River model calibration, from guidelines to operational support tools

Numerical modelling is now used routinely to make predictions about the behaviour of environmental systems. Model calibration remains a critical step in the modelling process and different approaches have been taken to develop guidelines to support engineers and scientists in this task. This article reviews currently available guidelines for a river hydraulics modeller by dividing them into three types: on the calibration process, on hydraulic parameters, and on the use of hydraulic simulation codes. The article then presents an integration of selected guidelines within a knowledge-based calibration support system. A prototype called CaRMA1 (Calibration of River Model Assistant) has been developed for supporting the calibration of models based on a specific 1D code. Two case studies illustrate the ability of the prototype to face operational situations in river hydraulics engineering, for which both data quality and quantity are not sufficient for an optimal calibration. Using CaRMA-1 allows the modeller to achieve the calibration task in accordance with good calibration practice implemented in the knowledge base. Relevant reasoning rules can easily be added to the knowledge base to extend the prototype range of applications. This study thus provides a framework for building operational support tools from various types of existing engineering guidelines.