FHWA releases open-channel flow and culvert hydraulics demo videos

Washington, D.C. — The FHWA Hydraulic Engineering Discipline announced the availability of a series of informational videos organized into a YouTube playlist:

The series of six videos showcases the use of a portable flume to visualize open-channel flow and culvert design concepts. The specific topics covered in the videos are:

• Open Channel Flow Concepts: This video covers basic open channel flow concepts including how flow is classified.
• Grate Inlets: This video demonstrates grate inlets commonly used in storm drain catch basins.
• Culvert Hydraulics: This video shows how culvert design factors influence flow depths and velocities.
• Culvert Liners: This video demonstrates how rehabilitative liners may change culvert hydraulic performance.
• Aquatic Organism Passage: This video introduces aquatic organism passage design concepts for culverts.
• Energy Dissipators: This video demonstrates the hydraulic performance of a number of culvert energy dissipators.

These ideas and approaches are routinely used in completing highway drainage and stream crossing design projects.