Newbie of Sorts with ? about which files to load from existing model

[godzilla]

As stated above, I am a relative newbie to HEC-RAS. I have only input data at other’s directions in the past. I am not completely unfamiliar with the program but need some guidance here please.
Working on a project to determine the effectiveness of a pond addition (this pond not built into model, but I was able to do this). I received a rather large model of existing conditons containing 15 reaches, many sections with a couple of storage areas, bridges and culverts. I also received the following file extensions:
.go1 – I reckon this is the geometry
.po1 – plan file?
.b01 – 43 of these
.bco – 27 of these
.c01 – 43 of these
.dsc – 2
.dss – 2
.O0# – 43
.O0# – 43 (same file name as above but with .IC before the .O0#
.g## – 3
.p##.blf – 43 with accompanying msgs.txt and .scratch.002
.r## – 43 run files?
.u## – 55
.x## – 43

I loaded the geometry tried to run an unsteady but got boundary condition error messages. I read the help about file types. I would like to run the entire model. I am really only concerned about one reach but think it would be best to incorporate everything since it eventually most of it joins together downstream.
I hoped all i had to do was load the geometry and run it to check it’s validity then add the new data. I am a bit confused about the number and variety of the files I received.
Thanks.
B

[Anonymous]

Howdy,

Check out this post,

http://hecrasmodel.blogspot.com/2013/04/hec-ras-file-types.html

You can import data in the main window under file, Import HEC-RAS Data. Start with *g, *u, and *p.

Make sure the links in your boundary conditions have the correct paths for your DSS files which probably have your flow data (or model results). Could be helpful to download the dss viewer, and check out your files. (http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-dssvue/)

Once you get your unsteady flow data, *.u file, check in the unsteady flow editor, options, DSS Pathname Summary Table to see where your boundary conditons may be. This will be the link to the DSS files….well might be….Update these paths if need be for each boundary condtion.

Another issue which can cause problems is what release of RAS you use. If you can find out what version was used for the existing model, consider using the same version to avoid little changes in the updates.

cheers,

[godzilla]

Howdy Toby.
Thanks for steering me down the right path. Once I loaded the files you mentioned i got a different error message I was able to fix on my own. i.e. HTab min elevs lower than the channel min and a couple of sections with banks out of whack. It is running right now, hope I get something I can use. Have a good one.

[godzilla]

yea well now I get the DSS does not exist and it stops. I’ll research that tomorrow. It’s the end of the day.

[godzilla]

I am running the 5.0.3 and the files I have been given are from 2011. This morning I read the plan file in notepad and found the geometry and flow files associated with it. I loaded those and a dss file. It’s running. Well it didn’t finish the computations. Here is some excerpts from the report. Can you tell me what this means?

Maximum iterations of 20 RS WSEL ERROR

01Jan2010 00:00:20 West Diversion Main 4743 6.97 1.841
Many more

****ERROR: Solution Solver Failed****

*****Warning! Extrapolated above Cross SEction Table at: ****
(The extrapolation may have been caused by model instability)

Reach R.S. station

**** Warning! Extrapolated above/beyond Rating Curve (Budge/Culvert/etc.) ****
(The extrapolation may have been caused by model instability)

***** The Model Has One Or More Error(s) *****

Unsteady Flow Simulation Terminated

Running Post Precessor HEC-RAS 5.0.3 September 2016
NEGATIVE AREA IN SUBROUTINE CONVEY
BETWEEN STATION 18.87 AND 47.00
Reach and Station
THIS IS USUALLY CAUSED BY BAD STATION/ELEVATION DATA
IF THIS NODE HAS A WEIR (BRIDGE ETC.) CHECK THE ROAD DECK DATA CAREFULLY
–PROGRAM ABORTED–

[cameron]

Multiple things going on here, first your error is above 1 which can cause the model to blow up and crash. This can be fixed by adjusting the timestep or modifying the model in trouble areas. The warning is probably due to the model crashing and I wouldn’t worry to much about it, but it may be a good idea to check the HTAB parameters. The last error message should be looked into and I would look at each cross-section to make sure there is no bad station/elevation data.

[godzilla]

Thank you for your reply. When I get back to that project I will check into those suggestions. This was supposed to be a completed model for a drainage study by another engineering company a few years ago. I don’t think they gave us the good files.

[godzilla]

Hope your new year is going well.
I downloaded 4.1.0 and am able to run the 10 yr and 100 yr files. Working on 25 and 50. I open the plan files and it tells me what geometry and flow files were used. It seems if I pair these two I should be able to run an analysis.
Here is something that happens I would like to change. When I run an analysis, the files are now being saved in my c:\documents and not in the server folder where the loaded files are. Can I change this?
I had to place a copy of a .dss file in that location for one to run.
For my 25 year I get an incomplete with the note at several river stations “Undefined values found in the time series data. The boundary data must span the computation window.” I searched help and online but couldn’t find a good explanation. Any ideas?
I can use the same geometry file for all with different four scenarios can’t I?
Just ran the 50 yr successfully.

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