Coastal Hazard Bulletin
Issue No. 7
The purpose of the Coastal Hazard Mailing List is to provide up-to-date coastal flood hazard information pertinent
to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Flood Insurance Program. Subscribers will receive new
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CHAMP Program 5 - Wave Runup Analysis
Introduction
The Wave Runup Analysis program is used to run the FEMA RUNUP (Version 2.0) model on the selected transect.
The FEMA RUNUP model applies only to runup on sloped beaches. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Shore
Protection Manual (1984) should be consulted for runup on vertical walls and armored rocky revetments.
The Guidelines and Specifications for Wave Elevation Determination and V-Zone Mapping (G&S) should be
consulted for a detailed description on applying runup and running the FEMA RUNUP model.
Please refer to the CHAMP 'complete' database located in your local directory
(C:\Program Files\Champ) to work with the Wave Runup Analysis Program. This
database was originally presented in the October 2001
Bulletin.
Detailed instructions for operating the Wave Runup Analysis Program are provided on pp. 36-40 of the CHAMP User's Manual.
- Start Program
To begin the RUNUP program, click the 'Runup' button on the main menu button bar.
- Populate Data
Click the 'Populate' item under the 'File' menu to fill in the Runup Program window with data from the transect.
The 'Station' and 'Elevation' columns will be filled in with all of the transect eroded profile data points (both offshore and onshore).
- Roughness Coefficient Selection
The 'Description of Surface' column will be defaulted to smooth.
By clicking on each field for each station, a drop-down menu appears where the user can select the type of runup surface.
The 'Roughness Coefficient' column will be defaulted to 1 for smooth runup surfaces and will adjust automatically based on
the 'Description of Surface' column input. Both Transects 1 and 2 have smooth surfaces with roughness coefficients of 1.
- Transect Data Point Selection for Wave Runup Analysis
Stations or data points can be included or excluded in the wave runup analysis by clicking on the appropriate button
under 'Station Status' of the RUNUP Program Data window. The RUNUP Program is limited to 20 data points per transect.
All data points landward of the highest point of the runup slope should be excluded. Data points seaward of the 0ft
elevation should be selected so that the offshore slope is gradual and consistent (i.e., eliminate multiple changes in slope).
Data point selection for both Transects 1 and 2 included all points seaward of the last runup slope.
The most landward point for RUNUP computation for Transect 1 is approximately (station-elevation pair [84, 6.8]).
The most landward point for RUNUP computation for Transect 2 is approximately [212, 29] (refer to the 'complete'
database for more detailed information.
- Setup Criteria for the RUNUP Program
Select the 'Setup for RUNUP program' item under the 'Program' menu to define the parameters for the RUNUP Program.
The 'Type of Event', 'Mean Wave Height', 'Mean Wave Period', and 'Stillwater Elevation' data fields will be filled
in automatically according to the data entered in the Transect General Information/Parameters window.
Adjustments from 'Significant' to 'Mean' wave height and wave period conditions are made automatically.
These data can be changed at this point, if necessary.
The 'Spread' data field automatically defaults to 5%. This field is for specifying the range of wave heights
and periods for RUNUP to use. Both Transects 1 and 2 have a spread of 5%. An additional spread value of 10%
can be specified if the 5% range is not deemed significant.
The 'Last Slope' field is for entering the slope immediately landward of the last profile point.
This field defaults to 50 and should be changed to represent the current profile. Transect 1 has a 'Last Slope' of 5.
Transect 2 has a 'Last Slope' of 4.5. Enter a job number of '1' in the 'Job Number' field for both Transects 1 and 2.
Click on the 'OK' button to continue with the RUNUP analysis.
- Graphic Display of RUNUP Input Transect Data
Click on the 'Graph' button on the 'RUNUP' Program window to plot the transect.
The runup profile and results will be plotted. Additional data points can be
inserted or removed from the graph window as previously described in the October
2001 Bulletin. The 'Refresh' button must be clicked to see the results
of the inserted or removed points, and the table will not be updated until
the 'Update table' menu item under the Graph menu is selected.
- RUNUP Computational Application
Once all the input for the RUNUP model is complete, click on the 'Run RUNUP' item on the 'Program' menu to run the model.
A DOS-run window will open. When "Stop - Program terminated" appears in the DOS window, the RUNUP program is complete
and the DOS window can be closed. If the RUNUP program ran successfully, a "RUNUP RUN finished" box will appear; click
on the 'OK' button. If RUNUP did not run correctly, an error message will appear.
- Display of RUNUP Results
The average runup depth computed from the model results will be displayed in the 'Ave. Runup' field in the
upper right corner of the Runup Program window. To view the input or output text files, click on the 'Results' drop-down menu
and select the appropriate choice. A table of the RUNUP results of all wave heights and periods run can be seen by clicking
on the 'Results' menu and selecting 'Output Data Table'.
To view a graph of the RUNUP profile and results, click on the 'Graph Results' item under the 'Graph' menu while in the graph view.
When the wave runup analysis is complete, close the RUNUP windows by clicking on the 'X' in the upper right corners of each window.
Helpful Hints for CHAMP Program 5
If an area of shallow flooding exists beyond the crest of the dune and the runup overtops the crest
of the dune, an area of shallow flooding should be identified by designating the area an AO Zone
of 1, 2, or 3 foot depth. Consult the G&S for a more detailed explanation on the application
of AO Zones
Preparation for the December 2001 Bulletin
In preparation for the December 2001 Bulletin, you should simply complete the exercise presented above.
Next month, we will continue to develop your CHAMP database by working on Program 6 - Summary Tables and Graphics for Mapping.
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Last Modified: Wednesday, 20-Jun-2007 11:57:20 EDT