What we can help you with
Where does water go during heavy rainfall, and how do flow paths change when an area is developed? Stormwater models can help identify vulnerable areas and compare alternatives before measures are implemented.
Our expertise lies in developing numerical methods and software for these analyses. We can help you:
- Analyse flow paths, catchments and depressions in digital terrain models.
- Investigate how changes to terrain, buildings and other obstructions affect runoff.
- Develop fast computational tools for exploring alternatives interactively.
- Simulate how water depths and flows evolve during a rainfall event.
- Integrate computational methods into planning, analysis and visualisation tools.
Do you need new analysis tools or want to extend an existing solution? Contact our Applied Computational Science research group.
Rapid analysis of terrain and flow paths
Terrain provides important information about where water can flow and accumulate. Terrain-based methods can identify connections between depressions, potential flood routes and areas contributing runoff. These analyses are useful in early planning and when many alternatives need to be explored.
We develop methods for rapidly evaluating the effects of geometric changes. This supports interactive workflows in which users can modify the terrain or development proposals and investigate how potential flow paths change.
Dynamic simulation of stormwater
Questions about how quickly water arrives, how deep it becomes or how flooding develops require a time-dependent model. We work on numerical methods for surface flow based on the shallow-water equations and appropriate simplifications.
These computations must handle complex terrain, transitions between wet and dry areas, and variations in water depth and velocity. We emphasise robust methods that conserve water volume and run efficiently.
Choosing a model to suit the purpose
The level of detail should reflect the intended use of the analysis. A rapid terrain analysis may be sufficient to compare potential flow paths, while assessing timing and water depths requires a more detailed description of both the flow and the water entering the system.
The quality of terrain data and the representation of buildings, passages and drainage routes can be decisive for the results. Rainfall, infiltration and any exchange with drainage networks also need to be treated according to the model's purpose and the available data. We help select and develop computational approaches that provide relevant information without unnecessary complexity.
From numerical methods to practical tools
We combine experience in numerical flow modelling with software development for integration into broader planning and analysis tools. Our work spans fast, simplified methods and more detailed simulations.
Read more about our work on surface water and numerical flow modelling, including experience from collaborations with NCCHE and Spacemaker.