BE Magazine - Volume 6, Issue 1 - (Page 45)

Best Practices – Water and Wastewater “We were able to quickly but thoroughly evaluate a large number of options and then compare the different results through output and report functions. Through the use of linked scenarios, each with different small changes, we were able to quickly progress through the options without having to create different water models for each potential solution.” As a result, M&S Engineering was able to provide the city with a cost-effective solution and was also able to sketch out a four-phase capital improvement program that will not only create a fully interconnected and much more efﬁcient water system, but position Fair Oaks Ranch as a more pervasive water provider to the region. Use of WaterCAD resulted in immediate and substantial beneﬁts for Fair Oaks Ranch. Konstanski estimated that 800 man-hours were saved by WaterCAD’s automated extraction alone and that another 900 hours were saved by the iterative analysis of solutions and linked scenarios. “This translates to a savings for our client of over $120,000 for engineering services alone,” he noted. Since Fair Oaks Ranch can now think in terms of providing water to customers outside city boundaries, the work done by M&S Engineering may also end up beneﬁtting the region’s environment. Water infrastructure in this part of Texas is rare, and most rural customers use well water, which depletes existing aquifers. Since the city’s system makes effective use of surface supplies, an expanding city system may well reduce aquifer depletion. By effective use of technology, M&S Engineering was able to substantially expand a city’s water supply without adding additional water sources. In drought-threatened south central Texas—and in an increasingly water-thirsty world—this kind of innovation will always be needed. Konstanski concluded, “This will go a long way in safeguarding the limited ground water sources and preserving the unique habitats that they provide to a number of endangered species in this area.” to take the drawings we made and create a working water model automatically. This saved us hours of repeat work.” But the model needed substantial reﬁnement and calibration based on actual operations data, and this data did not exist in digital form—M&S Engineering would have to ﬁgure out how to extract it from Fair Oak Ranch’s expert personnel. This was done by physically sitting down M&S Engineering experts and city operators at computers running the model. Small changes were made to the model and then analyzed, and by doing this repeatedly, accurate solutions were arrived at iteratively. “WaterCAD was an invaluable tool for facilitating coordination through its simple yet detailed outputs and multiple visualization options,” said Konstanski, “Graphic displays, tables, and graphs were essential in facilitating communication among the different parties and allowing them to cooperatively achieve an outstanding result.” With an accurate model in place, M&S Engineering could turn its attention to evaluation of different options. Konstanski added, Volume 6 Issue 1 | Be Magazine 45

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of BE Magazine - Volume 6, Issue 1

BE Magazine - Volume 6, Issue 1 Contents Anticipation’s Name Is V8i Be Awards of Excellence Kicks Off Competition Bentley Launches the Most Comprehensive SoftwarePortfolio for Infrastructure Ever Assembled in a Single Release MicroStation V8i Up Close & Personal Is Water the New Oil? How Does Intent Become Reality? Does Performance Create Sustainability? Renewing Confidence in Public Highway Infrastructure Enterprisewide System Manages International Airport Standardized CAD/GIS Platform Streamlines Infrastructure Engineering 3D Modeling Refines Reusable Design for Plant Prototype Lean Teams Deliver Automotive Assembly Plants Through Innovative Use of BIM Integrated 3DModels Enable Compact and Safe Plant Design Sustainable Development Supports Thriving Community Terminal Pumps Natural Gas Through Longest Subsea Pipeline Large UtilityWorks To Reduce SO2 Emissions Aging Power Station Boosts Engineering Productivity Hydropower Dam To Fuel Growing Economy Collaboration Tools Accelerate Chinese Railway Electrification System Design Rapid Rail Link To Meet Socio-Economic Development Goals High-CapacityWastewater Treatment Facility ReclaimsWater Resources City ExpandsWater SupplyWithout Deploying AdditionalWater Resources Private Calling Meets Public Service Learning Paths Map Skill Development for Infrastructure Professionals A Contemporary Approach to Site Design The Art of Visualization Special Feature: Be Communities Physical + Digital Investments = Intelligent Infrastructure

BE Magazine - Volume 6, Issue 1

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