Hydraulics Engineering - Software Descriptions

Some of the software listed below is available for downloading at this site as zipped files or self extracting zip files. This software may be copied and used without restriction.

By downloading the software, the user accepts responsibility for understanding the following conditions and limitations, and agrees to them:

• The FHWA does not provide user assistance or support for this software.
• The application of this software is the responsibility of the user. It is imperative that the responsible engineer understands the potential accuracy limitations of the program results, independently cross checks those results with other methods, and examines the reasonableness of the results with engineering knowledge and experience.
• There are no expressed or implied warranties.

In addition, all the software and related publications listed below are available for purchase from McTrans or PC-TRANS.

The Finite Element Surface Water Modeling System (FESWMS)

The FESWMS package consists of two software packages that can model flows in open channels. FST2DH is a two-dimensional finite element surface water computer program that can compute the direction of flow and water surface elevation in a horizontal plane. FST2DH has the ability to model hydraulic structures commonly used by hydraulic engineers. FST1DH is a one-dimensional finite element surface water model (not yet available) that models unsteady flow and sediment transport in open channels.

FST2DH Version 3.22

Download the software: I agree (0.6 Mb, zip) to the downloading conditions above. To use the software, UNZIP the downloaded files to a desired location on your hard drive. The FST2DH executable is a stand-alone program that executes in a DOS Window. Please contact Dr. Larry A. Arneson at (720) 963-3200 for a copy of the FST2DH Users Manual (Release 3). He can also be reached via e-mail at larry.arneson@fhwa.dot.gov.

SMS Version 10.1

The Surface-Water Modeling System (SMS), which is a graphical user's interface for FST2DH that can be downloaded from http://www.ems-i.com/. State DOT users please contact Dr. Larry A. Arneson at (720) 963-3200 for instructions on how to obtain and register the software. He can also be reached via e-mail at larry.arneson@fhwa.dot.gov.