Urban Hydraulics Facility

Posted on May 15, 2016 Instrumentation & Equipment Design

Understanding Storm Drainage

Coanda was contracted by the University of Alberta to build a multi-purpose Urban Hydraulics Facility to be used primarily to model outflows from elevated storm sewer systems.

The main portion of the structure is a large cylindrical vessel consisting of three interchangeable sections between fixed semi-elliptical heads. Surrounding the vessel is a structural steel support frame with open-grid landing sections to allow access to the interchangeable sections for set-up and instrumentation. The piping from the pump is arranged so that water can be pumped either into the top or the bottom of the tank, with flow conditioning elements and suitable baffles to prevent short-circuiting. Also incorporated into the pump system is an accumulator to allow pressurized transient outflows

Facility Specifications:

  • Tank Diameter: 1.2m
  • Tank Height: 9m
  • Tank Volume: 10m3
  • Pump Capacity: 0.15m3/s (2500 GPM)
  • Pump Power: 37kW (50HP)