TRAINING.

Overview

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand how hydrodynamic and floodplain models are structured and developed within HEC‑RAS
• Run HEC‑RAS simulations and recognize common warnings, errors, and modelling issues
• Interpret depth, velocity, and flood extent outputs to support sound engineering judgement
• Assess uncertainty and calibration considerations when reviewing or using flood models
• Confidently engage with HEC‑RAS results in professional practice, even when you are not the primary modeller

Description

Flood modelling outputs are often used to inform critical engineering decisions related to safety, land use, infrastructure design, and risk management. Even if you are not responsible for building models yourself, you are expected to understand where results come from, what they represent, and how much confidence you can place in them.

This course provides a practical introduction to hydrodynamic and floodplain modelling using HEC‑RAS, with a focus on how models are built, how simulations are run, and how results should be interpreted in real‑world engineering contexts. You will work through the fundamentals of model structure, inputs, and outputs, developing an understanding of what “good practice” looks like and where common limitations arise.

Rather than training you to be a modelling specialist, this course builds the knowledge needed to responsibly review, use, and communicate HEC‑RAS results. Emphasis is placed on engineering judgement, understanding uncertainty, and applying model outputs appropriately within professional and regulatory environments.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for:

• Civil and environmental engineers involved in flood studies, drainage, or water resources work
• Engineers and practitioners who review or use HEC‑RAS model outputs as part of their role
• Early‑career and graduate engineers seeking a structured introduction to flood modelling concepts
• Professionals new to hydrodynamic modelling who want to engage more confidently with models and results

A general familiarity with basic hydraulic concepts is assumed. No prior experience with HEC‑RAS is required.

Please note: You can check other time zones here.

Syllabus

Day 1

Fundamentals and Getting Started with HEC‑RAS

• Overview of hydrodynamic and floodplain modelling concepts
• Overview of HEC‑RAS and model organization
• Building a simple model, including geometry, inputs, and boundary conditions
• Running basic simulations and understanding common warnings or errors
• Interpreting model results in a practical engineering context

Day 2

Floodplain Mapping and Practical Use

• Linking model results to floodplain mapping
• Working with terrain data and visualization tools
• Reviewing depth, extent, and velocity outputs
• Parameter uncertainty and model calibration
• Examples from practice and discussion of typical applications

Instructor

Saman Razavi, Ph.D., P. Eng

Dr. Saman Razavi is an Associate Professor of hydrology and water resources engineering at the School of Environment and Sustainability, Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, and Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan. He received a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2013.

Dr. Razavi’s research is at the science-policy interface, bridging hydrological modelling and predicting flood and drought events to integrated management of water and environmental systems and decision and policy making. He develops methods based on systems and data sciences, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, and machine learning. He is the lead developer of VARS-Tool, which is a toolbox for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis (https://vars-tool.com/), and the Principal Investigator of the Integrated Modelling Program for Canada (https://gwf.usask.ca/impc/).

Dr. Razavi has taught courses in engineering hydrology at the undergraduate level, where he modernized the existing curriculum. At the graduate level, he has offered advanced watershed modelling, optimization, and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis courses. Dr. Razavi has advised governments on important water-related issues, including drainage impacts in the prairies, water licensing and allocation, and tradeoffs between irrigation expansion, hydropower and environmental or cultural flows. He contributes to the engineering and scientific community through his role on the editorial boards of the Journal of Hydrology, Environmental Modelling & Software, and Frontiers in Water. He is also the past chair of the American Geophysical Union (AGU)’s Technical Committee on Hydrologic Uncertainty and has run many sessions at multiple national and international conferences.

Dr. Razavi is the recipient of several awards, including the 2020 Early Career Research Excellence Award from the International Environmental Modeling and Software Society and the 2019 Young Scientist Award from the Canadian Geophysical Union. His research has been featured in media, such as CBC, CTV, and Radio Canada.