Unlimited Lock-free Online Looped Water Distribution Network Modeling with EPANET solver

I added a looped water supply pipe network modeling application to my FLOSS (GPL = totally unchained to say "I love you") suite of online engineering calculators that allow multiple units selections and serve multiple languages (recently expanded to 26 for coverage focus in the developing world). It includes a "use EPANET solver" option. Here are some introductory walk-throughs for new shoppers, new users, and new projects. I also put it up at LibreWaterNet.org in hopes of starting a foundation or donating it and my time to an existing org like Open Water Foundation.

Water Surface Increase Calculation for Wall Openings

I present here the method used by NPS Global Engineers for calculating the post-development water surface increase due to a wall with standardized openings. This method has been accepted for multiple projects (including APN 211-44-273, 216-67-067B, 216-67-067A, 219-40-293J, 211-45-084B, 211-47-031, 211-51-031G, 211-51-020K, 211-51-031K, and 503-51-966M) by Maricopa County Planning and Development.

Civil engineer Tom Haws and Atlas Land Surveying

About Atlas Land Surveying, Bill Barry, and Tom Haws

Bill Barry is the president of Atlas Land Surveying. He is a non-registrant who affiliates with registrants as the department heads of Atlas Land Surveying.

About Tom Haws and Atlas Land Surveying

Long ago (2014?) Bill Barry affiliated with me as his civil engineering department head. Now that I rarely do any work that I don't give to NPS, any work that Bill needs me to do is done by NPS. The Board of Technical Registration told me I am allowed to be the registrant for as many companies as I want, subject to other rules. 

Floodplains and Floodways, BFEs and RFEs - US FEMA's floodplain development strategy and Maricopa County AZ's policy

 In 1968 the US Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program that included standards for delineating floodplains and (optionally) floodways along significant sources of flooding. This post explains how it works as administered by Maricopa County, Arizona in 2020.

How engineered grading and drainage works for homes in Arizona

Most houses in Arizona don't need an engineered grading and drainage plan. But some do. This post explains about that.

Custom geographic projections and HEC-RAS

This is my research report on using custom geographic projections with HEC-RAS 5.0.7. All my tests were based on the NAD83 AZ State Plane Central Zone 0202 International Feet (AZ83-CIF) projection.

NPS Global Engineers - a multi-national corporation conglomerate with no owners - my 30-second pitch

This is my 30-second pitch for NPS Global Engineers, a conglomerate that currently has two member corporations (2021 update: four).

I am a CEO of a multi-national conglomerate who lives in voluntary (relative) poverty. Here's what I'm doing:

Using HEC-RAS 2D area breaklines to improve modeling

HEC-RAS 2D area breaklines are a great way to force cell faces to follow a terrain ridge or crest hinge (top of slope) line. Without them, you are never quite sure whether flow is going over or through high points in your terrain.

DDMSW HEC-1 Quick Start

DDMSW is a program of Maricopa County to calculate and manage drainage projects. This blog post tells the simplest way to get started using the HEC-1 hydrology part of DDMSW.

Positive proof that the earth is not a sphere

If the earth were roughly an ellipsoid (even more roughly a sphere) approximately 8000 miles in diameter, it would imply several things that are clearly false (Update 2020: This post is satire):

How to calculate dice and cards probabilities in the 21st Century

Calculator spreadsheets and probability theory below.

Best practices for HEC-RAS 2D modeling with AutoCAD Civil 3D

I've had enough experience now using AutoCAD Civil 3D and HEC-RAS for 2D flow modeling in Maricopa County Arizona to share a list of best practices. It's only a small beginning, but it's something. Enjoy.

EPA SWMM Notes and Tips

These notes and tips on modeling with EPA SWMM are mostly for me.

Authority to use digital signature for a professional engineer seal in Arizona

According to the Arizona Revised Statutes R4-30-304.G, "An electronic signature, as an option to a permanently legible signature, in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41 and Title 44, is acceptable
for all professional documents. The registrant shall provide adequate security regarding the use of the seal and signature." I, Tom Haws, have been using a digital signature since around 2002, and my standard printed representation of my digital signature is on file with AZ BTR on my signature affidavit.

HEC-1 Style Guide

Although HEC-1 is a dying program, it is still the standard in fast-growing Maricopa County, Arizona (home of the Phoenix metropolitan area). So it's worthwhile to share some style insights for HEC-1 modeling.

Early reactions to NPS Global

Early reactions to the progress of NPS Global have been very encouraging.

Engineering sheet plan and notes arrangement

Many engineers have not discovered this, but a contractor taught me that it is very unwieldy for us to place the most important part of a sheet, namely the plan view, near the staples. When the wind is blowing on a project site, the less a plan has to be unrolled, the better. So it is always best for us to place the most important part of plan sheets far from the staple/binding edge.

This means the plan view should always be as far right as possible on our plans.

NPS Global 1.0 - My first explanation of where NPS came from and how it became a reality this week

I guess I need to start telling the NPS story: No owners, Part-time freelancers, Small self-managing teams. The t-shirt shown summarizes the NPS values. There is a non-owned corporate account, about 8 people on the first team, and a pretty good history of projects through the pipeline since June 2017. You could hire us, join us, advise us, help us, or copy us. At the moment, what we need most is another P.E. or more.

USDA Web Soil Survey GIS interface notes for GIS novice AutoCAD users

USDA Web Soil Survey can import and export in GIS format.

HEC-RAS 2D Land Cover from AutoCAD

I had a bit of trouble getting a Land Cover map from AutoCAD to HEC-RAS today. I made a map, but HEC-RAS kept telling me the file "has 0 features". It turns out I needed to set the project projection to the projection exported from AutoCAD with the Land Cover map.