Box Culvert Hydraulic Performance Assessment
Project Overview
PDL supported an infrastructure engineering consultancy in the verification of a box culvert design forming part of a reservoir drawdown system for a major UK water utility. The proposed solution involved discharging water from a siphon system into an existing spillway, and the client required independent validation that the design would operate safely under worst-case operating conditions without causing flooding or erosion of surrounding assets. Using advanced multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), PDL assessed the hydraulic behaviour of the system and provided confidence in the proposed design before construction commenced.
Our Solution
Our engineers deployed a comprehensive suite of simulation tools, including ANSYS Mechanical for structural analysis and ANSYS Fluent for thermal-fluid interaction. We developed a detailed 3D model of the component, applying realistic boundary conditions and material properties. Key aspects of our solution included:
Material Characterization : Incorporating advanced material models to accurately represent behavior under irradiation and high temperatures
Topology Optimization : Identifying optimal material distribution to reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity.
Thermal-Structural Coupling : Simulating the interaction between temperature fields and structural deformation.
Fatigue Life Prediction : Performing high-cycle and low-cycle fatigue analysis to predict component lifespan.
The analysis demonstrated that the proposed design performed as intended, with no overspill occurring under the assessed operating conditions. This provided the client with confidence that the system would not create flooding risks while avoiding the need for costly physical testing. The project delivered independent technical assurance, accelerated design validation and provided detailed engineering insight that could be used to support future optimisation and project decision-making.
Client: Undisclosed
Sector: Water & Utilities
Service Provided: Advanced Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Hydraulic Assessment, Design Verification
Challenge: Validating a reservoir drawdown and spillway system under worst-case discharge conditions while preventing flooding and embankment erosion
Outcome: Independent design validation, removal of physical testing requirements and confidence in the hydraulic performance of the proposed solution
