A Canopy of Man-Made Solar-Powered Supertrees Flourishes in Singapore

A national park filled with electrified, man-made trees sounds like a paradox. But Singapore’s latest landscaping project, a 250-acre site called Gardens by the Bay, mixes nature and mechanics with an "artificial forest" full of glowing trees, globally-sourced plants, heritage vegetation, and a conservatory built around a 35-meter mountain complete with the world's tallest indoor waterfall. The project is pushing the boundary of what an urban park can be.

On June 29, Singapore’s National Parks Board will open a section of this project, called Bay South Garden, to the public, welcoming visitors to 18 just-installed "Supertrees," climbing to 50 meters in height.

"Many countries now do tree-planting and call themselves garden cities," CEO of Gardens by the Bay, Dr. Kiat Tan explained in a 2011 speech. "To retain our edge and continue to improve our living environment, we have been transforming Singapore into a City in a Garden."

The man-made canopy, much like its natural counterparts, will serve as air venting ducts for nearby conservatories, collect rainwater, and provide shade to park tourists. Eleven of the Supertrees are adorned with photovoltaic cells that will harvest solar energy to light up the trees in the evening, providing energy and lighting, to conservatories throughout the park, and serving as air and temperature regulators.

The massive structures are also vertical gardens, dressed in a living bouquet of climbing flowers, ferns, and bromeliads from around the world. Come evening, these trees will regale the park with light and sound shows. Visitors can look on from a new "Skyway" bridge connecting two 25-meter trees.

The project was commissioned by the National Parks Board to redevelop Singapore’s south side Marina Bay area and designed by UK architectural firm Grant Associates. Once completed, the Gardens by the Bay hopes to become an eco-attraction that showcases not only a collection of plants from around the world, but also the innovative uses of green technology.

Photos from Gardens by the Bay

Source http://www.good.is/post/a-canopy-of-man-made-solar-powered-supertrees-flourishes-in-singapore/

What are the Equations for Weirs in SWMM 5, Part 2?

Subject:   What are the Equations for Weirs in SWMM 5, Part 2?

What are the Equations for Weirs in SWMM 5, Part 2? by dickinsonre Subject:   What are the Equations for Weirs in SWMM 5, Part 2?  There are four types of Weirs in SWMM 5:  Transverse, Sideflow, V Notch and Trapezoidal.   The trapezoidal weir is a combination of the Sideflow and V Notch Weir and the Sideflow acts like a Transverse Weir when the flow is reversed (Figure 1).  The Weirs can have zero, one or two end contractions (Figure 2) and the Weir Length is a function of the Weir Setting and Horizontal Weir Length.  A V Notch weir works as Trapezoidal Weir when the Weir RTC Setting is less than 1.0   Figure 1.   Weir Equations in SWMM 5  Figure 2.   Valid Number of End Contractions   Figure 3.  Weir Length Calculations   via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/what-are-equations-for-we

Water Quality Treatment Removal Variables in SWMM5

Subject:    Water Quality Treatment Removal Variables in SWMM5

Water Quality Treatment Removal Variables in SWMM5 by dickinsonre Subject:    Water Quality Treatment Removal Variables in SWMM5 The treatment variables for Water Quality in a SWMM 5 storage unit (Figure 1) can be either:  1.       A Process Variable a.       HRT or Hydraulic Residence Time b.      DT or Time Step c.       FLOW or The Current Inflow d.      DEPTH or the Mean Flow over the Time Step e.      AREA or the Mean Area over the Time Step 2.       Pollutant Concentration 3.       Pollutant Removal based on the Removal of Other Pollutants  With a Wide Range of Treatment Functions (Figure 2). Figure 1.  SWMM 5 Treatment Variable Names in the Treatment Equation Figure 2.   Treatment Functions in SWMM 5 via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/water-quality-treatment-removal.html

What are the Equations for Weirs in SWMM 5?

Subject:   What are the Equations for Weirs in SWMM 5?

There are four types of Weirs in SWMM 5:  Transverse, Sideflow, V Notch and Trapezoidal.   The trapezoidal weir is a combination of the Sideflow and V Notch Weir and the Sideflow acts like a Transverse Weir when the flow is reversed (Figure 1).

Figure 1.   Weir Equations in SWMM 5

Weir Equations in SWMM 5

Toilets Save Lives

Erika Christakis advocates for better sanitation. She points out that the "impact of poor sanitation — and its economic consequences — is well-known": Source, The Dish

So why hasn’t this become an issue of global concern? Instead, between 1997 and 2008, the percentage of international aid that went to sanitation and water fell from 8% to 5%. Concerns over safe drinking water get much more attention, despite a recent World Bank study that found a more pronounced impact on health from building toilet infrastructure than from drinking-water improvements. Few people enjoy talking about bodily functions, and it’s hard for emerging economies to get excited about pit latrines and compost toilets when they’d rather showcase their shiny new buildings and high-speed trains. Feces and open sewers are a hard sell for donors too. There’s no pretty logo — no babbling brook or fresh water spring — for a toilet.

Convolution of the RDII UH from R, T and K in SWMM 5

Subject:  Convolution of the RDII UH from R, T and K in SWMM 5

Convolution of the RDII UH from R, T and K in SWMM 5 by dickinsonre Subject:  Convolution of the RDII UH from R, T and K in SWMM 5 The convolution uses the value of R and the Time Base to estimate the amount of Infiltration and Inflow in the Sewer Network.  The short, medium and long term UH's are estimated at each Wet Hydrology time step to make a smooth hydrograph out of the R, T and  K parameters of the Rainfall Dependent Infiltration and Infiltration Method (Figure 1).  The three UH's can be displaced as well if you use the RTK storage parameters (Figure 2) Figure 1.  The short, medium and long UH's are convoluted in SWMM 5 from the Rainfall Time Series. Figure 2.   The Initial Abstraction Depth can be used to shift the generated UH in time or reduce the peak flow and total volumes. c. via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/convolution-of-rdii-uh-from-r-t-and-k.html

Duluth Minnesota Flooding of June 20, 2012

Subject: Duluth Minnesota Flooding of June 20, 2012

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Duluth Minnesota Flooding of June 20, 2012 by dickinsonre Subject: Duluth Minnesota Flooding of June 20, 2012 The images come from this Duluth Link.    Radar Map A series of "training" thunderstorms that all passed over the same region have dumped 4 - 5 inches of rain over a wide swath of Northern Minnesota overnight and early this morning. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in the Denfeld area of western Duluth. This is more rain than fell in the city's previous worst flood on record, which occurred August 20, 1972. Major flooding is occurring, and only emergency travel is recommended in the city due to flooded roads. system and the saturated ground cannot take much more rain. According to wunderground's weather historian, Christopher C. Burt, the all-time 24 hour precipitation record for Duluth is 5.79" on 8/22 - 8/23 1978; 4.14" was recordedon Tuesday at the airport. Water overflows from a storm sewer in Duluth, Minn. on June 20. Duluth Mayor Don Ness said he would declare a state of emergency after the deluge of up to 9 inches of rain that he said caused extensive damage to the port city of about 86,000. Bob King/The Duluth News-Tribune/AP This car fell into a huge sinkhole on Skyline Parkway in Duluth. Bob King  /  Duluth News Tribune This damage Wednesday was on Duluth's Olney Street. Major flooding in Duluth, Minnesota A serious flood emergency is occurring in Duluth, Minnesota. A series of "training" thunderstorms that all passed over the same region have dumped 4 - 5 inches of rain over a wide swath of Northern Minnesota overnight and early this morning. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in the Denfeld area of western Duluth. This is more rain than fell in the city's previous worst flood on record, which occurred August 20, 1972. Major flooding is occurring, and only emergency travel is recommended in the city due to flooded roads. system and the saturated ground cannot take much more rain. According to wunderground's weather historian, Christopher C. Burt, the all-time 24 hour precipitation record for Duluth is 5.79" on 8/22 - 8/23 1978; 4.14" was recorded on Tuesday at the airport. Figure 4. Radar-estimated rainfall from the Duluth, Minnesota radar. via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/duluth-minnesota-flooding-of-june-20.html

Mass and Concentration Water Quality Loadings in SWMM 5

Subject:   Mass and Concentration Water Quality Loadings in SWMM 5

If you have a time series of flow and water quality at a node in SWMM 5 you have the option of using either a Mass loading or a concentration loading (Figure 1).     If you have a concentration then the load to the node internally in SWMM 5 is the flow times the concentration.  Alternatively, if you have Mass loading then the program will calculate the concentration from the flow and the load.  The table below shows some combinations of flow in cfs and load in pounds per day to yield various BOD 5 concentrations it the network nodes and  links (Figure 2).  For example, at a flow of 10 cfs you can get a BOD5 concentration of 100 mg/l with a loading of about 5400 pounds of BOD5 per day (Figure 3).

Figure 1.  If you use a time series load in SWMM 5 you need TWO time series, one for the flow and one for the mass load or concentration.

Figure 2.   The Mass loading needed to generate a concentration at a particular flow rate.

Flow (CFS)	BOD5 (mg/l)	BOD 5 Pounds Per Day
1	1	5.39
1	10	53.89
1	50	269.45
1	100	538.89
1	200	1077.79
10	1	53.89
10	10	538.89
10	50	2694.47
10	100	5388.93
10	200	10777.87
100	1	538.89
100	10	5388.93
100	50	26944.66
100	100	53889.33
100	200	107778.66

Figure 3.  The calculated BOD 5 concentration in the link from the Mass Loading.

BOD5.inp Download this file

Virginia Lawmaker Says ‘Sea Level Rise’ Is A ‘Left Wing Term,’ Excises It From State Report On Coastal Flooding

By Rebecca Leber posted from Climate Progress on Jun 10, 2012 at 6:59 pm

Virginia’s legislature commissioned a $50,000 study to determine the impacts of climate change on the state’s shores. To greenlight the project, they omitted words like “climate change” and “sea level rise” from the study’s description itself. According to the House of Delegates sponsor of the study, these are “liberal code words,” even though they are noncontroversial in the climate science community.

Instead of using climate change, sea level rise, and global warming, the study uses terms like “coastal resiliency” and “recurrent flooding.” Republican State Delegate Chris Stolle, who steered the legislation, cut “sea level rise” from the draft. Stolle has also said the “jury’s still out” on humans’ impact on global warming:

State Del. Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who insisted on changing the “sea level rise” study in the General Assembly to one on “recurrent flooding,” said he wants to get political speech out of the mix altogether.

He said “sea level rise” is a “left-wing term” that conjures up animosities on the right. So why bring it into the equation?

“What people care about is the floodwater coming through their door,” Stolle said. “Let’s focus on that. Let’s study that. So that’s what I wanted us to call it.”

There is a resistance to calling science what it is, even in the studies commissioned to investigate the impact of climate change. The reality is that coastal cities are spending millions to respond to rising sea levels, like Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk spends $6 million a year to elevate roads, improve drainage, and help homeowners raise their houses, according to BBC. Already, 5 percent to 10 percent of the city’s lowest-lying neighborhoods have heavy flooding. The world’s largest naval base, based in Norfolk, is spending hundreds of millions to replace piers to withstand rising water. Yet they manage to make no mention of climate change or sea level rise in their response strategy.

Related Posts

• North Carolina Bill Would Require Coastal Communities To Ignore Global Warming Science
• JPL bombshell: Polar ice sheet mass loss is speeding up, on pace for 1 foot sea level rise by 2050

Modeling H2S in InfoSWMM

Subject:   Modeling H2S in InfoSWMM

Modeling H2S in InfoSWMM, ICM and InfoSewer by dickinsonre Subject:   Modeling H2S in InfoSWMM, ICM and InfoSewer You can model Sulfide in InfoSWMM/ICM and InfoSewer using the H2S water quality modeling option which uses BOD5 loading at nodes to estimate the  S concentration in the nodes and links of the network using constant network parameters for:  1.       The Reaction Rate Coefficient, 2.       The Sulfide Loss Coefficient, 3.       Sulfide Flux Coefficient, 4.       Temperature in Degrees C, 5.       Soluble Sulfide Percentage, 6.       pH for the whole network, and 7.       The Ionization Constant. Relationship between BOD5 and EBOD Figue 1.  The concentation  of H2S and BOD5 can be graphed at each node and link. Figure 2.   Dialogs for H2S and BOD5 in InfoSWMM via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/modeling-h2s-in-infoswmm-icm-and.html

Mass Balance for Water Quality in SWMM 5

Subject:   Mass Balance for Water Quality in SWMM 5

Mass Balance for Water Quality in SWMM 5 by dickinsonre Subject:   Mass Balance for Water Quality in SWMM 5 The rainfall concentration is listed in the wet deposition row of the Runoff Quality Continuity Table, the washoff such as EMC washoff is listed in the Surface Runoff row.  If you are simulating groundwater quality then it is listed as a separate value in a row of the Quality Routing Continuity table alongside RDII quality, DWF quality and WWF quality.  via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/mass-balance-for-water-quality-in-swmm-5.html

Water Quality Options in InfoSewer

Subject: Water Quality Options in InfoSewer

You can have up to seven different water quality options in InfoSewer and have each option as a different scenario using a different specific simulation option for each water quality option.

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Saving to previous versions of ArcGIS in InfoSWMM and InfoSewer

Saving to previous versions of ArcGIS in InfoSWMM and InfoSewer

Once you open and save an existing map document (.mxd file) using ArcGIS 10, the map can no longer be opened with earlier versions of ArcGIS because it will now reflect the new functionality added at 10. Similarly, new documents you create with 10 also cannot be opened in earlier versions of the software. However, you can use the Save A Copy command to make a copy of a map document so you can open and work with it in previous versions of ArcGIS. With ArcGIS 10, you can save to ArcGIS 9.3, 9.2, 9.0/9.1, or 8.3. ArcGIS 9.0 and 9.1 map documents are directly compatible with each other and those versions of the software.

Each new version of ArcGIS introduces functionality and properties that aren't available in previous versions. When you save a map document, layer file, or 3D document to a previous version of ArcGIS, the format of the file is changed to eliminate properties not available in the older version.

This means saving from 10 to a previous version removes from the file any functionality that depends on the newer software in ArcGIS 10. Therefore, some work may be lost if you save to 9.3, 9.2, 9.0/9.1, or 8.3 and start working with the older copy again in 10, since the 10 functionality was stripped out in the Save A Copy process. Your original ArcGIS 10 file will still have the new functionality.  Source http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//006600000253000000.htm

Historical SWMM 5 and SWMM 4 Engines and Examples

Subject:  Historical SWMM 5 and SWMM 4 Engines and Examples

The web site has http://swmm5legacycode.ning.com/  historical SWMM 5 installs, SWMM 5 input file examples and SWMM 4 input files and engines.   The SWMM 4 engines go back to SWMM 3.5 engines from the 1980’s.

Link Iterations in the SWMM 5 Dynamic Wave Solution

Subject:   Link Iterations in the SWMM 5 Dynamic Wave Solution

Link Iterations in the SWMM 5 Dynamic Wave Solution by dickinsonre Subject:   Link Iterations in the SWMM 5 Dynamic Wave Solution Each of the links in the SWMM 5 network can use up to 8 iterations to reach convergence during a time step in the dynamic wave solution of SWMM 5.  The rules governing the number of iterations are: 1.       A minimum of 2 iterations per time step with the 1st iteration NOT using the underrelaxtion parameter of 0.5 (Figure 1) 2.       If both the downstream and upstream nodes are converged then the link drops out of the iteration process during the time step (Figure 2) 3.       The number of iterations for each link can vary over the simulation from 2 to 8 depending on how fast the flow is changing. Figure 1.  A minimum of two and up to eight iterations per time step in the SWMM 5 dynamic wave solution. Figure 2.  The number of iterations for each link vary through out  the simulation with less iterations being used for constant flows. via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/link-iterations-in-swmm-5-dynamic-wave.html

How is the St Venant Equation Solved for in the Dynamic Wave Solution of SWMM 5?

Subject:   How is the St Venant Equation Solved for in the Dynamic Wave Solution of SWMM 5?

How is the St Venant Equation Solved for in the Dynamic Wave Solution of SWMM 5? by dickinsonre Subject:   How is the St Venant Equation Solved for in the Dynamic Wave Solution of SWMM 5? An explanation of the four St. Venant Terms in SWMM 5 and how they change for Gravity Mains and Force Mains. The HGL is the water surface elevation in the upstream and downstream nodes of the link. The HGL for a full link goes from the pipe crown elevation up to the rim elevation of the node + the surcharge depth of the node.  The four terms are: dq2 = Time Step * Awtd * (Head Downstream – Head Upstream) / Link Length or dq2 = Time Step * Awtd * (HGL) / Link Length Qnew = (Qold – dq2 + dq3 + dq4) / ( 1 + dq1) when the force main is full dq3 and dq4 are zero and Qnew = (Qold – dq2) / ( 1 + dq1) The dq4 term in dynamic.c uses the area upstream (a1) and area downstream (a2), the midpoint velocity, the sigma factor (a function of the link Froude number), the link length and the time step or dq4 = Time Step * Velocity * Velocity * (a2 – a1) / Link Length * Sigma the dq3 term in dynamic.c uses the current midpoint area (a function of the midpoint depth), the sigma factor and the midpoint velocity dq3 = 2 * Velocity * ( Amid(current iteration) – Amid (last time step) * Sigma dq1 = Time Step * RoughFactor / Rwtd^1.333 * |Velocity| The weighted area (Awtd) is used in the dq2 term of the St. Venant equation: dq2 = Time Step * Awtd * (Head Downstream – Head Upstream) / Link Length The four terms change at each iteration and time step to determine the new flow (Figure 1) based on the two equations: Denom = 1 + dq1 + dq5 Q = [Qold – dq2 + dq3 + dq4] / Denom If you look at a table of the values you will see that the terms add up to zero when the flow is constant and to delta Q or the change in Q when the flow is NOT constant (Figure 2). Figure 1.  The four terms define the new flow at each iteration in the dynamic wave solution of SWMM5 Figure 2.   The magnitude of the four terms determine the flow at the new iteration and ultimately the new Time Step.  If the flow is constant then the value of the term is constant. via Blogger http://www.swmm5.net/2013/08/how-is-st-venant-equation-solved-for-in.htm