Assessing Redundancy in Stormwater Structures Under Hydraulic Design

Abstract

As environmental change is happening at an unprecedented pace, a reliable and proper urban drainage design is required to alleviate the negative effects of unexpected extreme rainfall events occurring due to the natural and anthropogenic variations such as climate change and urbanization. Since structure/configuration of a stormwater network plays an imperative role in the design and hydraulic behavior of the system, the goal of this paper is to elaborate upon the significance of possessing redundancy (e.g., alternative flow paths as in loops) under simultaneous hydraulic design in stormwater pipe networks. In this work, an innovative approach based on complex network properties is introduced to systematically and successively reduce the number of loops and, therefore, the level of redundancy, from a given grid-like (street) network. A methodology based on hydrodynamic modelling is utilized to find the optimal design costs for all created structures while satisfying a number of hydraulic design constraints. As a general implication, when structures are subject to extreme precipitation events, the overall capability of looped configurations for discharging runoff more efficiently is higher compared to more branched ones. The reason is due to prevailing (additional) storage volume in the system and existing more alternative water flow paths in looped structures, as opposed to the branched ones in which only unique pathways for discharging peak runoff exist. However, the question arises where to best introduce extra paths in the network? By systematically addressing this question with complex network analysis, the influence of downstream loops was identified to be more significant than that of upstream loops. Findings, additionally, indicated that possessing loop and introducing extra capacity without determining appropriate additional pipes positions in the system (flow direction) can even exacerbate the efficiency of water discharge. Considering a reasonable and cost-effective budget, it would, therefore, be worthwhile to install loop-tree-integrated stormwater collection systems with additional pipes at specific locations, especially downstream, to boost the hydraulic reliability and minimize the damage imposed by the surface flooding upon the metropolitan area.

The Role of Sewer Network Structure on the Occurrence and Magnitude of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

“…In fact, the presence of additional flow paths can provide a better distribution of stormwater, ensuring a continuous drainage of wastewater. Lee et al [33] suggested that networks with higher drainage density, i.e., with a more meshed layout, are inducing lower runoff peaks than branched systems. Based on this, the reduction of the annual number of CSO events might be explained by the fact that lower peaks in higher meshness networks implies lower water levels in the pipes, hence the threshold depth for activation of CSOs is then not so frequently exceeded.…”

Resilience of Interdependent Urban Water Systems

“…Further, there is a strong need for adaptation of water infrastructure to tackle challenges like climate change, increasing urbanization, etc. [4]. It requires resilience evaluation and intervention planning, in which the former is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the inherent resilience of the entire underlying system, and the latter is to provide evidence-based strategies for optimizing water infrastructure resilience at the lowest possible cost within its life cycle.…”

Integrating Structural Resilience in the Design of Urban Drainage Networks in Flat Areas Using a Simplified Multi-Objective Optimization Framework

“…Structural decentralization strategies reduce the degree of centralization (DC) by reducing the number of elements that are linked and interconnected by releasing stormwater by various outlets to different water bodies locations (see Section 2.2) [10]. Structural resilience is often neglected in the design of UDSs [31][32][33]. However, it can play a significant role in system performance during extreme events.…”