About networks

Introduction

In InfoWorks WS Pro, a network is a representation of a water supply system, which can be displayed over the top of a scale map of the area. The network describes the static geometry of the system, which does not vary with time. The time varying operational details of the network are defined in a separate but associated set of Control Data.

Modern water supply systems are big and complex. They usually have one or more raw or treated water conveyance systems and one or more water distribution systems.

The elements of a water supply system are:

sources of water
water treatment plants
pumping stations
reservoirs and water towers
pipelines
service connections
control equipment, for example valves and pumps

All these elements are represented in InfoWorks WS Pro by nodes, links or a suitable combination of the two. In InfoWorks WS Pro, nodes and links are known as Network Objects.

Modelling the Network

The modelling process should start with collecting complete and reliable information on the water supply and distribution system and identifying nodes and links. Caution should be given to over-simplification or too detailed description of the system. Between these two extreme approaches there is considerable freedom of choice.

The user normally starts with a plan of the system. The next step is to identify the nodes, taking into account all relevant facts. There are no strict rules, but the user is well advised to select as a node:

a reservoir, water tower, contact/balancing tank
both the suction and delivery side of a pumping station (the pumping station itself is a link)
an important consumer, such as industrial estates, hospitals, schools, or large public buildings
branching and ends of trunk mains
connections with neighbouring water supply systems

It is better to have redundant nodes than to miss out an important node. Ensuring that you identify all the important nodes is vital. It is possible to model all the network details, right down to service connections, but this will lead to a large, unmanageable model in most cases. Ideally you will retain just the main pipes and important nodes. Local demand from the service connections is then reassigned to the nearest nodes.

Editing Network Data

An InfoWorks Network is a version controlled itemVersion controlled items have an extra level of management within the InfoWorks database. These items can be checked in and out to create a series of versions of the same item. You can also create branches from any version. Only the differences between versions are stored in the database. Version controlled items can be locked to prevent accidental deletion. . See Managing version controlled objects.

Associating Control Data

The network is a static system. The operational aspects of modelling the water supply system are contained in a Control Set.

This separation simplifies the modelling process. Multiple Control Sets can be associated with the same Network to model variations in operation. The same Control Set can be associated with more than one Network so physical changes in the network can be modelled.

More information about associating control data with a network is available.