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WaterCAD Modelling questions

Hi,

I am very new to WaterCAD and using the software for the first time to model water distribution system for a new development. Few questions I have:

1. I have a Civil 3D pipe network with the pipes length, size and hydrants/junctions elevation. Can I directly import that to WaterCAD so I have the data available?

2. For connection at existing water system, I only have a range of static pressure available, i.e. 69 to 100 psi. How do I model to represent this in a system?

Your help is highly appreciate. I am pretty sure I will have more questions when I progress more.

Thank you!

  • Hello,

    1. You can use ModelBuilder to import a DXF file saved from the Civil3D data. However, DXF files will only bring in a scaled network and will not include data like pipe diameter and junction elevation. However, it may be possible for you to save the data in Civil3D into a shapefile format. Shapefiles will allow for a scaled representation of the network and let you map data from the source file into WaterCAD. 

    If you cannot export the data into a shapefile format, you can still get the data into WaterCAD using other methods, like copying and pasting the data from a table into the element flextables. Elevation data can also be imported using TRex.

    2. Does the system have a pump? If not, you could use a reservoir with an elevation high enough to get you the needed pressures. If this is a connection to an existing system, you could use the steps in the following wiki to create a pump curve that will allow you to model the pressures that you got from a flow test: Modeling a Connection to an Existing System.

    Regards,

    Scott

  • Thank you Scott so much for responding. I think I got #1 covered. For #2: yes, the connection is to an existing system. But we don't have a flow test data yet. All, we have is the static pressure of the existing system in a range of 79-100 psi. Can the system be modelled with just this available data?

    Thanks again!

  • You could model that using the reservoir element, with the Elevation field set to the hydraulic grade corresponding to the desired pressure (pressure * 2.31 + elevation from which you are measuring the pressure). That would assume a fixed/constant pressure at the entrance. As seen in the article that Scott linked to, this would not always be an accurate way of modeling the system. As the flow into your modeled system increases, the available pressure at the entrance would drop. Perhaps you could make a conservative assumption in the absence of full flow testing.


    Regards,

    Jesse Dringoli
    Technical Support Manager, OpenFlows
    Bentley Communities Site Administrator
    Bentley Systems, Inc.

  • Jesse,

    Thanks.

    I have setup a model using reservoir element. So far, I have all the layouts in there with pipe and nodes. I have also assign base fire flow scenario. I have a question regarding assigning the demand to the system? How do I do that?

  • Hello,

    The easiest way to do this is with the Demand Control Center. This will allow you to input demands for nodes all in one place, rather than adding demands to each node individually.

    You can also use tools like LoadBuilder and ModelBuilder to add demand data, if you have the demands is source files.

    Regards,

    Scott

    Answer Verified By: Sushma Choure