Using HEC-RAS to Model Bridges, Culverts, and Floodplains

This foundational course offers engineers and water resource professionals practical experience using HEC-RAS for river, bridge, and culvert modeling. Through a mix of lectures and hands-on workshops, participants will learn to navigate the software, understand hydraulic theory, and apply modeling techniques to real-world scenarios. Learn about basic river modeling, geometry data, and flow data. Use HEC-RAS to model bridges and culverts. No prior experience with HEC-RAS is required.

• Engineers and hydrologists involved in floodplain mapping, infrastructure design, or water resource management.
• Consultants and technical professionals performing hydraulic studies or regulatory submittals.
• Government agency staff and planners responsible for flood risk assessment, permitting, or infrastructure review.

The class includes lectures and hands-on computer workshops that will give you a solid understanding of the theory behind the model as well as a practical ability to work the model effectively. We will use the current version of HEC-RAS.  In addition to the program itself, you’ll receive valuable resources and references.    

For either the on-line or in-person course, you will need a windows laptop that has:

• A high-speed internet connection
• Adobe Acrobat Reader or other reader to be able to open and read PDFs
• Microsoft Excel

Click here to get information on all of our HEC-RAS related courses.

Note that the course is offered in two different formats:

Our fully Online format:

• Offered over 6 weeks, with pre-recorded content, exercises, and a 1.5 hour Live session each week.
• A recording will be made available of the live session for those who cannot attend.
• Participants should expect to spend 2-4 hours per week on the course.
• This format offers significant flexibility for working professionals and can accommodate a variety of schedules.

Our HyFlex format is offered in “Madison, WI or Live Online”

• This format is offered Live over 3 consecutive days from 9am-5pm Central Time
• Participants must select whether they will attend In-Person (in Madison, WI) or online.
• For those who wish to review content after the course, pre-recorded content will be made available for approximately 1 month after the 3-day session concludes (We are unable to provide a recording of the 3-day session itself).

Online Course Schedule (Offered over 6 weeks)

• Week 1, Topic 1: River Modeling Basic Concepts and Geometry Data
• Week 2, Topic 2: Flow Data and HEC-RAS Modeling
• Week 3, Topic 3: Bridge Modeling Using HEC-RAS
• Week 4, Topic 4: Culvert Modeling Using HEC-RAS
• Week 5, Topic 5: Introduction to RAS Mapper and 2D Modeling
• Week 6, Topic 6: Output Review and Analysis

HyFlex (In-person and Online) Course Schedule (Offered over 3 consecutive days)

Day 1

Calculating Water Surface Profiles

• Concepts of open channel flow and floodplain hydraulics
• Energy principles
• Flow resistance equations
• Momentum concepts

HEC-RAS Modeling - Geometry

• Geometric and flow data
• Program options
• Sources of data

Developing a Geometry Model with HEC-RAS: Workshop

• Starting HEC-RAS
• Steps in developing a hydraulic model
• Starting a new project
• Entering geometric data
• Entering steady flow data
• Performing the hydraulic computations
• Viewing and printing results
• Getting and using help

HEC-RAS Modeling: Flow Data, Compute Profiles, and View Results

• Define steady-flow data and boundary conditions
• Perform hydraulic computations
• View graphics and tables

Calculation of Water Surface Profiles: Workshop

• How to enter data into HEC-RAS
• How to perform the hydraulic computations
• Viewing results

Review Workshop

• Viewing results
• Cross-section plots
• Profile plot
• X-Y-Z plot
• Summary tables
• Errors, warnings, and notes
• Output review for workshop

Geometry Options

• Multiple plan analysis
• Optional friction loss equations
• Cross-section interpolation
• Mixed flow regime calculations
• Modeling stream junctions
• Flow distribution calculations

Bridge Modeling with HEC-RAS

• Nature of flow through bridges
• Components of bridge losses
• Cross-section locations
• Defining ineffective flow areas
• Contraction and expansion losses

HEC-RAS Bridge Input-Output

• Entering and editing bridge data
• Defining a bridge modeling approach
• Bridge modeling options
• Example bridge application
• Pertinent bridge output

Day 2

Bridge Modeling Workshop

• Entering and editing bridge data
• Performing bridge hydraulic computations
• Reviewing pertinent results

Bridge Workshop Review

• Overview of Culvert Hydraulics
• Definition of terms
• Input requirements
• Cross-section locations
• Ineffective flow areas
• Expansion and contraction coefficients
• Inlet control
• Outlet control
• Solution logic

Culvert Modeling with HEC-RAS

• Cross-section locations
• Multiple culvert options
• Program output

Culvert Modeling Workshop

• Entering and editing culvert data
• Culvert modeling options
• Example culvert applications

Day 3

RAS Mapper 

• RAS Mapper Overview
• Setting the projection file
• Adding a terrain model
• Preprocessing 1D elements
• Viewing results in RAS Mapper

2-D Basics in HEC-RAS 

• Principles of quasi-steady flow modeling
• Adding a 2D area
• Manning's "n" values for 2D areas
• Entering flow data for 2D areas
• Running a 2D model and reviewing results

RAS Mapper and 2D Workshop

• Set the projection file and create terrain
• Create a 2D area
• Run the 2D model and review results

Output Review and Analysis

• How to interpret HEC-RAS output messages (errors, warnings, and notes)
• Diagnosing common data input mistakes
• Using the HEC-RAS "log file" to understand more about the computations and possible problems

HEC-RAS Output Analysis Workshop

• Analyze HEC-RAS output
• Resolve data model errors

Christopher Goodell

Chris Goodell is the Principal Consultant for H&H at Kleinschmidt Associates and works out of the Portland Oregon office.  He is a registered professional engineer and diplomate of water resources engineering.  Chris has over 28 years of experience in water resources engineering with a specialization in computational hydraulics and probabilistic modeling, and teaching HEC-RAS to professionals and students around the world. He is a former developer of HEC-RAS and is the author of the blog The RAS Solution, the book “Breaking the HEC-RAS Code, and co-host of the Full Momentum podcast.”    Chris has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Oregon State University and a master’s degree in hydraulic engineering from IHE Delft in The Netherlands.