The I-35 Capital Express Central Drainage Tunnel and Pump Station is beginning to take shape in Austin, Texas, bringing hydraulic modeling and design efforts into reality.
Key elements of the project are now visible, including drop shafts, the rectangular pump intake structure, and reinforced concrete approach tunnel and screen channels that will direct stormwater towards the pumps.
These components were previously evaluated through computational and physical hydraulic modeling conducted at the Verdantas Flow Labs Alden Campus in Holden, Massachusetts. Using CFD analyses and scaled physical models, the team assessed pump approach conditions, energy dissipation, air entrainment, and overall hydraulic performance under a range of storm events. The studies helped verify the design and evaluate how the system would perform once constructed.
As construction progresses, the emerging system reflects the transition from hydraulic modeling to implementation. The structures now taking shape in the field directly correspond to elements evaluated during the modeling program, demonstrating how physical and computational analyses informed the final design before construction began.
