One-dimensional modelling of the Somerset Levels and Moors The flood event began in mid-December 2013 and continued for two months. During this time, there was only one day in which the catchment did not experience any rainfall. This led to over 500,000,000m3 of water entering the lowland area of one of the key catchments (River Parrett catchment). The Environment Agency for England estimated that there were in excess of 65,000,000m3 of floodwater on the land, covering an area of 65 km2. The Environment Agency carried out the single largest pumping operation ever experienced in the United Kingdom. In addition to the permanent pumping stations temporary pumping units were introduced at many locations. Black & Veatch were appointed by the Environment Agency to provide expert input and advice during the flood event. This included advice on the hydraulic implications of varying intervention options. During the flood event the hydraulic model, utilizing CH2M HILL’s 1D solver within Flood Modeller Pro, was used to perform ‘what if’ scenarios. These scenarios supported the response to questions raised by the incident team, residents, media and government, meeting the need for science based answers. Results of these scenario tests were often required with minimal warning in a very short timeframe. Therefore the ability to run multiple variations of the model using the 1D solver within Flood Modeller Pro, without compromising the accuracy of the results, was essential throughout the course of this event. The hydraulic model used for these assessments was reviewed by an international expert review panel during the flood event. The model has been and will continue to be used to support the assessment of interventions contained within the 20 Year Flood Action Plan. The 1D solver within Flood Modeller Pro was the most suitable tool for modelling this catchment due to the nature of the flood flow within it; particularly for a very long duration flood event. The productivity tools within the software also assisted in the model build process. Following the flood event, the model has been further enhanced with new data including channel surveys, bank surveys and revised hydrology. The final model contains 4,668 nodes, representing over 135 km of channel and the associated moors. There are 40 separate pumps represented in the model, each with up to 32 operational rules. There are 270 km of banks represented in the model by spill units. These are critical to the overall performance of the system and significant time has been spent, and data used, to ensure suitable discharge coefficients were selected. Overall the final full model can simulate a 3 month flood event in 16 hours of computer time, whilst still providing the required level of accuracy. This case study was showcased by Black & Veatch as a presentation for the CH2M HILL Flood Modeller Suite User Conference 2014. It was developed by Claire Wasiak, Hydraulic Modeller, and presented by Andy Wallis, Technical Director, at the event. https://floodmodeller/media/35269/somerset-levels-and-moors-england.pdf
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:55:01 +0000
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