine optimum values of kc and m use one set of storm data given in Table 2. Write the control vector as given in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 in the user manual. When saving the data file you have to save as extension .dat a text file. FIT run Once the data file has been created execute the model using the command RORB. Independently change both kc and m until you obtain a good fit of actual and estimated hydrographs. Observe how these parameters influence the hydrograph shape. TEST run Create another data file with the second set of storm data. To verify the fitted parameters, run the RORB model with the fitted parameters (Initial loss could vary). Compare the actual and estimated hydrographs. If the fit is satisfactory, kc and m parameters are now consider invariant and fixed as the catchment parameters. If not find a new set of kc and m parameters from the fit run until satisfactory results are obtained from FIT and TEST runs. DESIGN run When the model has been fitted and tested, the kc and m parameters are constant for this particular catchment. Use these parameters for design purposes. Run RORB, assuming initial loss equal to 0 and continuing losses obtained from FIT run. As the storm duration to produce the maximum peak discharge is not known, it is necessary to run the model with different design storms calculated according to Australian Rainfall and Runoff. Design storm values are calculated using AUSIFD program for the given location. The RORB model also has a facility to calculate the IFD curves and temporal patterns. However, this option will need information from Maps 1-9 and temporal pattern zone from AR&R Vol.2.
(d)

Plot design peak discharge (Qp) vs. duration of the storm in order to find the storm which produced maximum peak discharge.

(e)

Prepare a report giving all calculations (if there are repetitive calculations give a sample calculation), assumptions made, a copy of the data file and representation of observed and estimated hydrographs.

(f) Apply Rational method and compare results with the results obtained from the RORB model. Provided Information Map of the catchment with subcatchment boundaries marked. The rainfall hyetograph data from two storms and the corresponding streamflow data for each catchment (Fig. 1 Distributed in class and placed on DLS. Catchment location assigned for each group (Table 1) Assume catchment to be pervious, all channels are in natural condition and rainfall is uniformly distributed. The rainfall hyetograph data from two storms and the corresponding streamflow data are given in Tables 2 and 3. (to be given later) REFERENCES Institute of Engineers, Australia (1987 & 1998): Australian Rainfall and Runoff Vols. 1 and 2 (I.E.Aust., Canberra) Laurenson, E.M., Mein, R.G. and Nathan R.J. (1999): RORB Version 5 Runoff Routine Program User Manual (Monash University, Dept. of Civil Engineering) Table 1 Catchment location Grp No. Location 1 & 21 2 & 22 3 & 23 4 & 24 5 & 25 6 & 26 7 & 27 8 & 28 9 & 29 10 & 30 Adelaide Alice Springs Armidale Bairnsdale Ballarat Broken Hill Melbourne Canberra Wollongong Gippsland Catch No 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 Grp No. 11 & 31 12 &32 13 & 33 14 & 34 15 & 35 16 & 36 17 & 37 18 & 38 19 & 39 20 & 40 Sale Shepparton Sydney Wodonga Mount Gambier Perth Wagga Wagga Horsham Geelong Location Queenstown Catch No 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 3 4