sIntroduction

HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System) is a computer

program that models and analyzes open channel flow. The program was developed by the
Army Corps of Engineers and is used to manage the channels and public works under their
oversight. The program can also be used in floodplain management and flood insurance
projections. In this lab assignment, students were asked to model and analyze a leveed stream
under two scenarios – 2-year and 100-year floods. The analysis was used to determine
whether the stream’s levees needed improvement to protect against the 100-year flood.
The stream is represented by 9 cross sections and is described as relatively straight.
The main chain is sandy and the banks are moderately vegetated. The stream enters a main
river at 77.60 ft and 87.70 ft and has a discharge of 67,110and 298,100 ft3/s under the 2-year
and 100-year flood scenarios respectively. Finally, the stream is described as having a mild
longitudinal bed slope.

Theory

Direct Step Method

If you recall from hydraulics, steady flow describes conditions in which depth and velocity at
a given channel location do not change with time. Gradually varied flow is characterized by
minor changes in water depth and velocity from cross-section to cross-section. The primary
procedure used by HEC-RAS to compute water surface profiles assumes a steady, gradually
varied flow scenario, and is called the direct step method. The basic computational procedure

is based on an iterative solution of the energy equation: , which

states that the total energy (H) at any given location along the stream is the sum of potential
energy (Z + Y) and kinetic energy (aV2/2g). The change in energy between two cross-
sections is called head loss (hL). The energy equation parameters are illustrated in the
following graphic:
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100
Legend

EG 100-Year
90
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

80 EG 2-Year
WS 2-Year
70 Crit 2-Year
Ground

60 Levee
Bank Sta

50
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 1

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100
Legend

EG 100-Year

90
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

EG 2-Year
80 WS 2-Year
Crit 2-Year
Ground
70
Levee
Bank Sta

60
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 2
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110
Legend

EG 100-Year
100
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

90 EG 2-Year
WS 2-Year
80 Crit 2-Year
Ground

70 Levee
Bank Sta

60
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 3

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120
Legend

EG 100-Year
110
WS 100-Year

100 Crit 100-Year

Elevation (ft)

EG 2-Year
90 WS 2-Year
Crit 2-Year
80
Ground
Levee
70
Bank Sta

60
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 4
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120
Legend

EG 100-Year
110
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

100 EG 2-Year
WS 2-Year
90 Crit 2-Year
Ground

80 Levee
Bank Sta

70
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 5

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120
Legend

EG 100-Year
110
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

100 EG 2-Year
WS 2-Year
90 Crit 2-Year
Ground

80 Levee
Bank Sta

70
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 6
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130
Legend

EG 100-Year
120
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

110 EG 2-Year
WS 2-Year
100 Crit 2-Year
Ground

90 Levee
Bank Sta

80
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 7

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130
Legend

EG 100-Year
120
WS 100-Year
Crit 100-Year
Elevation (ft)

110 EG 2-Year
WS 2-Year
100 Crit 2-Year
Ground

90 Levee
Bank Sta

80
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Station (ft)

Cross Section 8
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135
Legend
130
EG 100-Year
125 WS 100-Year

120 Crit 100-Year

Elevation (ft)

EG 2-Year
115
WS 2-Year
110
Crit 2-Year
105
Ground
100 Levee

95 Bank Sta

90
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Station (ft)

Cross Section 9

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AlanRiver 1
140 Legend

130 EG 100-Year

WS 100-Year
120 Crit 100-Year

EG 2-Year
110
WS 2-Year
Elevation (ft)

100 Crit 2-Year

Ground
90
Left Levee
80 Right Levee

70

60

50
0 5000 10000 15000 20000
Main Channel Distance (ft)
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AlanRiver 1
30
Legend
Vel Left (ft/s), Vel Chnl (ft/s), Vel Right (ft/s)

25 Vel Chnl 100-Year

Vel Chnl 2-Year
20
Vel Right 100-Year

15 Vel Left 100-Year

Vel Left 2-Year
10 Vel Right 2-Year

0
0 5000 10000 15000 20000
Main Channel Distance (ft)