HEC-RAS

Culverts
Jon Fripp
NDCSMC
2016
 Module 7: Modeling
Culverts
Understand how culverts are modeled
in HECRAS
Input culverts in a HEC-RAS river reach
 What about culverts?
Hydraulically short pipe capable of transporting water underneath
a roadway
Bureau of Public Roads (1950s), nomographs and charts
Federal Highway Administration HEC-5 (1965), more charts
Federal Highway Administration HEC-10 (1972), more charts
Federal Highway Administration HEC-13 (1972), and more charts
Federal Highway Administration HDS-5 (1984), Hydraulic Design
of Highway Culverts
HY-8 computer program for design
Typical Culvert Profile
Remember inlet control
and outlet control?
For a given flow profile, what physical
features of the culvert dominate flow
capacity?
1. Features of the culvert entrance?
INLET CONTROL

2. Features at the downstream end?

OUTLET CONTROL
Culvert Rating Curve
This slide
reinforces the fact
that inlet controls
at the lower flows
and outlet control
takes over for the
higher flows, as a
general rule.

Note that higher tailwater not caused by flow

through the culvert can alter this curve. Once
overtopping of the road embankment begins,
a large increase in flow can occur with a small
increase in the headwater.
Culvert Hydraulics - Inlet Control
Occurs when flow capacity of the culvert entrance is less
than the flow capacity of the culvert barrel.
Depends primarily on the geometry of the culvert
entrance. Sharp entrance has less capacity.
Control section is just inside the entrance.
Flow passes through critical depth at this location or just
downstream of this location.
Headwater is calculated assuming the entrance acts as
a weir or as a sluice gate.
Usually occurs during lower flows.
 Inlet
control
Flow is less than the barrel
capacity because inlet features
cause too much energy loss.

Flow passes through

critical depth near
the inlet. (This is
the control section.)

Hydraulic jump
occurs in the barrel if
downstream slope
is subcritical
 Culvert Hydraulics - Outlet
Control
Occurs when flow capacity is controlled by the tailwater
conditions or the flow capacity of the culvert barrel.
Entrance, exit, and friction losses are computed in
determining controlling headwater elevation.
Bernoulli equation is used to compute the change in
energy through the culvert.
Outlet
control
Barrel capacity can be reached
and flow limited only by
downstream tailwater.

Flow is generally
subcritical and
controlled by
barrel friction
unless...

...tailwater is low enough

due to a downstream
supercritical slope. Then
flow passes through
critical near the outlet
(the control section).
How does HEC-RAS deal
with Culverts?
Same as FHWA
computes headwater due to inlet control and
outlet control and selects the higher value
Outlet control FHWA chart only consider case
where culvert is flowing full. HECRAS allows
culvert to operate partially full under outlet
control.
How does HEC-RAS deal
with Culverts?
Weir flow and culvert flow as a combination
Direct Step Method for culvert flow
Standard Step Method for weir flow
Same modeling approach as a bridge
once upstream EGL and WSE is calculated,
computations proceed using standard step
method
includes inlet control (FHWA)
Uses different equations for low and pressure flow
Culvert Types in HEC-RAS
Inlet and Outlet Control (details)

1. For a given flow rate, HEC-RAS calculates the required

upstream energy head for the two cases, inlet or outlet
control, assuming first one then another.
2. In general, whichever requires the higher head will be the
controlling scenario.
3. The energy head under outlet control is a function of barrel
characteristics (size, shape, length, roughness) as well as
inlet geometry and tailwater conditions.
4. The energy head under inlet control is not a function of
barrel characteristics, but entirely inlet geometry.
5. HecRas calculates energy head assuming the inlet acts like
a sluice gate or weir.
6. If the inlet control energy head is higher, HecRas double-
checks to see if an hydraulic jump occurs in barrel. If so,
orifice flow is assumed. This is an outlet control scenario.
Adding a Culvert(s) into
the Model
 Cross Section Locations
The culvert must be bounded by two established
cross sections (2 and 3) as well as sections that
represent full channel flow (1 and 4).
 Cross Section Locations
(4 of them)
Similar to bridge discussion
on ineffective flow. The same
number of cross sections are
required, 1 through 4.
1 flow fully expanded
downstream of culvert
2 Just downstream of
culvert outlet
3 Just upstream of culvert
inlet
4 flow full expanded
upstream of culvert
-similar to a bridge
Specify contraction & expansion coefficients.
There is a possible range of values. Use larger values is a very abrupt transition
Exp. Contr.
section 4 (furthest u.s.) 0.5 ( to 0.8) 0.3 (to 0.6)
section 3 0.5 ( to 0.8) 0.3 (to 0.6)
section 2 0.5 (to 0.8) 0.3 (to 0.6)
section 1(furthest d.s.) 0.3 0.1
 Input Requirements for
Culverts

Roadway Deck Information

Culvert Structure Data
 Adding the Culvert(s)
Establish the
geometry
Select the Brdg/Culv
button from the
geometry data
window:
Select Options from the Bridge Culvert Data editor
then select Add a Bridge and/or Culvert

21 HEC-RAS
.

Adding the Culvert(s)

After you give the culvert a
river station HecRas shows
you the two bounding
sections
Next, select the
Deck/Roadway button from
the Bridge data window:

You might want

to add a description.
 Roadway Width Weir Coefficient

U.S. Bridge/Culvert
Face to U.S. Bounding
XS
Roadway
Data

Roadway Embankment
Side Slopes (Visual Only)

Deck/Roadway
Editor
24 HEC-RAS January 2009
 Adding the Culvert(s)
To enter the
culvert data, first
select the
Culvert button:
 Enter the
Add in all your data
culvert info.

How many?

This distance is from

the u.s. end of the
culvert to the next u.s.
x-section.

These stations relate

to the cross-sections
and tell RAS how to
show the culverts in the plot
 Enter the data
Table 6.3 or 6.4,
HRM, HDS 5 (for
outlet control or click

and select OK ...

 Adding Another Culvert
Can add multiple culverts at a location or multiple
barrels of the same culvert
Up to 10 different culvert groups
allowed per crossing. Any
difference in shape, invert
elevations, slope, roughness
coefficient, or chart or scale
number requires a new group.
Up to 25 identical culverts may be in
each group per crossing.
Note: each individual culvert must
have a constant
slope
cross section
material
type
length
discharge
 Ineffective Flow Areas

Again - like a bridge

.concerning ineffective flow

key question:
how close
to the culvert
is the flow
ineffective?
 Where is the flow effective?

Here?

Here?

Dont assume its always the same.

Think about the site configuration.

Set left and right station from culvert edge = distance of bounding cross section
from culvert face.
Where is the flow effective?

At what level of roadway overtopping

does the whole section become effective?
 concerning roadway overtopping

if all of sec 3
becomes effective ...then all of sec 2
because of should also become
overtopping... effective!
 for the u.s. side of the culvert

for the d.s. side

set the elevation lower,

by an amount similar to the
head loss through the culvert
 Cross Section Location Ineffective Flow Areas

Cross-Section 3

Cross-Section 2

Ineffective flow limits are typically placed at cross-

sections 2 and 3, to the approximate width of the culvert
plus the amount of contraction or expansion between
the culvert and the adjacent cross section (2 or 3).
Expansion and contraction ratios can be used to
estimate these widths.
Elevations associated with the ineffective flow areas are
typically set at the top of road elevation on the upstream
side (cross section 3), and a nominal amount below the
top of road on the downstream side (cross section 2). A
rule of thumb for this nominal amount could be half the HEC-RAS January 2009
distance from the top of road to the crown of the culvert.
 Once data is entered, check out the
schematic of the culvert group

Visually Check
Number
Shape
Size
Ineffective area

 Do not let the plot fool you

If the invert elevation is below ground, a portion of the
culvert area will appear to be ineffective on the plot.

However, HEC-RAS
uses the area specified
regardless of horizontal
or vertical position.
 Culvert Output
Several Methods of Viewing Output for Culverts:
Pre-defined Tables
Plots
Note the detailed output table
where you can view:
Control (outlet or inlet)
Q per barrel
Velocity
Depth
etc.
Adding Debris at Culvert(s)

Partially Buried
Culverts

Multiple n Values

in Culvert
 Debris at Culverts
Debris is shown graphically.
and concerning debris

key question:
what will the culvert
look like during your
project flood?

What about n-value?

1. debris plugs culvert

2. flood washes out
embankment

Do you need a higher entrance loss coefficient?

Is this a debris issue or a wildlife issue?
 Examples for low-flow methods
For culverts with changes in slope, shape, etc., the
energy-based standard-step method is the most
suitable approach. (Use cross sections with a lid option for
multiple sections.) Several sections can be taken through
the culvert to model changes in grade or shape or to
model a very long culvert.
For culverts modeled as cross sections, the inlet
control solution can be checked by hand calculations.
 Special Culverts
Culverts with changing cross-section or
with changes in slope can be modeled
by using cross-sections with lids.

Ground geometry describes bottom half of culvert.

Uses energy equation.
Allows user to see profile through the culvert.
 Adding a lid to a cross section
Q: Why add a lid?
A: Broken back (special) culverts.
Basically a form of ineffective flow area
Can be used to model open channel flow through a pipe
(note: only open channel equations are used)
Do not use for modeling typical culverts
Once water surface comes in contact with the lid, subtracts
out the area of the lid and adds wetted perimeter. The
space between the high and low lid is removed from the
conveyance computations.
HEC-RAS fits a straight line between adjacent lid points to
define the lid

Note: only open channel

equations are used
 Special Culverts
Under Cross Section Data, click on Options
Then Add a Lid
Enter the coordinates of the lid
at that section
Look at the plotted section.
Does it make sense?
 Culvert Warning!
HEC-RAS computes the upstream EGL that will pass the water
through the culvert.
The road material may function as a dam.
Storage upstream of culvert may not be considered if it is
modeled as steady flow.
Inflow = outflow?
Reservoir simulation?
How would you model this
culvert group?
 Multiple Culverts

How should this crossing be modeled?

How would you model this
culvert?
 How would you model this
culvert group?

What additional information would you want about this culvert set?
 Is this a concern?

Would this affect the hydraulics?

How would you model it?
How would you predict it?
 Culvert Issues?

Would steady flow be appropriate?

What would an unsteady model tell us?
How would you model this
culvert?
 The End

Questions?