MWH Soft, the leading global provider of wet infrastructure modeling, simulation and management software has announced the release of a new feature-packed version 10.5 of InfoWorks, InfoNet and FloodWorks. The improvements to what is already the world’s most complete workgroup management modeling, asset management and flood forecasting software were made as a direct result of listening to the needs and wants of MWH Soft customers.
Andrew Brown, EMEA Regional Manager for MWH Soft said, “We are constantly striving to provide the world’s engineering community with the best modeling tools, for use in any market across the globe. Our goal is to provide our users with quick, powerful, easy to use solutions that are the most comprehensive on the market. In doing this we offer a range of platforms, ArcGIS, Geospatial, AutoCAD and the WorkGroup Model Management featured here.”
The platform independent WorkGroup Model Management group gives modelers a number of key benefits including the ability for one model to be accessed by unlimited users, the ability to manage multiple models on multiple projects, comprehensive model data and audit tracking and multiple security levels. Users can interface with all CAD and GIS systems and utilize data from any source.
In this article we look at three of the key new features in version 10.5 of FloodWorks, InfoWorks WS and InfoWorks CS and SD.
Floodworks v10.5 - automatic sending of alert messages, by either email or SMS
FloodWorks is a modular software package focused on real-time simulation and forecasting of future hydrological and hydraulic conditions in river basins, stormwater and drainage systems and coastal areas. Designed for operational use in the control room, FloodWorks links a variety of live data sources with a wide range of models to provide detailed and accurate forecasts of water levels, flood depths, flows, velocities, water quality parameters and sea state.
And now FloodWorks v10.5 enables the automatic sending of alert messages, by either email or SMS, allowing operators to monitor what is happening or likely to happen in their system while out of the office and way from any PC.
The messages are triggered whenever events or status object transitions are predicted by a forecast run. The alerts can then be sent automatically via a suitable email and/or SMS server. Email and SMS contact lists can be configured and linked to chosen events and/or status objects. Each contact has a name, email address and/or phone number. Users can select which contacts are to be contacted for which alerts providing the flexibility to send differing alert messages to differing user groups.
Typical applications include: sending missing data alerts to field technicians to advise them when instrumentation may have failed; sending early notification to system operators of potential critical conditions in the system to put them on standby for emergency call out; and widespread broadcast of warnings to mobilize emergency response partners or the general public.
The functionality to send such messages automatically, significantly improves the efficiency of communications in the lead up to and during critical events.
Other new features in FloodWorks v10.5 include: better management of telemetry data and units, the ability to define long sections, full support of the URBS runoff routing model, and the creation of generic user-defined models based on script files.
InfoWorks WS - the new Leakage Locator simulation
InfoWorks WS gives an accurate view of the performance of a water distribution system, including water quality, supply and demand, infrastructure problems and investigation of remedial measures, so that a sustainable supply of high quality water can be provided to commercial, industrial and domestic users, at an acceptable pressure and flow rate whilst minimizing loss through leakage.
In InfoWorks WS v10.5 a new simulation type, Leakage Locator, has been added which allows the user to identify the location of a suspected leak by comparing simulated and observed pressures at monitored locations around the leak.
In order for this to be used effectively the approximate magnitude of the leak and the general area in which the leak occurs must be known, then simulation allows the user to narrow down where the leak may be.
The suspected leak is applied to each node in a selection in turn. For each test the simulation pressure results are compared with observed pressures at selected monitoring points. A log report is produced which can be used to rank each tested node in order of the likelihood that the leak is present at that location.
Other new features in InfoWorks WS v10.5 include: time varying results for pump stations, finer granularity for demand and trace results at nodes, and enhancement to fire flow simulations.
InfoWorks CS, InfoWorks SD - New Inlet Controls
InfoWorks CS allows engineers and planners to produce fast, accurate and robust hydraulic modeling of a complete urban collection system network. This encompasses full modeling of backwater effects and reverse flow, open channels, trunk sewers, complex pipe connections and ancillary structures. Tools for urban flooding and receiving stream impact prediction, water quality, sediment transport and real time control simulation are also included. A close relative of InfoWorks CS, InfoWorks SD allows users to model stormwater flows through a complex environment with a diversity of underground and overland structures and paths - applying the same high-quality function and analysis to both open channels and closed conduits.
Inlets can effectively limit the flows from the surface of a catchment into the below ground system, or vice versa. During high intensity rainfall events there can be flooding on the catchment surface, whilst there is capacity available in the sewer. They are therefore an important component in the representation of many storm sewer systems. Now, for the first time InfoWorks CS and SD v10.5 users can now fully represent the processes by which a proportion of the flow remains on the catchment surface.
The v10.5 release of InfoWorks CS and SD implements the work of two major studies on inlet characteristics, namely ’The Spacing of Road Gullies’ by the UK Highways Agency and ’The HEC22 Urban Drainage Manual’ from the US Department of Transportation.
A technical paper describing the modeling of inlets is available from the MWH Soft support team, support-emea@mwhsoft.com. Also for the first time practical advice is available on the application of the relevant equations.
Other new features in v10.5 of InfoWorks CS and SD include improved rainfall generators and new routing methods.
All InfoWorks products now include enhanced user management features. The redesigned administration area now features streamlined view and permissions setting for users and groups within the database.
Pricing and Availability
Version 10.5 products are available immediately by subscription worldwide. Product updates for these products can be found at: www.wallingfordsoftware.com/updates. For the latest information on the MWH Soft Subscription Program, including availability, pricing, and purchase requirements, visit http://www.mwhsoft.com/ or contact your local MWH Soft Certified Representative.
About MWH Soft
MWH Soft is a global leader in infrastructure engineering software and professional solutions designed to meet the technological needs of water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, government agencies, engineering organizations and academic institutions worldwide. With offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, MWH Soft product lines empower thousands of engineers to competitively plan, manage, design, protect, maintain and operate highly efficient and reliable infrastructure systems.
Products include unrivalled choice in hydraulic modeling with the multi-user workgroup management (InfoWorks, FloodWorks), stand-alone (H2OMAP), ArcGIS-based (InfoWater, InfoSewer, InfoSWMM), AutoCAD-based (H2ONET) software tools for Water Distribution, Sewer and Drainage, Stormwater Management, River Systems and Flood Forecasting; and advanced Asset, Data, and Capital Planning management platforms (InfoNET, InfoNET Mobile, and CapPlan). For more information call MWH Soft at +1 626-568-6868, or visit http://www.mwhsoft.com/.