The graphics go a long way...

We are primarily land development engineers, but when confronted with flood plain infringement, we need to solve the problem quickly in-house. Given my past limited exposure, my concern was a tedious (re)learning curve each and every time we needed to use HEC-2. I am delighted to say that your DOS version of BOSS HEC-2 has alleviated that concern. Your USER'S MANUAL is well organized and easy to use. The example problems are very helpful as tutorials. The detail within the Program Methodology chapter helps a lot in making judgment calls with input data, and in interpreting results. Another feature we are enthused over is the incredible quality of the graphic output—available with any printer. Given the requirement to present the tabular results in the classic Corps of Engineers format (ghastly!), the graphics go a long way in gaining local review agency acceptance. Thanks for a well thought-out product.

Thomas G. Haldeman, P.E.
Principal
Land Systems Associates
Evergreen, CO

Significant time and cost savings...

For a major highway study requiring 13 hydraulic analyses (backwater studies), I chose BOSS International's HEC-2 program for its superior graphics, metric units, easy to use menus, and multiple user capabilities for our network. Our client requested cross section plots for each stream, and BOSS HEC-2 allowed engineers to plot these on laser printers without using AutoCAD. This resulted in significant time and cost savings. The program menus allowed us to quickly train additional engineers in order to meet project deadlines. It was easy to install BOSS HEC-2 on our network so our engineers could share data files. I would have been at a LOSS without my BOSS!

Joan Gosar Burgert
Civil Engineer
Hanson Engineers, Inc.
Springfield, IL

BOSS was very patient and helpful...

Our firm began channel analysis in 1985 on an Epson QX-10, running a general hydraulics program in BASIC. BOSS HEC-2 has been a program of choice since the spring of 1992, when Bill Lindley recommended it to us, with the same enthusiasm that we felt when we told Jim Zografos about it. We are not a large firm, so the projects on which we have used your program were not spectacular. These smaller projects, though, are frequently more complex than their larger brothers, since everything is happening on a compressed scale. After the printer character drawing furnished by the BASIC program (state-of-the-art when we bought it) you can imagine how delighted we were with BOSS HEC-2 data printout. It is excellent, clear enough so that nonprofessional plan commission members can, with a little help, understand what you intend to do, or what you recommend to be done. Support is very good. Almost every newly acquired program starts out with a white knuckle phase, usually complicated by a tight time frame. BOSS (International tech support) was very patient and helpful when we had questions, or needed a pat on the head. The manual is so complete that most of our questions could be answered by referencing it. Sample problems are numerous, and most helpful. For someone who is just beginning, or for one who has been away from channel calculations, BOSS HEC-2 is an excellent choice.

H. J. Boesch, Jr.
Boesch Consulting Engineers
Bolingbrook, IL

Two thumbs up...

FTN Associates Ltd. gives BOSS HEC-2 an enthusiastic "two thumbs up." We find it to be a valuable tool for creating all types of models—not just HEC-2. In addition to using it for developing HEC-2 models, we use it in developing other models that can utilize HEC-2 type input files to represent riverine, reservoir, and estuary geometry. Our clients for these studies have included the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Corps of Engineers Districts, municipalities, developers, industries, and other consultants. BOSS HEC-2 significantly reduces our time in developing an HEC-2 input file and interpreting its output. Its ability to graphically merge cross section data from two data sources (e.g., topo map and detailed surveys) is one of the features our engineers love. The documentation is thorough and adds a lot more explanation than the Corp's user manual on most topics—great for training new users. When digital contour data is available you get the added benefit of minimizing human error (and lots of time) in picking cross section points from a contour map. BOSS HEC-2's automated floodplain mapping feature also allows us to easily meet FEMA's requirement that all floodplain maps be submitted in digital format. BOSS International's technical support is also something we appreciate. They know the product and we've never waited for more than fifteen minutes for a return call. We even called late one evening after we had just purchased BOSS HEC-2 and were surprised that someone answered the phone; it turns out we had called in the middle of the BOSS International Christmas party and they still took the time to answer our question! Thanks for providing us with this great tool.

Marc C. Johnson
Senior Water Resources Engineer
FTN Associates, Ltd.
Little Rock, AR

It has made life much simpler...

As one who has frequently used BOSS HEC-2 for about three years, I should like to express my total satisfaction for your product. I can say that there is an extremely big difference between the “classical” HEC-2 program and the one that you developed. Starting with the data input editor, with automatic check for data errors, and ending with the wide variety of 2-D and 3-D graphic displays, the entire process represents a friendly useful, and complex software package for steady flow numerical simulation, in natural or trained watercourses and canals. Allowing taking into account the hydraulic effect of almost all kinds of hydraulic structures and floodplain encroachment, BOSS HEC-2 can be used practically for any type of problem in fixed river bed hydraulics (no morphologic processes). The product is also extremely useful for channel improvement and floodway encroachment modeling, especially by giving the user the possibility to specify the allowable change of the water surface elevations, with the program automatically computing the possible floodway encroachment. This is very important when the user is dealing with various agencies having different procedures, regulations, and requirements regarding the limit of allowable changes of water surface elevations, as compared to the base flow regime. Finally, I want to congratulate you for your successful efforts to improve the available software in river and channel hydraulics. I know that you recently developed some new software products (RiverCAD, BOSS DAMBRK, etc.) which, I am sure, will receive the deserved appreciation of the specialists.

Dr. Didi Duma
CTE Engineers
Chicago, IL