Introduction to WaterGems

Building a Network and Performing a Steady-State Analysis-

Extended Period Simulation EPS
Scenario Management
Reporting Results
Automated Fire Flow Analysis
Water Quality Analysis
Darwin Designer to Optimize the Setup of a Pipe Network
Darwin Designer to Optimize a Pipe Network

Introduction to WaterGems
WaterGEMS is a hydraulic modeling application for water distribution systems with advanced
interoperability, geospatial model building, optimization, and asset management tools.

WaterGEMS provides you with a comprehensive yet easy-to-use decision-support tool for water
distribution networks. The software helps improve your knowledge of how infrastructure behaves
as a system, how it reacts to operational strategies, and how it should grow as population and
demands increase.

From fire flow and water quality simulations, to criticality and energy cost analysis, WaterGEMS
has everything you need in a flexible multi-platform environment.
1. Ease of use
2. Hydraulic elements
3. CAD, GIS interoperability
4. Model building tools
5. Advanced hydraulic features

Building a Network and Performing a Steady-State Analysis

In constructing a distribution network for this lesson, you do not need to be concerned with
assigning labels to pipes and nodes, because Bentley WaterCAD V8i will assign labels
automatically. When creating a schematic drawing, pipe lengths are entered manually. In a scaled
drawing, pipe lengths are automatically calculated from the position of the pipes’ bends and start
and stop nodes on the drawing pane.

In this network, the modeling of a reservoir connected to a pump simulates a connection to the
main water distribution system. Simplifying the network in this way can approximate the pressures
supplied to the system at the connection under a range of demands. This type of approximation is
not always applicable, and care should be taken when modeling a network in this way. It is more
accurate to trace the network back to the source.

In this lesson, you will create and analyze the network shown below. You will use a scaled
background drawing for most of the network; however, four of the pipes are not to scale and will
have user-defined lengths.
Step 1: Create a New Project File
Step 2: Lay out the Network
Step 3: Enter and modify data
Step 4: Entering Data through FlexTables
Step 5: Run a Steady-State Analysis

Extended Period Simulation (EPS)

This lesson will illustrate how Bentley WaterCAD V8i can model the behavior of a water
distribution system through time using an extended period simulation (EPS). An EPS can be
conducted for any duration you specify. System conditions are computed over the given duration
at a specified time increment. Some of the types of system behaviors that can be analyzed using
an EPS include how tank levels fluctuate, when pumps are running, whether valves are open or
closed, and how demands change throughout the day.
This lesson is based on the project created in Building a Network and Performing a
Steady-State Analysis.
To open the existing project
Step 1: To Create Demand Patterns
Step 2: To run an Extended Period Simulation (EPS)

Scenario Management
One of the many project tools in Bentley WaterCAD V8i is Scenarios Management. Scenarios
allow you to calculate multiple “What If?” situations in a single project file. You may wish to try
several designs and compare the results, or analyze an existing system using several different
demand alternatives and compare the resulting system pressures.
A scenario is a set of Alternatives, while alternatives are groups of actual model data. Scenarios
and alternatives are based on a parent/child relationship where a child scenario or alternative
inherits data from the parent scenario or alternative.
In Lessons 1 and 2, you constructed the water distribution network, defined the characteristics of
the various elements, entered demands and demand patterns, and performed steady-state and
extended period simulations. In this lesson, you will set up the scenarios needed to test four “What
If?” situations for our water distribution system. These “What If?” situations will involve changing
demands and pipe sizes. At the end of the lesson, you will compare all of the results using the
Scenario Comparison tool.
Step 1: Create a New Alternative
Step 2: To create and edit Scenarios
Step 3: To calculate both of the scenarios using the Batch Run tool
Step 4: To create a Physical Alternative

Reporting Results
An important feature in all water distribution modeling software is the ability to present results
clearly. This lesson outlines several of Bentley WaterCAD V8i reporting features, including:
•Reports, which display and print information on any or all elements in the system.

•Element Tables (FlexTables), for viewing, editing, and presentation of selected data and
elements in a tabular format.

•Profiles, to graphically show, in a profile view, how a selected attribute, such as hydraulic
grade, varies along an interconnected series of pipes.

•Contouring, to show how a selected attribute, such as pressure, varies throughout the
distribution system.

•Element Annotation, for dynamic presentation of the values of user-selected variables in the
plan view.
•Color Coding, which assigns colors based on ranges of values to elements in the plan view.
Color coding is useful in performing quick diagnostics on the network.
AutoCAD).
Step 1 Reports
Step 2 FlexTable
Step 3 To use Global Edit and Filtering
Step 4 Create a Print Preview and Profile
Step 5 To Create a Contour
Step 6 Element Symbology
Step 7 Color Coding

Automated Fire Flow Analysis

One of the primary goals of a water distribution system is to provide adequate capacity to fight
fires. Bentley WaterCAD V8i automated fire flow analysis can be used to determine if the system
can meet the fire flow demands while maintaining minimum pressure constraints. Fire flows can
be computed for all nodes in the system, or you can create a selection set consisting of specific
nodes where you wish to test available flow.

Fire flows are computed at each node by iteratively assigning demands and computing system
pressures. The model assigns the fire flow demand to a node and checks the model, checking to
see if all pressure and velocity constraints are met at that demand. If a constraint is not met, the
flow is reduced until the constraint is just met; if all constraints are exceeded, the fire flow is
increased until the constraint is barely met within a tolerance. The analysis automatically rechecks
the system pressures if a constraint is violated. Iterations continue until the constraints are met, or
until the maximum number of iterations is reached.

The purpose of this example is to walk you through the steps to create, calculate, and analyze a
fire-flow scenario. This lesson again uses the distribution system from the previous lessons.
Step 1: Inputting Fire Flow Data
Step 2: Calculating a Fire Flow Analysis
Step 3: Viewing Fire Flow Results

Note: Another good way to review an automated fire flow analysis is to use color coding. If you
have a situation where no nodes meet the pressure constraints for the needed fire flow, you can
color code these nodes in the plan view for easy identification.

Water Quality Analysis

In conjunction with Extended Period simulations, Bentley WaterCAD V8i is capable of
performing a water quality analysis to compute water age, constituent concentration, or percentage
of water from a given node (trace analysis). Using these features, you can look at factors such as
residence time in tanks, chlorine residuals throughout the system, and which tank or reservoir is
the primary water source for different areas in your system.
Step 1: Computing Water Age
Step 2: Analyzing Constituent Concentrations
Step 3: Performing a Trace Analysis
Darwin Designer to Optimize the Setup of a Pipe Network

Step 1: Creating the Darwin Designer Optimization

Step 2: Viewing Results
Step 3: Using Results