Verdantas conducted a physical hydraulic model study of the proposed Blue River Fine Screen and Grit Removal Facility for the Kansas City, Missouri Water Services Department. The facility is designed to manage flow through a series of fine-screen channels before directing it to grit removal chambers.
Verdantas constructed a 1:6-scale physical model to evaluate how water and grit would move through the proposed facility. The model allowed the team to observe flow patterns, measure flow distribution and head loss, and identify locations where grit could accumulate before the facility was constructed. Specially selected model sediments represented a range of grit sizes expected at the full-scale facility, providing a way to physically track sediment movement through the system.
Initial testing identified uneven flow distribution, hydraulic losses through the screening chambers, and areas susceptible to grit deposition. Verdantas used the model to develop and test design modifications intended to improve flow conditions and keep grit moving toward the removal chambers.
Testing ultimately informed several design modifications, including smoother transitions downstream of the screening chambers, a narrower channel in select locations,, and floor fillets to address localized grit accumulation. Follow-up testing demonstrated that the floor fillet eliminated deposition at the targeted location without creating a new deposition area, while the modified screening chamber geometry reduced head loss.
By recreating both water flow and grit movement at physical scale, Verdantas provided the design team with a practical way to see how the proposed facility would perform, identify potential issues, and evaluate modifications before construction.
Project Highlights
- 1:6-scale physical hydraulic modeling
- Flow distribution and head loss evaluation
- Physical simulation of grit transport and deposition
- Fine-screen and channel hydraulic evaluation
- Design modification testing
- Grit removal facility design support
