MPC
Improving Estimates of Storm Flows to Protect Infrastructure
Posted: Jul 7, 2020
MPC researchers at Colorado State University developed an improved method for estimating stream flows from storms so that engineers can install bridges, culverts and other transportation infrastructure that assures the reliability and public safety of the transportation network.
The improved method overcomes key limitations of existing methods. In particular, it accounts for the nonlinearity in the relationship between basin runoff and storm flow at the basin outlet. In addition, it considers the channel network type that occurs in the basin. The method is simple enough to be implemented in a spreadsheet by practicing engineers and could be implemented in modeling software because it does not require hydrologic computations.
Jeffrey D. Niemann, Ph.D.
Colorado State University
Incorporating River Network Structure for Improved Hydrologic Design of Transportation Infrastructure
MPC-20-412