Sediment Transport with HEC-RAS Masterclass - Live Training

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About

2D mobile‑bed sediment transport modelling is becoming essential for understanding how rivers, reservoirs, and watersheds evolve through time. This advanced masterclass gives participants practical, hands‑on experience applying HEC‑RAS’s latest sediment, mudflow, and debris-flow capabilities to real‑world geomorphic and engineering challenges.

Participants progress from a calibrated 2D hydraulic model to a complete sediment transport simulation, learning the modelling decisions that shape results. The course covers mesh design for sediment applications, boundary conditions, transport functions, sorting methods, stable mobile‑bed runs, and interpretation of erosion and deposition. Calibration, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty assessment are integrated throughout to support reliable engineering practice.

With growing issues such as channel instability, reservoir sedimentation, post‑fire sediment hazards, and debris flows, practitioners need tools that capture complex sediment behaviour. Recent advances in HEC‑RAS, including cohesive 2D sediment modelling, multiple grain‑class simulations, and mud and debris flow analysis, make this possible. This course prepares participants to apply these capabilities confidently and effectively.

Details

Date	Thursday, 29 October 2026 - Thursday, 3 December 2026
Time	9:00am (Australia/Sydney; find your local time)
Location	Online
Format	5 x 2-hour sessions + course material & resources
Cost	AUD $1,690.00 (INC GST)
Contact	Group Booking: For 5 or more contact us: [email protected]
Code	LC-27-5-191
Tags	Scour and Sediment / HEC-RAS

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Register your interest: https://awschool.com.au/training/sediment-hec-ras-masterclass/

Foundational Course: Sediment Transport with HEC-RAS

Presenters

Brian Wahlin

West Consultants

Dr. Brian Wahlin is a nationally recognised expert in sediment transport whose career spans more than 30 years of advancing how engineers understand, model, and manage sediment in rive... Read more

Course Overview

This masterclass gives participants hands‑on experience developing and evaluating 2D mobile‑bed sediment transport models in HEC‑RAS. Participants learn the full workflow for modelling erosion, deposition, channel change, reservoir sedimentation, mudflows, and debris flows, with a strong focus on calibration, sensitivity, uncertainty, and reliable geomorphic interpretation.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, you will be able to:

Apply the HEC‑RAS 2D sediment workflow to model erosion, deposition, channel change, and reservoir sedimentation.
Design sediment‑ready meshes, boundary conditions, gradations, and transport/sorting configurations for mobile‑bed simulations.
Run stable 2D sediment, mudflow, and debris‑flow models and interpret geomorphic patterns and system response.
Evaluate model sensitivity, calibrate sediment behaviour, and quantify uncertainty for reliable results.
Identify common instability issues and troubleshoot hydraulic, sediment, and mesh‑related problems effectively.

Course Outline

Session 1: Introduction to 2D Sediment Transport Modelling

(Thursday, 29 October from 9 AM – 11 AM Sydney Time)

Overview of sediment transport processes and morphodynamics.
Differences between 1D and 2D sediment transport modelling.
Applications and limitations of 2D sediment models.
Sediment transport functions and sorting concepts.
Overview of the HEC-RAS 2D sediment workflow.

Session 2: Mesh Development and Boundary Conditions

(Thursday, 5 November from 9 AM – 11 AM Sydney Time)

Computational mesh design for sediment studies.
Refinement regions, breaklines, and numerical diffusion.
Bed gradations and sediment properties.
Developing sediment rating curves and time-series inputs.

Session 3: Building and Running 2D Sediment Models

(Thursday, 12 November from 9 AM – 11 AM Sydney Time)

Configuring sediment transport simulations.
Selecting transport and sorting methods.
Hydraulic and sediment time-step considerations.
Running mobile-bed simulations.
Troubleshooting stability and convergence problems.

Session 4: Sensitivity Analysis, Calibration, and Uncertainty

(Thursday, 19 November from 9 AM – 11 AM Sydney Time)

Why sediment models require calibration.
Sensitivity to transport functions, gradations, and boundary conditions.
Effects of mesh resolution and model configuration.
Calibration strategies and performance evaluation.
Quantifying uncertainty and developing defensible results.

Session 5: Mudflow and Debris Flow Modelling

(Thursday, 3 December from 9 AM – 11 AM Sydney Time)

Differences between sediment transport and debris-flow processes.
Mudflow and debris-flow capabilities in HEC-RAS.
Rheology fundamentals and parameter estimation.
Post-fire and watershed disturbance applications.
Interpretation of results, limitations, and best practices.

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11 OS.
Multiple monitors preferred.
Mouse with middle wheel button.
The latest version of HEC-RAS (6.6 or later): https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ras/download.aspx

Format

10+ hours of session recordings with unlimited access for 90-days after the final live session.
Pre-and-post-course materials to go through via the AWS learning platform.
Homework exercises between the 5 sessions.
Additional resources and working model download/s.
Ability to ask questions to the presenters at any time through the live sessions and via the learning platform.

Pre-requisites

A solid understanding of HEC-RAS fundamentals.
- If you are new to HEC-RAS or need a refresher, complete the HEC-RAS Essentials course.
A foundational understanding of Sediment Transport.
- Complete the Sediment Transport in HEC-RAS course.
A basic familiarity with RAS Mapper and 2D modelling workflows.
Experience developing 2D hydraulic models.
Familiarity with unsteady flow simulations.
Experience in hydraulic modelling.

Completion Certification

Participants earn CPD hours/points (i.e. with Engineers Australia) for at least 10 hours for the entire course.
On completion of the course participants will be issued with an official QGIS Certificate.