Evaluation Form
Evaluator Information
Name: Jeff Hagan
Date:
Feb. 17, 2000
Software Information
Title of Software:
CulvertMaster
Purpose:
Culvert Hydraulic Design
Publisher:
Haestad Methods, Inc.
Version:
1.0
Year Published:
1996
Affiliate Software:
Platform(s):
Win95 WinNT
Computer:
IBM
Media:
Floppy Disk & CD-ROM
System Requirements:
Required: 486DX-33, 8MB RAM, HDD w. 20 MB free, VGA, Win95.
Recommended: Pentium 60, 16 MB RAM, SVGA, Win95 or NT
Availability:
online – publisher’s web site.
Required Extras
Additional Required Hardware:
None.
Additional Required Software:
None for regular operation, text editor required to add new culvert
sizes/materials in the material.ini file.
Installation and Set-up
Comments
Installation Documentation &
Installation Instructions
The program relies on setup program to guide the user. Instructions give just enough
information to launch the setup program. The setup program is self-explanatory.
Installation Speed
Approx. 2-3 minutes
Configuration Options
-
install path must end with “CVM” directory
the only configuration option is imperial or metric default for measurement units
(NB: this option can be changed in the program while running)
no option given to change placement in Start menu from default
Instructions and Feedback
Yes
Error Notification
Tutorial Available
Help Menu Available
Technical Support Available
No
Comments
Error notification is given for some, but not all. For example
input errors are not reported. Error messages are sometimes
cryptic, but usually fairly clear.
Three separate tutorials; “One Minute Tutorial”, Design
Tutorial, & Analysis Tutorial
“One minute tutorial” is for users who are unfamiliar
with PCs/Windows in general.
Design and Analysis tutorials show the basic features of
the program, but do not show the user the intricacies of
the program.
Searchable Help Menu, plus context sensitive help
buttons on most windows
Fairly easy to find answers to most questions quickly
The help menu is intended to be the main information
source for the user about the program – it includes all the
information in, and goes beyond, the User’s Guide.
Provides information on theories & equations used for
calculation
Phone, fax, web, email – Contact Info is in the User’s
Guide.
Company web site has little in the way of
troubleshooting information, but information on how to
contact tech support is easy to find
Option on CD to send software publisher a file. Not very
well explained, but seems to be for troubleshooting
problems with program data files.
Prompt response when tech support contacted by email
Program Functionality
Printing Capabilities
Amount of Data Entry Required
Ease of Navigation
Comments
Standard reports & graphs. No formatting options. User is given choice of what data
to plot on graphs and in rating tables. No options with reports.
Will calculate some data automatically, e.g. elevations/slopes, otherwise data
requirements equivalent to hand calculation.
Program is laid out logically.
Navigation is easy once reasonably familiar with the program.
This is one area where the tutorial is helpful.
Disk/CD Required For Use
Disk or CD not required after program is installed
Save Output Files
Data files can be saved, but output files (reports, etc.) cannot be saved separately.
Save-Name Limitations
-
Only 8 characters allowed. Spaces allowed.
Rainfall data table & equation files limited to 8.3 format.
Files must use the default 3-letter extension for the file type.
Modelling Capabilities
Yes
No
DMM
Reference
Comments
Hydrologic
Program has limited hydrologic modelling
capability: can calculate peak flow based on
analysis by Rational or SCS Peak Discharge
Methods for upstream watershed
Single Event
Only uses IDF curves/tables
Continuous Event
Only uses IDF curves/tables
Rational Method
No limitations stated for use of method
Rainfall Data Accepted
Accepts data in the following forms:
Equations for rainfall I-D-F curves (3 eq’n
types are allowed –Rainfall I-D-F table
Can calculate rainfall table based on National
Weather Service Hydro-35 method (Imperial
units only)
Applicable
Reference
in DMM
Page #
Users
Guide
Page #
Land Use: Urban
8.39-8.42
3-4, 3-9
Rural
8.39-8.42
3-4, 3-9
5.38,
8.1258.128
3-24
Description
Infiltration
Temperature
Evapotranspiration
Subsurface Flow
Water Balance
Water Quality
Hydrograph Method
Routing: Channel
Reservoir
Water Quality
Major/Minor System
3-27 – 330
Receiving Water
Uses tailwater level/downstream channel
characteristics in calculations
Input/Output:
Accept External Input Files
N/A
3-6
Produce Output Files
N/A
3-6
Accepts proprietary format rainfall data files
(.TBL) and rainfall equation files (.EQN) from
other projects generated by CulvertMaster.
Produces proprietary format rainfall data and
equation files (.TBL & .EQN).
Applicable
Reference
in DMM
Page #
Users
Guide
Page #
Description
Uses methodologies set forth in Hydraulic Design
Series No. 5, Hydraulic Design of Highway
Culverts (1985), prepared for the U.S. Federal
Highway Administration (User’s Guide, p. 3-10)
Hydraulic
Flow Conditions:
Steady
The program assumes steady flow conditions
exist in the system.
8.92
Unsteady
Uniform
8.92
Gradually Varied
8.92
3-29 – 330
3-10,
3-15,
3-18,
3-22 – 323,
3-29 – 330
Direct step & standard step methods are used in
the culvert analysis.
User’s Guide states that rapidly varied flow exists
in culverts, but does not explicitly say that the
program solves for this type of flow.
Rapidly Varied
Subcritical
Supercritical
8.92
5.10,
8.97,
8.99
5.10,
8.97,
8.99
3-10,
3-21
The program can handle hydraulic jumps within
the culvert, but will not specifically state to the
user that a jump has occurred, or where it
occurred.
3-15
3-15
Two Dimensional
Tractive Force
Energy
8.93-8.94
3-18 – 324
Momentum
8.102
3-21
Structures Modelled:
Channels
Circular
Rectangular
Triangular
Trapezoidal
8.1108.115
8.1108.115
8.1108.115
3-29
3-29
Methods used:
direct step
standard step
Manual states that the program can handle
hydraulic jumps, but no mention is made of the
momentum method. The program appears to
account for hydraulic jumps properly, but does
not output information to user (see above,
“Rapidly Varied”).
Applicable
Irregular
Reference
in DMM
Page #
8.1108.115
Users
Guide
Page #
Description
3-29
Culverts
Culverts
Inlet Control
Outlet Control
Accept Multiple Cross Section
3.443.49,
5.175.18,
5.335.42,
5.1605.164
8.1348.136
8.134,
8.137
3-10 – 323,
3-29 – 330
Culvert analysis and design is the primary
purpose of the program.
3-11 – 313
3-14
N/A
1-1
- Analysis mode will accept unlimited number of
culverts, each with different cross section and
material characteristics.
8.121 8.123,
8.125 8.127
3-24
Types of weirs supported by program:
broad crested weir
roadway overtopping
Inlets and Gutters
Gutter
Grate Inlet
Curb Inlet
Combination Inlet
Slot Inlet
Ditch Inlet
Pipes
Stormsewers
Pressure Pipes
Weirs and Orifices
Sharp Crested Weirs
Other Weirs
Orifices
Energy Dissipaters
Chutes
Stilling Basins
Vertical Drops
Ice/Debris
Ice Flow
Debris Flow
Input/Output:
Applicable
Reference
in DMM
Page #
Users
Guide
Page #
Accept External Input Files
3-6
Produce Output Files
3-6
Description
Accepts proprietary format rainfall data &
equation files (.TBL, .EQN).
Produces proprietary format rainfall data &
equation files (.TBL, .EQN). Cannot produce
output files (other than regular .CVM data files)
based on culvert data.
Water Surface Profile
Velocity Profile
Rating Curves
Can produce plots of the following:
Headwater Elevation
Tailwater Elevation
Discharge (Individual Elements or Total)
Inlet Control HW Elev. (Indiv. Culvert)
Outlet Control HW Elev. (Indiv. Culvert)
Downstream Velocity (Indiv. Culvert)
Downstream Depth (Indiv. Culvert)
Rating Tables
Produces Rating Tables of same data as above.
Cross Section
Flow Distribution
Options:
Tributary Profile
Multiple Profile
Automatic Calibration
Model Evaluation Summary
Yes
No
Comments
Applicable to MTO
Additional Comments
The only place where the control type or flow regime is specified is the report form. This can only be seen by using print
preview or by actually printing off the form.
The default n values for materials do not conform to values used in the DMM, but CulvertMaster allows users to change
these values from the defaults.
Culvert Calculations:
Inlet control Headwater elevation is computed using the actual equations that the nomographs in the DMM are based on and
therefore include a slope correction element. Nomographs in the DMM are assuming a slope of 0.02 m/m.
Rational Method Calculations:
If negative area values are input by the user, the program ignores negative areas in calculations – it treats them as if
they do not exist.
If a C value greater than 1 is input by the user, the program displays an error message, but still uses the value in
calculations.
If a negative C value is input by the user, the program displays an error message, and the weighted C value for the
catchment area becomes zero.
Additional culvert or inlet sizes or materials can be added by editing the file MATERIAL.INI (found in the same folder as
the CVM directory) with a text editor. Instructions on how to add items are located within the file itself. This method is not
very intuitive, and prone to error by incorrectly inputting data.
Note: If a culvert size entry in the Material.ini file is altered, culverts of the effected type, material and size revert back to
the default size for the culvert material and type (usually the smallest).
Figure 1: Sample input windows