01 Building A Network With Fire Flows

Practice Workbook
This workbook is designed for use in Live instructor-led training and for OnDemand selfstudy.
The explanations and demonstrations are provided by the instructor in the classroom, or in the OnDemand
eLectures of this course available on the Bentley LEARN Server (learn.bentley.com).
This practice workbook is formatted for on-screen viewing using a PDF reader.
It is also available as a PDF document in the dataset for this course.
Building a Network with Fire Flows

This workbook contains exercises to teach you to use WaterCAD or WaterGEMS to lay out a simple water
distribution system, enter data, and perform basic hydraulic analysis. The exercise is written for use with the
stand-alone platform.
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE - Printing for student use is permitted

Description and Objectives
Course Description
In this workshop, you will lay out the water distribution system for a small subdivision using a background image as a guide. You will supply
the subdivision from a tank and size all of the pipes in the subdivision to deliver a fire flow of 1000 gpm. You will first analyze the system,
determine the weaknesses and then mitigate any hydraulic issues with new design solutions.
Note: The images in this workshop were taken from WaterCAD. The steps will be the same in WaterGEMS although the user interface may
look slightly different
Module Prerequisites
A fundamental understanding of Water Distribution Systems is recommended
Skills Taught
After completing this workbook, you will be able to:
Apply the basic principles of water distribution modeling
Gain essential knowledge for water system design
Copyright © 2016 Bentley Systems, Incorporated DO NOT DISTRIBUTE - Printing for student use is permitted 2
Getting Started
In this section you will:
Create a new WaterCAD/GEMS Hydraulic Model file
Enter the Hydraulic Model’s properties
1. Start WaterCAD or WaterGEMS from the start menu or from the desktop icon.
2. Click Create New Hydraulic Model on the Welcome dialog or select File > New.
3. If a message dialog comes up about associating your hydraulic model with a CONNECTED Project, click OK.
4. This workshop uses US units. To establish US units select Tools > More > Options > Units > Reset Defaults > US Customary
5. Select File > Save As and save the new Hydraulic Model as ScaledNetwork
6. Select File > Hydraulic Model Properties.
7. Enter the following:
Title: Subdivision Workshop
Engineer: Enter your name
Company: Enter your company name
Date: Select today’s date
8. Click OK.
Preparing for Network Layout
The following steps lead you through the process of preparing for network layout, including:
Verifying the friction method in the Calculation Options
Creating element prototypes
Importing a background
1. Select Analysis > Options
2. Double click Base Calculation Options under Steady State/EPS Solver to open the Properties manager.
Note: You may dock the Properties manager if it is more convenient.
3. Confirm the Friction Method is set to Hazen-Williams.
4. Close the Calculation Options manager by clicking the X.

5. Select View > Prototypes to open the Prototypes manager. Prototypes are used to set default values for the network elements.
Note: In this workshop the pipe prototype will be set to 6-inch diameter with PVC for material and a C-factor of 150.
6. Right click on Pipe and select New.
7. Double click on Pipe Prototype-1 to open the Properties manager, and enter 6 in the Diameter (in) field.
8. Click in the Material field, and then click the ellipsis (…) to open the Engineering Libraries manager.
9. Click the + next to Material Libraries, then select the + next to MaterialLibrary.xml and select PVC.
10. Confirm the Hazen-Williams C Coefficient is set at 150.
11. Click Select.

Note: The Hazen-Williams C field automatically updates to 150 once PVC has been assigned as the Material.
12. Close the Prototypes manager.

13. Select View > Backgrounds to open the Background Layers manager. The Background Layers Manager may already be docked in the
lower left corner of your screen, its default position
14. Click the New button and select New File.
15. Browse to the Starter folder and select Scaled_Network.dxf and click Open. The DXF Properties dialog box appears.
16. Click OK to accept the defaults and insert the background.

17. Click the Zoom Extents button to view the map.
18. Select File > Save to save your file.
Exercise: Laying out the network
In this section, we will use the pipe layout tool to place the network elements, using the background drawing as a
reference.
1. Select Tools >More > Options and click on the Drawing tab.
2. Change the following:
Symbol Size Multiplier: 5
Text Height Multiplier: 10
3. Click OK.
Note: In the Element Symbology manager click the Drawing Style button to choose between CAD or GIS style. If you want the CAD style
change the multipliers as mentioned above; if you want the GIS style leave the multipliers set to 1.0.
Follow the next set of instructions to lay out the network as shown in the following picture:
Hint: To view the text for the pipes and elements, it may be necessary to select the Label check box in the Element Symbology manager
for each corresponding element.
4. Click Home > Layout and move your cursor over to the drawing pane.
5. You will start by placing T-1, since P-1 is coming out of the tank. Right click in the drawing pane, and on the context menu that comes up
select Tank.
Note: You will notice that your cursor has changed from a pressure junction to a tank symbol
6. Left click once on the drawing to place the tank T-1 in the desired position.
Hint: See the network drawing above for the tank location.
7. Move your cursor down slightly, right click and select Junction.
Note: Notice how your cursor has changed from a tank to a junction symbol.
8. Left click once to place J-1 in its correct location and notice how P-1 has automatically been placed for you.
9. Continue laying out the rest of the junctions in the same manner until you reach J-6.
10. After laying out J-6, right click and select Done.
11. Click on J-2 and go across the diagram, click to layout J-7, then up to J-8, right click and select Done.
12. Connect J-7 to J-4 and right click to select Done.
13. Click on J-5 and move across and click to create J-9, right click Done.
14. Optional: To add a “bend” to Pipes P-7 and P-4, right-click where the bend will appear, click on Bend, then click Add Bend.
Entering Element Data with the Properties Manager
In this section, we will enter data for a pipe and tank using the Properties Manager.
1. Click the Select tool above the drawing pane and double-click on pipe P-1 to open the Properties manager.
Has User Defined Length?: True
Length (User Defined) (ft): 450
3. Click on tank T-1 in the drawing to change the open Properties manager to the tank properties.
Elevation (Base) (ft): 650
Elevation (Minimum) (ft): 650
Elevation (Initial) (ft): 665
Elevation (Maximum) (ft): 680
Diameter (ft): 50
5. Close the Properties manager.
Entering Junction Data Using FlexTables
In this section, we will use a Junction FlexTable to enter data for the junction node elements.
1. Select View > FlexTables.

2. Double click Junction Table under Tables - Predefined to open the Junction FlexTable.
Hint: Another way to open the Junction FlexTable would be to select the down arrow on the FlexTable button from the View tab, and
select Junction from the list of available FlexTables.
3. Right click on the Label column and select Sort > Sort Ascending.
4. Enter the elevations from the table below for each node:
Junction Elevation
J-1 620
J-2 605
J-3 580
J-4 545
J-5 510
J-6 580
J-7 580
J-8 600
J-9 490
Your FlexTable should look like the following:
5. Close the FlexTable: Junction Table and the FlexTables manager.

6. Save your file.
Using the Demand Control Center
In this section, you will use the Demand Control Center to enter base demands for the junction nodes.
1. Select Components > Demand Center > Demand Control Center. The message below will come up on your screen:
2. Click Yes to continue to the Demand Control Center.
3. Click the arrow next to the New button and select Initialize Demands for All Elements. This will add all of the junctions in the model to the
table so that flows and patterns can be entered for them.
4. Right click the Demand (Base)(gpm) column header and select Global Edit.
5. Enter 20 as the Value and then click OK.
This will set the demands for all the junctions to 20.
6. Click Close on the Demand Control Center dialog.
Computing the Model
In this section, you will validate and compute the model, and view any Calculation Summary messages.
1. Select Analysis > Validate.

The validate command verifies that there are no problems with the model. Click OK.
2. Select Analysis > Compute.

When the run has completed, the Calculation Summary dialog opens.
3. Review the Calculation Summary and then close it.
Reviewing Results
In this section, we will review model results. The methods covered here are:
Using the Junction and Pipe FlexTables
Selecting an element in the drawing pane and reviewing the data in the Properties manager.
1. Go to View > FlexTables manager and open the Junction Table under Tables-Predefined.
2. Review the Pressure and Hydraulic Grade columns.
3. Keeping the Junction FlexTable open, go back to the FlexTables manager and open the Pipe FlexTable to review those results.
4. Complete the Results Table at the end of the workshop and answer the questions about Run 1.
Warning: Make sure the units are consistent with those on the answer table. If they are not, modify the units on the reports. Right click the
column heading and select Units and Formatting. Make the necessary changes. You also may decrease the Display Precision to round
your values to whole numbers. Click OK to apply any changes you make.
5. You may turn off the background layer to make it easier to find elements and review results using the Properties Manager. In the
Background Layers manager, uncheck the box for Scaled_Network.
Creating the Fire Flow Demand Alternative
In this section, we will set up a new Demand Alternative to use in simulating a 1000 gpm fire flow at J-6 by:
Creating and naming a “Child” Demand Alternative
Modifying this Demand Alternative to include the fire flow.
Note: This is a basic (manual) fire flow analysis for a single node. (Fire flow events can be simulated for multiple nodes using the Fire Flow
Alternative and Fire Flow Results Browser, which is covered in another module.)
1. Select Analysis > Alternatives.

2. Expand the Demand alternative.
3. Right click Base Demand and select New > Child Alternative from the context menu that comes up.
4. Click the Rename button to rename the new child alternative Fire Flow at J-6 and press enter.
Hint: You can also rename the alternative by right clicking the alternative to be renamed and selecting Rename from the context menu.
5. Double click on Fire Flow at J-6 to open the alternative.
6. On the right side of the dialog, click on J-6 in the table, then change the Demand (Base) (gpm) to 1000.
Note: The box in the * column is automatically checked to indicate that the 1000 gpm demand is local to this “Child” Alternative; the other
demands are still being inherited from the “Parent.”
7. Close the dialog when you are done.
Creating and Reviewing Results for the Fire Flow Scenario
In this section, we will:
Create a new Fire Flow Scenario and associate the Fire Flow Alternative with this Scenario
Compute the Fire Flow Scenario
Review Fire Flow Scenario Results
1. Select Analysis > Scenarios to open the Scenarios manager.

2. Right click the Base scenario and select New > Child Scenario.
3. Enter the scenario name as Fire Flow at J-6.and press enter
4. Double click Fire Flow at J-6 to open the Properties manager.
5. Select Fire Flow at J-6 as the Demand alternative.
6. Back in the Scenarios manager, select Fire Flow at J-6 and select the Make Current button.
Note: The Fire Flow at J-6 scenario icon now has a red check mark on it. That indicates which scenario is the current scenario.
7. Click the Compute button in the Scenarios manager or on the Home or Analysis tabs.
8. Review the results as we did previously, using FlexTables and the Properties Manager. Complete the Results Table at the end of the
workshop and answer the questions about Run 2.
Note: A network of 6 inch pipes will not work well in this situation. The problem areas are most likely those pipes with the highest
velocities and/or friction slopes. Review the pipes with the highest velocities and friction slopes in the pipe table. These pipes will need to
be upsized.
Creating a New Physical Alternative
In the previous fire flow run, there were problems with system performance. In this section, we will create a new Physical Alternative with
larger sizes for the pipes that had the highest velocities and friction slopes.
In subsequent sections, we will incorporate this Alternative into a Scenario to evaluate system performance with the 1000 gpm fire demand at
J-6.
1. Open the Alternatives manager (Analysis > Alternatives).

2. Expand Physical to view the Base Physical alternative.
3. Right click the Base Physical alternative and select New > Child Alternative.
4. Click the Rename button to rename the new child alternative New Diameters.
5. Double click New Diameters to edit it.

6. Change the diameters to the following:
Pipe Diameter (in)

P-1 10
P-2 10
P-3 8
P-4 8
Pipe Diameter (in)
P-5 8
P-6 8
7. Close the Physical: New Diameters dialog when you are done.
Creating and Reviewing Results for the Fire Flow with New Diameters Scenario
Create a Fire Flow with New Diameters Scenario, and associate the New Diameters Alternative with this Scenario
Compute the Fire Flow with New Diameters Scenario
Review Fire Flow with New Diameters Scenario Results
1. Open the Scenarios manager (Analysis > Scenarios)

2. Select Base, click the New button, and select Base Scenario.
3. Enter the scenario name as Fire Flow with New Diameters.
4. Double click Fire Flow with New Diameters to open the Properties manager.
5. Select New Diameters as the Physical alternative and Fire Flow at J-6 as the Demand alternative.
6. Close the Properties manager.

7. Select Fire Flow with New Diameters and click the Make Current button or right click it and select Make Current.
8. Click the Compute button.
9. Close the Calculation Summary and review the results.
10. Complete the table at the end of the workshop and answer the first remaining questions about Run 3.
Reviewing Results Using Annotation
Annotate the pipes and junctions to see results in plan view
Compare how the results change over each scenario
1. Go to the Element Symbology manager, which should already be docked in the workspace, or select View > Symbology.
2. Right click on Pipe, and select New > Annotation to open the Annotation Properties dialog.
3. On the Annotations Properties dialog enter the following:
Field Name: Velocity
Initial Y Offset: -20
Initial Height Multiplier: 0.7
4. Click OK. In the plan view, you can now see the placement of Velocity for each pipe.
Note: The annotation placement was determined by the Y Offset that you entered. The placement of text can be changed both
horizontally (X Offset) and vertically (Y Offset).
5. Follow the same procedure to annotate Junctions by Pressure. You may vary the X and Y Offsets so the plan view has the look you
prefer.
6. When you have annotated the Pipes and Junctions, change the scenario, using the Scenario dropdown menu, to view how the
annotations update as the scenarios are changed.
Assessment
Complete the Results table below for each Scenario, and answer the questions that follow.
Results
Run 1 Run 2 Run 3
Pressure at J-1 (psi)
HGL at J-5 (ft)
Velocity in P-1 (ft/s)
Velocity in P-6 (ft/s)
Flow in P-3 (gpm)
Flow in P-7 (gpm)
Pipe with highest Headloss Gradient
Headloss Gradient in that pipe (ft/

1000ft)
Workshop Review Questions
1. Why is the pressure so high at J-9 even though it is far from the source?
2. Why must you rely so heavily on pipes greater than 6 inch in this fairly small subdivision?
3. What would really happen if you used the system from run 2 and had a fire at J-6 that needed 1000 gpm?
4. How does the split in flow between pipes 3 and 7 change as you change pipe diameters? Why?
5. If another source of water were available along the highway at J-9, how might that source affect the design?
6. What else could you do to help the pressures during normal demand periods?
Answer Key
Run 1 Run 2 Run 3
Pressure at J-1 (psi) 19 5 18
Pressure at J-6 (psi) 36 -22 25
Pressure at J-9 (psi) 75 34 68
HGL at J-5 (ft) 663 568 646
Velocity in P-1 (ft/s) 2.0 13 5
Velocity in P-6 (ft/s) 0.2 11 6
Flow in P-3 (gpm) 69 568 764
Flow in P-7 (gpm) 71 552 356
Pipe with highest Headloss Gradient P-1 P-1 P-5
Headloss Gradient in that pipe (ft/ 2.4 75 15
1000ft)
1. Why is the pressure so high at J-9 even though it is far from the source?
It is located at the lowest elevation in the system.
2. Why must you rely so heavily on pipes greater than 6 inch in this fairly small subdivision?
Streets are not laid out with water distribution in mind. More loops would result in smaller pipes/greater reliability.
3. What would really happen if you used the system from run 2 and had a fire at J-6 that needed 1000 gpm?
You would not be able to get 1000 gpm. You would have lower flow with higher pressures.
4. How does the split in flow between pipes P-3 and P-7 change as you change pipe diameters? Why?
Initially the flow is the same, but flow increases through P-3 as its diameter increased from 6in to 8in.
5. If another source of water were available along the highway at J-9, how might that source affect the design?
You might need to make P-10 larger so it would not be a bottleneck for the future source.
6. What else could you do to help the pressures during normal demand periods?
If possible:
Put the tank at a higher elevation (higher static head)
Operate the tank with more water in the tank (higher static head).
Increase the system looping
Add a fire pump to maintain adequate flow/pressure

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Practice Workbook

Building a Network with Fire Flows

DO NOT DISTRIBUTE - Printing for student use is permitted

Apply the basic principles of water distribution modeling

Gain essential knowledge for water system design

Create a new WaterCAD/GEMS Hydraulic Model file

Enter the Hydraulic Model’s properties

Engineer: Enter your name

Company: Enter your company name

Date: Select today’s date

Verifying the friction method in the Calculation Options

Creating element prototypes

1. Select Analysis > Options

4. Close the Calculation Options manager by clicking the X.

11. Click Select.

12. Close the Prototypes manager.

16. Click OK to accept the defaults and insert the background.

18. Select File > Save to save your file.

Text Height Multiplier: 10

Length (User Defined) (ft): 450

Elevation (Minimum) (ft): 650

Elevation (Initial) (ft): 665

Elevation (Maximum) (ft): 680

5. Close the Properties manager.

1. Select View > FlexTables.

5. Close the FlexTable: Junction Table and the FlexTables manager.

2. Click Yes to continue to the Demand Control Center.

6. Click Close on the Demand Control Center dialog.

1. Select Analysis > Validate.

2. Select Analysis > Compute.

3. Review the Calculation Summary and then close it.

Using the Junction and Pipe FlexTables

Creating and naming a “Child” Demand Alternative

Modifying this Demand Alternative to include the fire flow.

1. Select Analysis > Alternatives.

7. Close the dialog when you are done.

Compute the Fire Flow Scenario

Review Fire Flow Scenario Results

1. Select Analysis > Scenarios to open the Scenarios manager.

4. Double click Fire Flow at J-6 to open the Properties manager.

1. Open the Alternatives manager (Analysis > Alternatives).

5. Double click New Diameters to edit it.

Pipe Diameter (in)

Compute the Fire Flow with New Diameters Scenario

Review Fire Flow with New Diameters Scenario Results

1. Open the Scenarios manager (Analysis > Scenarios)

6. Close the Properties manager.

Annotate the pipes and junctions to see results in plan view

Compare how the results change over each scenario

Initial Y Offset: -20

Run 1 Run 2 Run 3

Pressure at J-1 (psi)

Pressure at J-6 (psi)

Pressure at J-9 (psi)

HGL at J-5 (ft)

Velocity in P-1 (ft/s)

Velocity in P-6 (ft/s)

Flow in P-3 (gpm)

Flow in P-7 (gpm)

Pipe with highest Headloss Gradient

Headloss Gradient in that pipe (ft/

Put the tank at a higher elevation (higher static head)

Increase the system looping