Use of the HEC-RAS model based on LiDAR information for urban flood assessment

ABSTRACT

The disordered growth of cities and the excessive waterproofing are problematic of the large urban centers, having as a main consequence the occurrence of floods and overflows. Within this context, hydrodynamic modeling can be an important tool for the determination of floodable areas, allowing the estimation of flood quotas for different scenarios of return periods (T_R) and project rainfall, thus allowing to more accurately represent reality and minimize errors arising from hydraulic designs. Working with Geographic Information System (GIS), where the channel geometry is extracted using the high precision Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generated by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey and hydrodynamic modeling software (HEC-RAS), it was possible to evaluate different flood scenarios in the channeled concrete section, in the Botafogo Stream in Goiânia, Goiás. With the results of hydrodynamic modeling, it was possible to evaluate the propagation behavior of the generated flows, finding that for precipitation with T_R 50 years or older, the plumbing limits do not support the generated and transported volumes, causing flooding in six critical stretches. The data obtained by HEC-RAS could be validated from photographic records released by the press and topographic survey of flooded sites, so that the integration between GIS and hydrodynamic modeling proved to be efficient for the study of floodable areas.

Keywords: urbanization effects; urban drainage; hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling