Bridge Workshop

Bridge Hydraulics Workshop

1. Create the Project
A. Open HEC-RAS by double clicking on the HEC-RAS icon from your
Windows Operating System.
B. Create a new project by selecting File and New Project. Select a directory
to save the project. Give the new project a title and file name. Click OK.
C. Import the geometry file named “bridge_workshop.g01” by selecting File,
Import HEC-RAS Data, and browsing for the file name. The file is located in
the subdirectory titles ….\starting_data_files. Open the Geometric Data
Editor and click File and Rename Geometry Title. Give it the name Existing
Geometry Data. Click File then Save Geometry Data. Close the Geometric
Data Editor.
D. Create a flow file by clicking Edit then Steady Flow Data or by clicking
button. Run three profiles using Q(2yr)=1000cfs, Q(25yr)=4000cfs, and
Q(100yr)=8000cfs. Click the Reach Boundary Conditions button and enter a
downstream boundary condition of normal depth with slope = 0.002. Click
OK then Apply Data, File, and Save Flow Data. Enter a title and click OK.
Close the Steady Flow Data window.

E. Click Run and then Steady Flow Analysis or click . Save the plan by
clicking File then Save Plan as “Existing”. Give it the short title “Existing”.
Click the Compute button. Close the Steady Flow Analysis window. Open
the profile plot to see the results for existing conditions.
2. Enter the Bridge
Bridge at 5.4
Elev =217

Elev =215
620
5.39 490
5.44
5.44 5.29 550

Figure 1 Figure 2

A. Go to the geometric data editor and open the cross section data editor.
B. Observe and note the current cross section spacing around the proposed
bridge location.
C. The location of the sections relative to the bridge is important for the accurate
prediction of expansion and contraction losses. The first cross section (5.29)
should be located sufficiently downstream so that the flow is no longer
affected by the bridge. Similarly, the last or fourth section (5.44) should be
Bridge Workshop

located sufficiently upstream so that the flow lines should be parallel. The
second section (5.39) is used by HECRAS to determine the energy losses
through the bridge therefore it should be very close to the bridge and reflect
the effective and ineffective flow area on the downstream side of the bridge.
The program will superimpose this section on the downstream end of the
bridge. Assume that this section is at the toe of the embankment. The third
section (currently not in the model) reflects the length required for the abrupt
contraction of flow that occurs immediately upstream of the opening. It
should also reflect the effective and ineffective flow area upstream of the
bridge.
D. Determine the location of the third section. Sketch the location on Fig.
1.

Figure 3
E. For section 5.39, set the contraction and expansion coefficients to 0.3 and
0.5, respectively. Click Apply Data. Copy section 5.39 to location 5.41 (select
options then copy current cross section). Locate the new section 100 feet
upstream by entering Left Overbank, Channel, and Right Overbank Lengths
of 100 feet. Change the Description to “Upstream of bridge embankment”.
Click the Apply Data button.
F. Adjust the cross section spacing. Subtract 100 feet from the LOB, Channel,
and ROB Lengths for cross section 5.44. Set the contraction and expansion
coefficients to 0.3 and 0.5, respectively. Click the Apply Data button and
close the Cross Section Editor window.
G. Go to bridge/culvert editor and add a bridge at section 5.4 (select options then
add a bridge and/or culvert).
H. Go to bridge deck/roadway editor and enter the bridge deck data to the
upstream side of bridge (see table on next page).
I. Click the Copy US to DS button.
Bridge Workshop

J. Set the distance between upstream section and deck to 30 feet and bridge
width to 40 feet. Use the default weir coefficient of 2.6.
K. Set the upstream and downstream side slopes to 2. Click the OK button.
L. Go to pier editor and enter data for the upstream end of a single 4 foot pier
(see table on next page). Click Copy Up to Down. Click OK after data are
entered.
Bridge Workshop

M. Set upstream and downstream ineffective flow areas. For this initial estimate,
we are assuming a 1:1 ratio contraction and 2:1 for expansion. The upper
and lower sections are spaced 30 feet from the bridge. Therefore, set the
upstream ineffective flow locations to 30 feet to either side of the bridge.
(Hint: the left and right bridge abutments are at stations 490 and 620, see
Figure 2). Click Bounding XS’s 5.41 button – this brings up the ineffective
flow editor. Set the elevation for the ineffective flow at the high chord since as
the water flows over the bridge (weir flow) the area will be used. Click
Bounding XS’s 5.39 button and enter the ineffective flow stations. (Hint: 490
– 30/2 = 475 and 620 + 30/2 = 635). Set the elevation of ineffective flow to
216.5 (slightly below the high chord).
N. Open the Bridge Modeling Approach editor.
O. Low flow exists when the flow through the bridge is open channel flow. Have
HECRAS compute low flow with these three methods:
 Energy method
 Momentum method
 Yarnell method
Set the following pier coefficient of discharge for these two methods:
Pier Coefficient of Discharge
Low flow modeling method Cd
Momentum 2.00
Yarnell 1.25
Bridge Workshop

P. Have HECRAS use the highest computed energy for the answer.
Q. The expected flows that we are modeling are not that high, therefore the
bridge deck and roadway are more than just obstructions to the flow. Have
HECRAS use pressure/weir flow method for high flow. Use submerged inlet
Cd=0.34 and submerged inlet/outlet Cd=0.8. Allow the default for maximum
low chord. Click OK then close the Bridge Culvert Data window.
R. Click File then Save Geometry As. Enter a title of Proposed Bridge and then
click OK. Close the Geometric Data Editor window.
S. Click Run then Steady Flow Analysis. Save the plan as “Proposed” with
“Proposed” for the short identifier, and run the simulation. After completed,
close the Steady Flow Analysis window. Click File and Save Project.
3. Review Output
A. From the main menu, select View Water Surface Profile . Under Options,
Plans, turn on both “Existing” and Proposed”. Notice the difference between
the water surface profiles for profile #3.
B. From the main menu, select view, profile summary table . Under Std.
Tables, choose Six XS Bridge. Under Options, Plans, uncheck everything
except “Proposed”.
C. Evaluate cross section locations. The more interest there is in hydraulic
parameters near the bridge, the more important is the location of the cross
sections. What would be the approximate distances from the bridge to the
upstream and downstream sections (cross sections 4 to 1) if we were to
assume 1:1 contraction and 2:1 expansion ratios? Sketch a diagram below
with relevant data. Hint: View cross section plots or profile tables and
estimate the top width of flow for profile 3 (100 year) at cross section 5.44 and
5.29. The bridge opening width is 130 feet.