Designing Gravity Networks

For dimensioning gravity networks, the command can be used. SCALC or the Design Tab in the Toolspace of SOLIDOS. On the screen, note:

  1. Clear Designing screen
    1. Minimize the number of visible columns by clicking on the Columns menu, choosing the columns to be turned off. Just leave the columns: This makes it much easier to identify problems
    2. Turn off the excavation calculation by clicking the button Excavation in tab footer
      During the initial scan, this gets in the way and slows down the calculation
    3. Turn off automatic calculation by clicking the button Auto Calculation at the bottom of the tab
      During the initial scan, this gets in the way and slows down the calculation
    4. In the initial draw of the network, you should only be concerned with:
      1. Reference surface, so the program can read elevations
      2. Position of point devices in plan
      3. Connection strings that respect connection rules (note that during launch, not all connections can be made, as they violate connection rules). Use the commands SCONNECT and SDISCONNECT if needed
      4. In Drainage Networks, make sure the Catchments are actually connected to the devices (in Catchment style, turn on the "Leader" component), or look at the property drainage / catchments
      5. In Sewage Networks, verify that the Consumer Sectors are associated with pipes (look at property Sectors of Consumption / Sector of Consumption
    5. After ensuring that the network has dimensionable geometry (item above), check that the values that will be associated with the Designing are correct:
      • catchments: C, TC, Tc Equation (if applicable ), LT and Slope (if applicable)
      • pipes/Channels: Manning Coefficient. Check that the released devices and even those on the material list are correct
    6. Have longitudinal profiles and cross sections in all sections you consider critical, with the projections of the devices
      They will help modify heights of point devices, slopes of linear devices and also check for possible interference. Use simple styles for Profile Views and Section Views and also for devices.
    7. Avoid labels. They help very little right now
  2. Minimize device sizes
    With the network launched and respecting a sequence of devices, a well-defined material list, the first thing to do is minimize all the devices, that is, replace all the pipes with the smallest typical section of the material list. The same goes for structures.
    1. Make sure you have created the Materials List with:
      • Valid commercial size sections (concrete pipes: diameters 40,60,80,100,120,150 centimeters, for example)
      • Sections that will have hydraulic calculations, check that the Manning coefficient is correct
      • Sewage Networks: check if the Usage coefficient of the pipes is equal to 1
      • Width, length, slope, excavation bench width, if you choose to calculate excavation
    2. Avoid editing the values referring to the typical section, on the device
      Basically, these values are associated with the Section category of devices. Whenever you need to change a diameter, for example, prefer to replace the pipe section by clicking on the Section property of the category Object, with this, you will not lose the OmniClass or QTO code associated with the typical section and you will have more consistency in the project, being able to make lists of quantities that, instead of referencing the section measurements in the device properties, use the name of the typical section initially used.
    3. Use the buttons pipes and Structures in the Designing tab footer
      It helps to filter the table rows, which makes it easier to replace values of several devices at the same time (the pipe section for example)
    4. Minimize coverings
      Underground devices (pipes, manholes, etc.) require trenching to be constructed. Check that all have a reference surface and place minimum covers (backfill height above the device).
      Note: The pipe and culvert templates supplied with the program allow you to do this easily in the Coverage Category
      Note: Ensure the rules applied for buried devices, check the acceptable maximum and minimum coverage. When replacing the device section, the rule, style and associated layer are also replaced, as well as all properties of the typical section, so prefer replacing the typical section to edits directly in the device properties
    5. Order the lines
      By clicking on the header of the table columns, to select several devices of the same type more easily
  3. Enable automatic calculation
    After having minimized the sizes of the launched devices, enable automatic calculation by clicking the button Auto Calculation at the bottom of the tab. From this moment on, Nodes are interested in the hydrological calculation of the network. It might be interesting to calculate the excavation. If so, enable it too, by clicking the button Excavation, also at the bottom of the flap
  4. Sort the worksheet in the flow direction
    click the button Sort
    This ordering is to facilitate decision-making in addition to rationalizing the calculation, as errors are corrected from the points farthest from the exit points. Changing the section of a pipe at the beginning of the network, may indicate the need to change the sections downstream of this one. You can enable this switch in the network properties, in the category Outflow Analysis / Propagate Section, in the network properties. click the button Edit Properties at the top of the Designing tab
  5. Check the flow conditions
    If you deem it necessary to change the pipe section, check that a slope adjustment is no longer appropriate.
    click the button Flow Analysis
    In some situations, you can just increase the slope of the pipe, to: Or, if possible, lower the slope to: Flow analysis allows testing different scenarios for the pipe section in question, as it evaluates for all sections in the material list, with slopes ranging from 0 to 20% (for example) the calculation flow of the selected section. This range and range can be configured in the network properties. By clicking on a cell in the flow analysis table and clicking the OK button, that section (in the column) and that slope (in the row) will be applied to the pipe
  6. Check the Designing rules
    The header of the table rows show the icon associated with the device and also the result of the calculations, indicating with: There is a list of properties that are checked by the program, in addition to the list that is evaluated by the device's rules. These rules are shown in the box next to the table. click the button Show Rules if necessary to make this frame appear. See the topic Toolspace / Settings / Device Rules / Device Rule for rule suggestions
  7. Always make corrections in the direction of flow.
    If you patch the blade further downstream and change a patch further upstream, you will likely have to re-correct the downstream patches

For Designing purposes, observe the methodology adopted for the calculations