My Unsteady HEC-RAS Model is Unstable…Why?

Written by Christopher Goodell, P.E., D.WRE  |  WEST Consultants
Copyright © The RAS Solution 2015.  All rights reserved.

This question (or some variation of it) comes up quite a bit on The RAS Solution:  “I have an unsteady flow model.  When I run it, it goes completely unstable.  What is causing this?”  Many times a screen shot of the computation window with the dreaded “red bar” is attached.  



While the person asking the question genuinely needs help, what he/she doesn't understand is that it is impossible for anyone to troubleshoot his/her model with this limited amount of information or without the model data files.  There are an almost infinite number of possible reasons the model crashed.  

If I could sum up my approach to troubleshooting unsteady HEC-RAS models in one sentence, it would be

“HEC-RAS likes things to change gradually”

If your model is crashing, look for places or times where something is changing drastically.  It could be a sudden and significant change in the size and shape of the main channel from one cross section to the next.  It could be a sudden increase/decrease in flow.  It could be a sudden increase/decrease in stage.  Whatever steps you take to try to stabilize your model, make sure you are confident that the steps you are taking will improve stability without giving up more accuracy then you’re willing to sacrifice.  Haphazardly making changes and adjustments to your model without any forethought or strategy, in an attempt to make it stable could very well make it worse and get you nowhere-and waste a lot of time.  Making methodical, logical, and beneficial changes to your model is a much better approach.  By methodical, I mean understand what you are doing, and why it can improve numerical stability.  Also understand what accuracy (if any) you are sacrificing to achieve the increased stability.  Keep in mind, stabilizing your model may require more than one “change”.  This is why it is important to understand the theory behind the computations in HEC-RAS.  That understanding will allow you to make informed and intelligent decisions on what techniques to use to stabilize your model. 

Here are some very helpful references that deal directly with how to troubleshoot HEC-RAS unsteady flow models that are unstable and/or crashing.  If you’re having trouble with your unsteady flow model, please carefully read through these references.  And consider taking an HEC-RAS training course if you can.  The “Unsteady Flow” and “Dam Breach” classes both cover techniques for troubleshooting an unsteady flow HEC-RAS model. 

• HEC-RAS User’s Manual Chapter 8, Performing an Unsteady Flow Analysis.  Particularly the section on Model Accuracy, Stability, and Sensitivity.  This manual (along with the Hydraulic Reference Manual) comes with the installation of the HEC-RAS software.  You can access it from the main HEC-RAS window under Help…User’s Manual.

• Investigating Instabilities with HEC-RAS Unsteady Flow Modeling for Regulated Rivers at Low Flow Stages, Sharkey 2014.  Master’s Thesis by Jennifer Kay Sharkey.  A great summary of potential causes for instability in HEC-RAS models, especially those with low stages.  

 Stabilizing a Dynamic Unsteady HEC-RAS Model.  Post on The RAS Solution.  Steps taken to stabilize a HEC-RAS model, along with the dataset used.  http://hecrasmodel.blogspot.com/2013/10/stabilizing-dynamic-unsteady-hec-ras.html

• 10 Tips for Troubleshooting Unsteady HEC-RAS.  Post on Ebb and Flow blog.   https://www.freese.com/resources/blog/10-tips-troubleshooting-unsteady-hec-ras

• Common Model Stability Problems with Performing an Unsteady Flow Analysis. Lecture by Gary Brunner.  

Lateral Structure Coefficients

Written by Chris Goodell, P.E., D.WRE  |  WEST Consultants

Copyright © RASModel.com.  2013.  All rights reserved.

Lateral structures can be used in HEC-RAS to transfer flow from a river/reach to a storage area, or to another river/reach.  With the coming release of HEC-RAS with 2D capabilities (estimated beta release January/February 2014), you’ll be able to hook a river/reach to a 2-D area using a lateral structure. 
Although its primary function in HEC-RAS is to transfer flow out of one river/reach into another component (river/reach, storage area, 2D area), a lateral structure can physically represent a wide range of geometric features, including a levee, a flow diversion structure, a morning glory spillway, or even a natural ground or bathymetric profile.  Including a lateral structure in your model to represent a levee is important if the levee is ever overtopped or breached during the simulation.  Flow diversion structures can have multiple outlet features, including culverts, gates, and spillways.  These features are all available in the lateral structure editor in HEC-RAS. 
Another common use of lateral structures is to simulate flow transfer from the river to a tributary during a flood event.  This is especially convenient if you don’t want to model the tributary as an individual reach, but still want to account for it’s available storage, for a proper accounting of flood wave attenuation in the main stem river/reach.  As an example, the following figure shows a storage area representing a tributary to the main stem river.  This storage area is connected to the main stem by a lateral structure (highlighted in red). 

Because a lateral structure can represent a variety of different flow transferring structures (or non-structures), the hydraulics in and around the lateral structure can be quite different, depending upon the case.  Every lateral structure in HEC-RAS requires a lateral weir coefficient, and different hydraulics mean different lateral weir coefficients.  Any hydraulics textbook will have a multitude of weir coefficients for “inline” conditions, but it’s rare to find something similar for lateral flows, or diversion flows.  But it is generally agreed that lateral structure weir coefficients should be much lower than a similar inline configuration.  For example, an inline, hydraulically efficient broad-crested weir might have a weir coefficient around 3.0 (US units) or 1.7 (SI Units).  Turn that structure sideways (a lateral structure), and it will have a coefficient closer to 2.0 (US Units) or 1.1 (SI Units).  The difference is due to the energy/momentum loss associated with turning flow lines from their downstream orientation to a lateral direction out of the river/reach.    Unfortunately, there has simply not been a lot of research done on quantifying this energy/momentum loss and what that does to lateral weir coefficients.
The research that is available could be useful and might be worth checking out.  Hagar’s equation is one reference and is actually built into the HEC-RAS lateral structure editor, under Lateral Weir Embankment…Weir Computations.  It will compute an equivalent lateral weir coefficient based on an inline value (the Default Weir Coefficient) and some physical and hydraulic properties of the weir and  the adjacent river/reach. 

You can read more about Hagar’s equation in the HEC-RAS Hydraulic Reference Manual on page 8-17. 
Useful references for lateral structure weir coefficients (including Hager’s):

• Hager, W.H. (1987). “Lateral Outflow over Side Weirs.” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 113(4).
• Borghei, S.M.; Malili, M.R.; Ghodsian, M. (1999). “Discharge Coefficient for Sharp-Crested Side Weir in Subcritical Flow.” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, October, 1999.
• Ranga Raju, K.G.; Prasad, B.; Gupta, S.K. (1979). “Side Weir in Rectangular Channel.” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 105(5).
• Subramanya, K.; Awasthy, S.C. (1972). “Spatially Varied Flow over Side Weirs.” J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 98(1).
• Singh, R.; Manivannan, D.; Satyanarayana T. (1994). “Discharge Coefficient of Rectangular Side Weirs.” Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ASCE, 120(4).

However, none of these references discuss lateral weir coefficients for lateral flow transfers over natural ground, or surface flow (i.e. non-elevation overbank terrain).  HEC has a reference table for lateral structure coefficients that I like to use-it’s also included in the new “Combined 1D and 2D Modeling with HEC-RAS” document that was released in August 2013, in anticipation of the new 2D feature in HEC-RAS expected to be released as a beta version in the January/February 2014 time frame.   Note how low the suggested range of coefficients is for “non-elevated overbank terrain.”  Because they are not dimensionless, be aware that weir coefficients in SI Units are different from US units by a factor of the square root of the ratio of the SI gravitational constant to the US gravitational constant,

What is being modeled with the Lateral Structure	Description	Range of Weir Coefficients
Levee/Roadway – 3 ft (1 meter) or higher above natural ground	Broad crested weir shape, flow over Levee/road acts like weir flow	US Units: 1.5 to 2.2 (2.0 default) SI Units:  0.83 to 1.2 (1.1 default)
Levee/Roadway – 1 to 3 ft (0.3 to 1.0 meter) elevated above ground	Broad crested weir shape, flow over levee/road acts like weir flow, but becomes submerged easily.	US Units:  1.0 to 2.0 SI Units:  0.55 to 1.1
Natural high ground barrier – 1 to 3 ft (0.3 to 1.0 meter) high.	Does not really act like a weir, but must flow over high ground to get into 2D (or storage) area.	US Units: 0.5 to 1.0 SI Units: 0.28 to 0.55
Non-elevated overbank terrain. Lateral Structure not elevated above ground	Overland flow escaping the main river.	US Units: 0.1 to 0.5 SI Units:  0.06 to 0.28

*Hydrologic Engineering Center, August 2013.  “Combined 1D and 2D Modeling with HEC-RAS”

Although this table is presented within the context of 1-D to 2-D flow transfers, these values will work with river/reach to storage area or river/reach to river/reach flow transfers as well.  As noted in the referenced document (HEC 2013), “In general, Lateral Structure weir coefficients should be lower than typical values used for inline weirs.  Additionally, when a lateral structure (i.e. weir equation) is being used to transfer flow from the river (1D region) to the floodplain (2D Flow Area), and then [sic] the weir coefficients that are used need to be very low, or too much flow will be transferred.”  Also, “The number 1 problem people have been having with interfacing 1D river reaches with 2D areas, is user’s [sic] have been using way to [sic] high of weir coefficients for the situation being modeled.  If the lateral structure is really just an overland flow interface between the 1D river and the 2D floodplain, then weir coefficients in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 must be used to get the right flow transfer and keep the model stable.” 

The HEC 2013 document ("Combined 1D and 2D Modeling with HEC-RAS") with the Table of lateral weir coefficients can be downloaded from my Google Drive site here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_s8OLJOgOi0Nm5sdHFhSzFUYkk/edit?usp=sharing.  The lateral weir coefficient table is on page 35.

Adding Help Files and References to RAS

Written by Chris Goodell, P.E., D. WRE | WEST Consultants
Copyright © RASModel.com. 2010. All rights reserved.
Everyone has their favorite references that they go to for help and guidance when developing hydraulic models. It could be the n-value table in Chow, or Tony Wahl’s Breach Parameter paper, or simply specific exerts in the RAS manuals. Whatever your preference, HEC has provided a very convenient way to easily access reference documents while in the HEC-RAS environment. You simply copy the document and paste it into the \Program Files\HEC-RAS\4.1.0 folder. You have to change the name so that the file begins with “RasHelp_”. That is how RAS recognizes it as a help document. Then when you open RAS, under the Help menu, you’ll see your custom documents listed for easy access. Notice that I have Appendix B of the RAS Hydraulic Reference Manual, a summary of Breach Parameter equations, and a Sediment Gradation Table in the Help menu.