Buletinul tiinific al Universitii "POLITEHNICA" din Timioara

Seria HIDROTEHNICA
TRANSACTIONS on HYDROTECHNICS
Tom 55(69), Fascicola 1, 2010

Sewer Network Design Using Urbano Canalis Version 7

Release 2010
Severin Cazanescu1, Florin Maracineanu1, Jack Tadjer2

high efficiency and low costs. The program has been

developed by StudioARS Company, in Croatia and fully
adapted to Romanian legislation, as regards sewage
networks design.
The base of all StudioARS activities is Autodesk
technology. StudioARS is the only Croatian company
which has the status as Autodesk Gold partner and can
offer high quality support and expertise together with
the implementation of their technology. StudioARS has
been developing software solutions in infrastructure
area for more than 20 years. Well known software
products such as Urbano Canalis and Urbano Hydra
have been effectively used throughout Europe. More
than 1000 users use these products for sewage and water
distribution system design.

Abstract The paper presents an advanced modeling and

design software application for sewage networks - Urbano
Canalis version 7, which allows projects to be
accomplished in a short time, with high efficiency and low
costs. The software application calculates the storm water
flow, using rational method based on IDF curves or
constant intensity approach and perform all the necessary
calculations related to a sewage project. The hydraulic
design consists in the computation of the transit and total
flow and hydraulic modeling for network pipes diameters
or slopes. The application provides reports, layouts,
longitudinal or transversal cross sections of the pipe
network, displayed in an advanced graphic system based
on AutoCAD technology.
Keywords: sewage design, hydraulic computation,
Computer aided design

1. INTRODUCTION

2. GENERAL DATA ABOUT THE

SOFTWARE

As a member state, Romania has to observe the

development program and comply with European
Directives set by European Union.
European Directive on water quality requires to
Romania to build water and sewer infrastructure for 263
cities with over 10,000 users, until 31 December 2013.
It is estimated that 9.5 billion euro are needed to
implement the European Directive regarding waste
water treatment, of which 5.7 billion for wastewater
treatment plants and 3.8 billion for the construction of
sewage networks. The necessary funds for this
investment are going to be financed from three sources:
state budget (196 million lei), external sources (460
million) and Environmental Fund (130 million).
During a meeting organized by the Romanian Raw
Water National Administration, celebrating World
Water Day (March 22, 2010), our authorities concluded
that Romania will not be able to achieve in time the
European Water Directive targets on the implementation
of a sewerage and water treatment at European
standards.
It is up to each of us to bring the contribution to this
activity, in order to reduce the delays in implementing
the European Directive.
As part of this effort, we present in this paper an
advanced modeling and design software application for
sewage networks - Urbano Canalis version 7, which
allows projects to be accomplished in a short time, with
1

Urbano Canalis is a software package for the

sewage water system design which works within any
Autodesk platform [1]. The software runs within
AutoCAD, AutoCAD MAP or AutoCAD Civil 3D and
can easily interchange the network data with AutoCAD
Civil 3D and can be used in complex projects for
infrastructure project.
Digital Terrain Models developed in AutoCad
Civil 3D can be the base of terrain elevations calculation
within Urbano Canalis. All AutoCAD based products
from the version 2007 and upwards are supported [2].
The main package consists in several modules such
as [3]:
- Network Layout Module which is able to create
sewage networks interactively or by conversion
from AutoCAD elements.
- Longitudinal Sections Module which can define
any kind of table layout with different parameters.
Virtually, any kind of table bands can be added to
longitudinal section. Pipe inverts can be
interactively created and edited.
- Terraform Module is a built-in digital terrain
modeling software which support Civil 3Ds Digital
Terrain Models and is optimal to be used for any
pipe network systems design.

Land Reclamation and Environmental Engineering Faculty, USAMV Bucharest, 59 Marasti Boulevard, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail:
[email protected].
Research Institute for Land Reclamation and Agricultural Mechanization, 3 Shosse Bankya Street, Sofia 1331, Bulgaria.

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Sewage Hydraulics Module which is able to deals

with catchment areas creation, rain and sanitary
flow calculation. Hydraulic calculation is included.
Besides the main modules, a few optional modules are
delivered by the developing company.
- Database Extension. It allows connection to any
external data sources such a database (Esri SHP and
cross sections drawing with the volume calculation
are supported.
- Polygon Manager for polygon topology creation
from AutoCAD elements. Options to label, query
and export topology element. Very valuable
functions like topology analysis (buffer and
overlay) are included in this module.
- Raster Module offers the possibility to connect a
-

Map Info files are supported). Communication is

bidirectional.
Geo Extension for surveying data management. It
can deal (import/export) with any points type from
external text files. Special linetypes according to
surveying regulations, 2D to 3D conversion and

large number of raster images from within

AutoCAD. Raster images are organized in an
advanced manned according to spatial criteria.
As a whole, Urbano Canalis application is a modern
software tool for sewage systems design, focused on
pipes networks design, with an easy to use interface and
a dynamic approach (all changes are updated
immediately in all designs instances) Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 - Urbano Canalis version 7 is based on dynamic modeling approach

3. STORM WATER NETWORK

sub-catchment areas that receive precipitation and

generate runoff and pollutant loads. The routing
module of the software application transports this
runoff through a system of pipes, channels,
storage/treatment devices, pumps, and regulators. It
tracks the quantity and quality of runoff generated
within each sub-catchment, and the flow rate, flow
depth, and quality of water in each pipe and channel
during a simulation period comprised of multiple time
steps.

DESIGN

With Urbano Canalis software is very easy to

define all the catchment areas within a project, to
calculate the storm water flow using rational method
based on IDF curves or constant intensity approach
and perform all the necessary calculations related to a
sewage project [1].
The runoff component operates on a collection of
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Fig. 2 - Catchment definition and design scheme in Urbano Canalis version 7

the system and for the system maintenance (Fig. 3). It is

also possible to define some additional flows like
foreign water, additional rain flow or point flows
discharged by the local industries.
The software calculates specific flow taking into
consideration a coefficient for density of population (ki)
that is defined for each section of the system or for the
entire system at once. This coefficient, multiplied with
the real length of the section, will give a virtual length
(li) which is used by the software for calculating the
specific flow (qsp) and the sections for one flow (Qown).

4. SEWAGE NETWORK DESIGN

There are two steps for hydraulic computing:
1. Transit and total flow calculation
2. Hydraulic modeling for network pipes
diameters or slopes
Transit and total flow calculation
For the sanitary system flow calculation, Urbano
Canalis software offers two methods:
The percent calculation method
The influence area calculation
The most common method is the percent
calculation. For this method, it is necessary to enter the
number of inhabitants, the water consumption per
inhabitant, the annual population growth, the design
period, the coefficients variation per day and per hour
and also some specific coefficients for water losses in

qsp = Qt / ( li * ki)

(l/sm)

(1)

Qown = qsp * li

(l/s)

(2)

Fig. 3 Input data for the percent calculation method

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totally filled pipe. For the partially filled pipes, the

relations for velocity and for the flow quantity are taken
into consideration.
The diameter can be determined according to the
slopes defined in the longitudinal profile and to the
section flows. Some conditions for the maximum filling
of the pipe and the minimum diameter that must be
taken into account can be settled (Fig 4).
The application offers the possibility to determine
also the slopes using the values for diameters from the
previously defined longitudinal profile and the sections
flow. The conditions for maximum filling and for
minimum velocity can be set for this situation.

Hydraulic modeling and computing for pipe

diameters and slopes
Before running the dialog for hydraulic modeling it
is necessary to define the pipe roughness according to
the material used. The software offers the possibility to
define as many pipe catalogs as we need according to
the materials and diameters that are available on the
market.
The pipe diameter for both of the systems (the
sanitary system and the stormwater system) is calculated
either for each section or for the group of sections at
once.
Hydraulic calculation is based on DarcyWeisbachs and Colebrook-Whites equation for flow in

Fig. 4 - Pipe report in Urbano Canalis software

SWMM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model,

for urban and small rural areas, for single-event or longterm (continuous) simulation. Flow routing is performed
for surface and sub-surface conveyance and
groundwater systems, including the option of fully
dynamic hydraulic routing. Nonpoint source runoff
quality and routing may also be simulated, as well as
storage, treatment and other water management
practices.
With an advanced graphical engine based on
AutoCAD technology, the results are easily displayed in
many forms (tables, reports, layouts, longitudinal or
transversal cross sections) with any scale, content and
amount of annotation [1].

Within the software there is complete hydraulic package

for stationary flow. It is possible to define constraints
such as minimum diameter, minimum velocity or
maximum fulfillment of several criteria.
For more advanced calculation it is possible to
export the whole project in EPA SWMM format, widely
accepted by many other powerful software applications
like BOSS StormNET or Bentelys CivilStorm. Using
the software engine for SWMM (Storm Water
Management Model) developed by EPA (Environmental
Protection Agency) from United States, these
applications are able to perform advanced hydraulic
calculations for a large variety of pipes (circular cross
section pipes, elliptical, oval, flattened or rectangle
pipes) as part of any storm or sewage systems.

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workspace can be customized by dragging and resizing

windows or by docking them to the main display. You
can also define and save a named view, so that you can
quickly and easily return to that same area of interest at
any time [3].

5. POWERFUL GRAPHICAL USER

INTERFACE
The graphical user interface provides maximum
flexibility and the best user experience (Fig. 5). The

Fig. 5 - Longitudinal and transversal cross sections in Urbano Canalis version 7

6. STRUCTURES DESIGN
Structures can be added from a library and easily
included in the project. In addition, it is possible to
convert AutoCAD Civil 3D pipe networks and
structures to Urbano Canalis version 7 network and vice
versa. The conversion is very simple, all elements can
be converted using one command. Conversion respects

all elements which can be found in AutoCAD Civil 3D

part list and Urbano Canalis version 7 catalogues (Fig.
6).
Sometimes complex projects are made in AutoCAD
Civil 3D. In such cases Urbano Canalis functions,
concerning pipe and structure networks, can be easily
used and can significantly speed-up the design process
AutoCAD Civil 3D [2].

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Fig. 6 - Structure insertion in Urbano Canalis version 7

both in the layout and longitudinal profile that can

be used for any of your projects.
Final drawings produced into a .dwg format
which is the most generally accepted file format
for civil engineers.

7. CONCLUSIONS
The efficiency of using the Urbano Canalis
software for storm water and sewage system design is
given by:
Less time spent to create the drawings by using the
tools for labeling the system parts, updating data
automatically for layout and longitudinal profile
with the modifications you make along the designing
process,
calculating
the
pipe
diameters
automatically, using the features for creating the
plotting drawings.
Customized representation and information shown

REFERENCES
[1] StudioARS Croatia URBANO - CANALIS - Module,
Specialized Application for Wastewater System Design
[2] Autodesk Inc. AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Using Autodesk
Civil 3 D for Hydrologic and Hydraulic Tasks
[3] MaxCAD SRL CANALIS - Training Notes Courseware, Ing.
Florin Balcu & Ing. Nicoleta Scarlat

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