Case Study: Groupe Conseil Genivar

StormNET Speeds Up Projects at Groupe Conseil Genivar
StormNET ran XPSWMM models from 250 to 4,800 percent faster than XPSWMM

Background Information

Groupe Conseil Genivar (Genivar) is a leading Canadian engineering consulting firm, with 85 offices throughout Canada and the Caribbean. Genivar provides multidisciplinary engineering services for infrastructure and environmental projects in over 35 countries.

When Genivar’s regional office in Île-Perrot needed a new stormwater modeling program, flexibility was key. The Montreal-based engineering firm works with a broad range of clients, all requiring stormwater models using various hydrology methods and diverse file formats.

As the firm prepared to begin a large suburban drainage study, engineers soon realized that their existing XPSWMM stormwater software would slow down the engineering process. Moreover, they needed to more easily exchange data with their clients.

“XPSWMM is just too complicated,” said Nicholas Read, engineer at Groupe Conseil Genivar. “It creates enormous output files, and the manner in which it stores and displays information is very complex. There are at least a half a dozen reference manuals in order to use the software.”

One Program, Multiple Formats

In the software review process, Genivar evaluated several different stormwater modeling programs, spending weeks testing demonstration versions of each on actual projects. In the end, the firm chose StormNET from BOSS International.

StormNET is the only model that combines complex hydrology, hydraulics and water quality in a graphical, easy to use interface. It also supports both US and metric units, a convenience for the Canadian firm.

“We chose StormNET for its graphical user interface, the ease of entering data and convenient display of output,” Read said. “However, where it really stood out was its compatibility with other programs. For example, to be able to import, run, and export XPSWMM models is immensely valuable.”

While StormNET can directly import, analyze, and export XPSWMM models, it can also import and export ArcView GIS and AutoCAD files which are frequently required by Genivar’s clients. And, in side-by-side performance tests conducted by BOSS, StormNET ran XPSWMM models from 250 to 4,800 percent faster than XPSWMM.

“We can consolidate our stormwater engineering with one program without needing to purchase three or four other programs,” Read said. “Plus, StormNET was very cost competitive, especially with the included free technical support and frequent updates to the software.”

Fast, Flexible Modeling

Soon after Genivar purchased StormNET, Read quickly picked up the software and almost immediately felt “entirely confident” in using it on projects. Typically, he works on municipal drainage projects and private developments.

He experienced StormNET’s computational speed firsthand on a 100-acre (40 hectares) drainage study for a suburb of Montreal. Read needed to evaluate several different scenarios to determine which design would work most effectively.

In this study, numerous French drains and sump pumps were discharging into the existing sanitary sewer system, which resulted in increased loading on the wastewater treatment plant. In addition, the project involved considerable flow reversals and complex looped pipe runs.

StormNET allowed Read to combine several existing network models in a single, overall model. Frequently, while developing the model, he was required to add or move elements within the model.

“I was impressed with the speed at which I was able to make changes and run scenarios,” Read said. “For example, I can change from the Rational Method to EPA SWMM to HEC-1 and back again—all within the same model.”

The initial modeling took two weeks while a later redesign required just two days.

Instead of dreading modeling, as Read did when using XPSWMM, he now enjoys the process. “It’s easy, and it’s a fun program to work with,” he added.

Support from BOSS significantly contributes to the firm’s satisfaction with the software. Read finds their technical support personnel—actual engineers—responsive and thorough.

“They understand hydrology and engineering, and the way the program intrinsically works,” Read said. “It’s unparalleled.”

When Read reports an issue, someone from BOSS always calls back to learn more. They ask for his models so they can analyze the problem and resolve it. Likewise, he sees his suggestions to improve the software implemented.

“They take all my suggestions seriously and implement them in future releases,” he said.

Enhancing Engineering Services

StormNET allows Genivar to respond in a very timely manner to clients during the estimating process and on projects. For example, engineers can export project details from StormNET into Microsoft Excel with the click of a button.

“StormNET cuts our time to estimate project costs in half,” Read said. “It gives me all the data that makes up the network and I can customize it any way I want.”

If a client calls in with a question, Read can fire up StormNET and usually provide an answer that same day, instead of taking a couple of days. StormNET also enables Genivar to deliver output data to clients in meaningful graphical plots, such as time-series plots, hydrographs, and profile plots.

Word about StormNET has spread within Genivar, leading several more of the firm’s offices to adopt the software. Looking ahead, Read foresees the firm will increasingly leverage StormNET on more projects.