Author(s): Hongbin Zhang; Qiuhua Liang; Luke Smith; Chris Kilsby
Linked Author(s): Qiuhua Liang
Keywords: Hydrological model; Hydraulic model; Integrated modeling system; Flood simulation; Urban catchment
Abstract: This work introduces a new integrated modeling tool for urban flood simulations by coupling hydrological and hydraulic models. The integrated model overcomes the drawbacks of each individual modeling approach, i. e. high computational cost that is usually associated with hydraulic models and a less detailed physical representation of the underlying flow processes that corresponds to hydrological models. During a simulation, a catchment is divided into hydrological and hydraulic zones, which are then calculated respectively by the two modeling components. The new modeling tool is applied to a study site at Morpeth, England to reproduce a flood event in 2008 during which the town was severely flooded following intense rainfall. The numerical prediction compares favorably to post-event field measurements. A further comparison is also made between the integrated modeling system and the full 2D hydraulic model; whilst producing similar results, the new integrated system is shown to save roughly 30% of the computational time. These encouraging results indicate that the new modeling system may provide a robust and efficient tool for urban planning and flood risk management.
Year: 2013