Hydraulics is often an area that is overlooked during the design of urban and industrial projects. Poor intake conditions at pumping stations can affect pump performance and waterhammer generated in pipelines which could lead to failure are some of the problems that can occur.
The LaSalle Consulting Group is involved in a wide range of urban infrastructure projects that require an expertise in hydraulics. Ideally, our involvement in a study would be at the early stages, but we are more often consulted in solving operating problems with existing infrastructures. The following are some of the activities that we are typically involved in:
  • Pumping station design and optimisation
  • Waterhammer analysis and design of anti-waterhammer devices
  • Hydraulic design and physical modelling of transitions or special cross-sections for water flow

  • Physical modelling of settling basins and other types of water treatment structures
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  • Numerical modelling of runoff in urban areas and the hydraulic regime of sewer systems
  • Problems related to the operation of urban and industrial hydraulic systems (head losses, air entrainment)
The physical scale model remains the ideal tool to reproduce three dimensional complex flows that typically occur in pumping stations and complex flow structures (e.g. siphons, manifolds, etc.).
The modelling of urban runoff and pipe flows (under pressure or free surface) is done with the latest version of the numerical model PCSWMM.

The LaSalle Consulting Group has a strong background in the study and modelling of waterhammer and transient flow hydraulics. In addition to in-house software developed for specific applications, our engineers have access to well known commercial software packages such as TRANSAM and SURGE5. Our group was involved in the modifications made to SURGE5 in 1995 concerning air inlet and pressure relief valves.

 
Parc de la Cité pumping station (Saint-Hubert, Québec). Hydraulic model study of the intake conditions (City of Saint-Hubert).
Termovalle C. C. Plant (Colombia). Scale model study of the travelling screen and intake conditions (SMS Energy Engineering/Marubeni Power International).
Lapinière waste water treatment plant. Hydraulic model studies of the pumping station, settling basins, and desinfection works (Gendron Lefebvre - Dessau Consortium).
Saint-Antoine Street Sewer, Montreal. Design and hydraulic model study of a self cleaning siphon built underneath a new pedestrian tunnel.
Domtar Red Rock Mill, Ontario. Secondary water treatment - Waterhammer study of the force main and design of mitigating measures.
Mercier trunk main overflow (City of Montreal). Hydraulic model study.
City of Amos water sanitation program - Waterhammer study of the force main.
Bluestone raw water intake (West Virginia). Hydraulic model study of the pumping station (American Water Company).
Rattlebrook hydroelectric project. Penstock waterhammer analysis (Algonquin Power Systems Inc.).

 

LaSalle Consulting Group
9620, Saint-Patrick St., LaSalle (Québec) Canada H8R 1R8
E-mail : gcl@sympatico.ca