Printable version of this memo (.pdf, 30 kb)

	Memorandum
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

The Federal Highway Administration would like to announce the availability of the FHWA Hydraulic Engineering Toolbox - Version 1.0.0. The Toolbox is an intuitive computer program that makes many of the calculations routinely performed by highway hydraulic engineers and roadway designers.

Version 1.0.0 of the Toolbox consists of five calculators that are accessed through a graphical users interface:

• A Channel Analysis Calculator that computes commonly used hydraulic values based on normal and critical depth for five commonly used channel shapes including a user defined cross-section,
• A Weir Analysis Calculator that computes hydraulic parameters for seven commonly used weirs including the ability to provide user-defined weir coefficients,
• A Curb and Gutter Analysis Calculator that computes hydraulic parameters for uniform and compound gutters. This calculator also has a separate inlet capacity calculator that allows the computation of flow capture for inlets on grade as well as in sag locations,
• A Rational Method Analysis Calculator that computes peak discharges and hydrographs. The calculator can compute time of concentration and develop I-D-F curves from user-provided input, and
• A Detention Basin Analysis Calculator that routes an inflow hydrograph though a user-defined detention basin and outlet structure.

The Toolbox uses a "project" based approach that allows the user to perform multiple computations that can be saved to and retrieved from a single data file. The software also generates plots and reports that document the results of the analysis. A Desktop Reference Guide is included with the installation package.

The Toolbox can be downloaded from the Website: www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/hydraulics/software/toolbox.cfm

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Larry A. Arneson. at the FHWA Resource Center at (720) 963-3200 or Mr. Bart S. Bergendahl. at FHWA Central Federal Lands Highway Division at (720) 963-3754.

cc:

Larry A. Arneson
Bart S. Bergendahl