BOSS International - Civil Engineering Software

 

1-800-488-4775

 

 

 

Training Services

Home   Software   Consulting   Training   CD-ROM   Contact   Books   Forumsshoppingcart View Cart

 

Home > All Courses > Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering Courses

Introduction to Detention Pond Design: Parking Lots and Urban Drainage

Introduction to Detention Pond Design: Parking Lots and Urban Drainage

Instructor


Mark Peterson, P.E., M.ASCE
Mr. Peterson has a B.S. and an M.S. degree from Montana State University. He has been practicing engineering for 25 years and is registered in Montana and Washington. He has worked in state government in highway design and subdivision review. He has also worked as a consultant for over 10 years.

He is currently a senior design engineer with WGM Group in Missoula, MT with primary responsibility for highway hydraulic design and storm water design within subdivisions. He has taught several courses in storm drainage for regulatory agencies and has been published in the ASCE Journal of Hydraulic Engineering.

Back to Top

Course Description

One of the costs of development is increased runoff from hard surfaces, such as parking lots, buildings, and sidewalks. Many localities now require that the developer limit the runoff to pre-development conditions. The most economical way to accomplish this task is often through use of detention ponds. Resource agencies are also pushing municipalities and transportation agencies to use more detention ponds to improve water quality from storm drainage systems.

Detention ponds can be designed to provide numerous functions, including reducing peak discharges and improving water quality. Improperly designed, they can also be a hazard to the public for a variety of reasons. This seminar will provide the student with the information needed to design an appropriately sized detention pond that will provide numerous benefits and limit liabilities.

It includes instruction in several different hydrologic methods to determine peak flows and flow volumes. It also provides guidance regarding locations of detention ponds, whether they should be designed as wet ponds or dry ponds and some general design parameters. It provides information on routing hydrographs through a detention pond and the impact that various outlet configurations have on the routing. Information will be presented to size inlets so that the runoff can reach the detention pond rather than overflowing to undesirable locations. This course will provide step-by-step instructions from the beginning of the design process (rainfall) through the end of the design process (pond discharge). Because this is a design course, participants should bring a calculator.

Continued development means more pavement and more buildings. Without controls, it also means more floods and lower water quality, both within the development and in other areas. Properly designed detention ponds can limit the flooding and improve the water quality.

At the conclusion of the course, you will be able to:

  • Use the Rational equation to determine runoff, including selection of appropriate rainfall intensity values and runoff coefficients
  • Use the NRCS (SCS) method to determine runoff, including selection of appropriate rainfall distributions and Curve Number values
  • Determine capacities of various outlet configurations
  • Determine appropriate volumes for detention ponds
  • Route a hydrograph through a detention pond
  • Understand some of the water quality improvements possible by use of detention ponds

Back to Top

Seminar Benefits

  • Understand how detention ponds can be designed to limit the spread of the West Nile virus
  • Understand the interaction between numerous variables in rainfall / runoff models
  • Find out the latest information on what National Weather Service publications are available and why they may be outdated
  • Learn several methods of developing a runoff hydrograph
  • Learn why inlets are one of the most important features of a storm drain system
  • Examine the capacity of different types of outlet configurations
  • Examine the maintenance and operational advantages and disadvantages of different types of outlet configurations
  • Learn how to properly route a hydrograph through a detention pond

Back to Top

Who Should Attend

This course is for persons involved with the design of parking lot and small urban detention ponds. This could include design engineers, regulatory officials and architects. The course is technical in nature but the equations used are not complicated.

Back to Top

Summary Outline


Day One


  • Introduction and welcome
  • Rainfall data sources, including NWS publications
  • Rainfall runoff modeling-using the rational method to generate an inflow hydrograph
  • Rainfall runoff modeling-using the NRCS (SCS) method to generate an inflow hydrograph
  • Inlet capacity analysis

    Day Two


    • Inlet capacity analysis 
    • Outlet capacity design and analysis-why assuming a constant outflow is a very bad assumption
    • Detention pond volumes
      • Frustums
      • Contours
      • Average end areas
    • Routing a hydrograph through a detention pond
    • Impacts of ponds on water quality
    • Hazards of detention ponds and when not to use them including the West Nile virus
    • Hazards of detention ponds (including the West Nile virus) and when not to use them

    Back to Top

    Attendees’ Comments

    “Clear presentation. Gained great benefit from instructor’s experience.”
    G.L. Karel, Builder
    Melbourne, FL

    “Very helpful as to methods and sources of information. The course provided a wealth of information regarding runoff determination, sizing of catch basin grates, pipes and pond.”
    Clifford Smith, P.E., Owner
    CA Technical Service, Kingman, AZ

    “The instructor’s knowledge and experience made this a remarkable seminar.”
    Randy B. Murray, Director
    Jackson Port Authority, Jacksonville, FL

    “Well organized and persented course. It is a good refresher course or good for engineers new to pond design.”
    Alvin Ravicher, Mountain Planning & Engineering
    Buena Vista, CO

    Back to Top

    Locations & Dates

    Page Navigation

    ASCE Continuing Education

    ASCE Large Logo

    Register Online

    Register Offline

    Register by Phone

    Training Testimonials

    Other Training Courses

     

    Home   Software   Consulting   Training   CD-ROM   Contact   Books   Forumsshoppingcart02 View Cart