MIKE by DHI UK and Ireland Blog

Forecasting for all: A workshop on MIKE customisable technologies, with a focus on operational real-time forecasting, warning and control
Date: Wednesday 22nd April 2015
Venue: Macdonald Ansty Hall Hotel, near Coventry, UK
Cost: Free event!
Registration: www.dhi-uk.info/register

We would like to welcome you to a 1-day workshop on recent developments in forecasting technologies. The session will be led by global leaders in the field, and will be illustrated will real life case studies detailing how forecasting systems have been designed, implemented and are in operational use today; providing forecasts, warning and informing the control of flood defences or operational processes in order to optimise capacity of sewerage infrastructure.

There is now under two weeks to sign up for this free event!

The loose programme for the day is outlined below:

1. Introduction
2. Slow Response Runoff Modelling and ‘Real Time’ Simulations – A Swedish Perspective (Andy Wilson, DHI Sweden)
Andy Wilson (from DHI Sweden but a native of Scotland) will give an update to a presentation he delivered at the CIWEM Urban Drainage Group in November 2014 where he talked about modelling of slow response runoff, in particular focusing on long term/continuous simulations (rather than event based hydrology). Andy will illustrate his presentation with applications from both Sweden and Scotland, and will talk about the importance of Rainfall Dependent Infiltration (RDI).
3. Urban flood forecasting
Use of total catchment hydrology (including groundwater with MIKE SHE)
This part of the day will introduce the concept truly integrated catchment modelling, using MIKE SHE. The session will discuss the importance of groundwater in flood forecasting projects.
Rainfall Radar integration (city-wide urban forecasting)
We will demonstrate how operational real-time forecasting, warning and control can informed by high resolution Local Area Weather Radar (LAWR). LAWR can provide distributed rainfall measurements in a spatial resolution ranging from 500x500 m to 100x100 m, with a 5 minute or 1 minute time, up to a distance of 20 km from the radar (for quantitative estimation). It can also provide an online animation of rainfall within the complete LAWR range.
MIKE CUSTOMISED Real-time examples

4. Walkthrough on the building of a modular, on-line riverine flood forecasting system (equally applicable to urban networks and marine applications)
During this session we will show you the processes you would need to follow in order to go from a standalone model (such as a 1D or a 2D hydraulic model), to a live operational flood forecasting system. Using the example of an existing MIKE11, we will consider simplifications that may need to be made to the model in order to make the model suitable for flood forecasting. That revised model will then be taken into the MIKE Customised platform. From there we will look at boundary conditions and in particular how to provide live feeds into the flood forecasting platform. This will then allow us to use the hydraulic model in flood forecasting mode. From here we will show how to stream the flood forecasting results live online.
Example of on-line river forecasting system
We will take the opportunity to look at an existing on-line river forecasting system that has been developed and currently operational on a day to day basis.

5. Scalability of MIKE CUSTOMISED technology
Introduction to information management systems (making data from other models more useful and valuable)
This session will cover IMS, in particular showing how data from a wide range of technology platforms and vendors can be integrated into our systems.

6. Innovative flood forecasting technologies
Probabilistic forecasting with stochastic structures in quasi-2D networks
This session will consider probabilistic flood modelling using large scale, quasi-2D river and flood-cell networks with stochastic structures in MIKE 1D (our new MIKE 11 engine).
Fast 2D solvers (simplified numerical schemes and high performance computing)
This session will cover both simplified numerical schemes and high performance computing (using GPU cards and/or Linux clusters) options available to you.

7. Discussion on Marine forecasting applications (coastal flooding, harbours and shipping, etc)
Throughout the day there will the opportunity to discuss the concepts discussed in your particular context and potential application.

Lead trainer
Ole Larsen (DHI) with support from Torben Strange Jensen and Steve Flood

What will you get out of the day?
You should leave the day with a solid understanding of the technology available, and the steps you would need to take in order to move your project forward. You can also meet our experts and start discussion with potential collaborators.

What do you need to do next?
The training course is completely free, so simply sign up for the training day here www.dhi-uk.info/register. This training event will be delivered as part of a wider Symposium. However, there is no obligation to attend the earlier events (see www.dhi-uk.info/symposium for more details).

We look forward to seeing you!

Kind regards
The ACADEMY by DHI

Foundation course in the numerical modelling of waves and tides (Understanding the Coastal Ocean)

We have received a lot of interest in the forthcoming ‘Foundation course in the numerical modelling of waves and tides (Understanding the Coastal Ocean)’ training course. Feedback from interested parties - including those who have already signed up for the course - suggests that the course was originally scheduled too early in the new year. As such, we have taken the difficult decision to reschedule the course for later in the year (we would tentatively propose a date in June 2015).

We will take this additional time to review the course content to ensure that it best serves those registered (particularly those participants from UK and Ireland Consultants) - the course has been designed to teach participants numerical modelling in the marine environment using MIKE 21; reinforcing hands on exercises with robust theory.

In the meantime, if you are interested in attending the course, please e-mail sjf@dhigroup.com. For those participants who have already registered, we will take your interest forward and keep you informed.

How to create and run a MIKE 21 FMHD model in 10 minutes and 52 seconds



Work in progress...

Understanding the Coastal Ocean: A foundation course in the modelling of waves and tides
Date: 19th to 21st January 2015
Venue: Queen’s University, Belfast, UK
Cost: GBP 795 excl. VAT (discounted rate of GBP 675 excl. VAT for registered students)
Registration: http://www.theacademybydhi.com/course-sessions/understanding-the-coastal-ocean-26600004-03

THE ACADEMY by DHI and Queen’s University, Belfast have designed a three day hands-on foundation course to give delegates a basic introduction to the science behind wave and tidal models.  The course is targeted at either early career professionals or those changing disciplines who wish to understand both the underlying processes and their practical application in engineering consultancy.  The course outline is shown below:

Day 1 Morning: Theoretical Background & Engineering Considerations of Tides

• how are tides generated (general ocean circulation, Coriolis, tide-producing forces)?
• why do tides vary around the world (tidal constituents, tidal analysis, shallow water harmonics)?
• how does the ocean interact with its boundaries (bed friction, edge friction, wetting/drying, wind forcing, thermal/saline exchange)?
• how to define model domain (tidal excursion, flowfield considerations, importance of vertical datum)
• where to get data from (measurements, data sources, data types)
• how to improve confidence in your model (calibration and validation)

Day 1 Afternoon: Numerical Modelling with MIKE 21 FMHD

• an introduction to the model interface (physical parameters, what is eddy viscosity, tunable parameters)
• creating a new fine-scale model (mesh, boundaries)

Day 2 Morning: Numerical Modelling with MIKE 21 FMHD (Continued)

• tuning your fine-scale model (calibration and validation)

Day 2 Afternoon: Theoretical Background & Engineering Considerations of Waves

• how are waves created and modified (basic wave theory, interaction with boundaries, processes in deep and shallow water)
• introduction to wave spectra (wave energy distribution, parameterisation of wave climate)
• wave measurement methods (interpreting observations)
• spectral wave modelling (fully represented and parameterised processes, assumptions, model domain)

Day 3: Numerical Modelling with MIKE 21 SW

• an introduction to the model interface (solution schemes, consideration of formulation options)
• convergence information (understanding its use)
• creating a new fine-scale model (boundaries)
• understanding and improving your wave model results (how to spot issues, calibration and validation)
• introduction to the coupled model

Registration for the course can be made online here http://www.theacademybydhi.com/course-sessions/understanding-the-coastal-ocean-26600004-03 or by contacting the UK Team at mikebydhi.uk@dhigroup.com

We have designed the course to have a wide field of application and therefore anticipate a high level of interest so don’t miss out, book your place today!

The UK Team

SCOUR AROUND MARINE STRUCTURES: Dealing with scour related problems in water environments
Date: Thursday 23 Oct - Friday 24 Oct 2014
Location: DHI, Agern Allé 5, DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
Language: English

This two-day, thematic course introduces you to the procedures of analysis related to assessing scour risk at marine structures. The focus is on offshore wind turbine foundations and how to protect against or mitigate the scour formation by applying scour protection systems of, for instance, rock dump or mattresses. After the course the participant will be able to identify and define scour issues, asses the risk of scour and possible mitigation solutions for various types of marine structures and obtain the recent knowledge gained over the last decade from significant development and research within the field of marine scour.

Scour is a well-known issue for hydraulic and marine engineering. Scour occurs when structures are placed on erodible beds and exposed to current and waves. The foundations of e.g. offshore wind turbines are often erected in harsh hydrodynamic environments, exposed to tidal currents and large waves individually or in combination. Therefore, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of how these hydrodynamic environments affects the structure as a whole, including the foundation and the interaction between flow, structure and sea bed to ensure short– and long term stability. Evidently, the formation of scour around marine structures can pose a threat to the structural stability and the cables transporting electricity. Read more...

Click here to sign up for the training course!

MIKE 21 OS FM: Oil spill modelling using flexible mesh
Date: Monday 08 September - Tuesday 09 September 2014
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Language: English

This two-day course teaches you the fundamentals of 2D oil spill modelling using flexible mesh, how to setup and model the fate and transport of oil using the MIKE 21 Oil Spill model (OS) FM.

Oil spills pose serious threats to water environments and place massive pressure on the entities that are responsible for the emergency response and clean-up operations, such as oil companies and national authorities.

The Oil Spill module simulates the spreading and weathering of suspended substances using a dedicated oil spill template. Oil spill modelling is important for emergency response planning and environmental impact assessment. Oil spill models predict the spreading and weathering processes acting on the spilled oil. Results can be evaluated with respect to the impacts on flora, fauna and selected species or habitats. Read more...

Click here to sign up for the training course!

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium:
Knowledge sharing for water and environmental professionals
Website: http://www.dhi-uk.info/ugm
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx

There is now only one week before the 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium (including the User Group Meeting), and it promises to be a well-supported event again this year.

The programme is almost complete and the latest version can be viewed here. We are very excited to be adding Clifford Williams (Environment Agency) to the list of speakers. Clifford has kindly agreed to give a talk on 'Real Time Flood Forecasting in the Environment Agency'. Read more >>>

We have now finalised our training plan for the second day, and would encourage you all to take full advantage of these free sessions. Highlights include: -

• Wave transformation, overtopping of coastal defences & flooding (MIKE 21 BW 1D & MIKE 21 FMHD)
• Fully integrated riverine, urban pipe & overland flow flood modelling (MIKE FLOOD 3-way coupling)
• Step-by-step guide on creating an unstructured grid groundwater model (FEFLOW). Read more >>>
• Technical briefing on innovative forecasting technologies (MIKE CUSTOMISED)

Please view the programme here for full details.

To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, there are also several special offers ranging from additional free training, to free or discounted software for all those who attend the event.

Online booking is available here, so don’t miss out, make your booking now!


If you would like more information about the event please contact: -

• Steve Flood on 01752 691723 or sjf@dhigroup.com
• Suzie Clarke on 02476 462188 or scl@dhigroup.com

We very much hope to see you at what will undoubtedly be a very interesting and informative event.

The UK Team

WEST - Introduction to the modelling of wastewater treatment plants
Date: 17th - 18th June 2014
Location: Denmark
Language: English

This two-day course gives you an overview of the aspects to be addressed when working with modelling biological wastewater treatment plants. Training in the WEST wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) modelling simulator is included.

Click here to sign up for the training course!

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event (excepting accommodation costs - see below)
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx



To download and distribute the latest 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium flyer please click here: -

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event (excepting accommodation costs - see below)
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx

We are now very close to finalising the agenda for the 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium (see below). This event hosts our annual User Group Meeting as well as a free-of-charge Training Day. For the latter, we are aiming to provide discussion led, seminar style training sessions in a diverse range of subjects including: -

• Wave transformation, overtopping of coastal defences and flooding (MIKE 21 BW 1D & MIKE 21 FMHD)
• Fully integrated riverine, urban pipe & overland flow flood modelling (MIKE FLOOD 3-way Coupling & Flexible Mesh)
• Introduction to FEFLOW

Preparations are well under way for our 16th Annual UGM, to be held this year at the sublime Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire. If you are new to MIKE by DHI software, this annual event attracts participants from across industry and academia. The format of the meeting allows exchange of experiences through formal presentations plus informal interaction with both UK and Head Office DHI staff.

On the 13th May 2014 we look forward to a selection of presentations by both DHI staff and UK users that will introduce new features and reveal the wide range of applications of the MIKE by DHI software. Presentations confirmed to date include: -

• From hazard to impact: The CORFU flood damage assessment tools
• Using MIKE 21 for the estimation of typhoon risk in Japan
• Riverine water quality modelling, with a focus on nutrients, using MIKE 11 ECO Lab
• Modelling extreme water levels in the Swan and Canning Rivers, Perth, Western Australia

If you would like to present a paper please contact us without delay.

We would encourage all attendees to stay for the gala dinner in the evening of 13th May 2014, as this is a relaxed and informal opportunity to share experiences and talk through problems, debate frustrations and feature requests, and (most importantly!) include us in your discussions.

On the following day, 14th May 2014, we are planning a series of topical seminar-style training sessions and informal open discussions. For example, in the Marine training session, we hope to present a step-by-step methodology for deriving wave overtopping volumes over embankments using a 1D Boussinesq Wave (MIKE 21 BW) approach. This can be used with the enhanced MIKE 21 FMHD dike structures available in Release 2014 to investigate inland flooding (this session will be followed by an informal discussion on the direction of this development).

2014 is a special year for DHI and, during the User Group Meeting, we hope you will help us to celebrate our 50th Anniversary!

We would like to invite all customers attending this year’s UGM to choose a gift from the three options below: -

Option 1: Recognising that our first commercially available software product was MOUSE, our 1D pipe flow model, we are pleased to offer prospective and existing users of MIKE FLOOD a significant discount on the addition of one MIKE FLOOD 1D Urban module to their installation. For the price of one year’s support and maintenance (a discount of over 80%), you can create the most flexible 3-way 1D-2D integrated flood modelling tool yet available. So now you can see for yourselves how MOUSE has evolved.

Option 2: We are pleased to offer everyone attending this year’s UGM a free pass to a one-day MIKE SHE public workshop (date to be confirmed) with a focus on natural flood management. In view of recent events in the UK, we hope to promote a more sustainable and natural total flood risk management solution. We feel that MIKE SHE, and its companion models, are ideal tools for the quantitative assessment and optimisation of land management techniques for natural flood mitigation; including the use of restored wetlands, tree planting, reconfigured flow routes, riverine buffer strips, etc. Attendees of the MIKE SHE workshop will receive a free 6-month 'commercial' evaluation licence for MIKE SHE for use on live projects.

Option 3: We would like to offer customers with valid SMA (on MIKE 21 FMHD, MIKE 3 FMHD or MIKE 21 BW) a free-of-charge copy of MIKE Animator Plus, or a 50% discount on the purchase price of the MIKE 21/3 FM ECO Lab and ABM Lab modules.

All offers are limited to one ‘gift’ per customer / organisation (UK only) and are subject to change or withdrawal without notice. All software discounts are valid on Corporate licences only, for a maximum period of three months from the date of the UGM, and prerequisite modules may be required. Places on the MIKE SHE workshop are limited so please contact us as soon as possible if you would like to take part.

Online booking is now available here, so don’t miss out, make your booking now!


As usual, our UGM is free of charge and participants will receive lunch and refreshments on both days. Overnight accommodation is available at the venue for a special rate of £105.00 per person per night, including evening meal and breakfast. Book by 18th April 2014 (now extended) to receive a further 10% discount to £94.50 per person.

If you would like more information about the content of the event please contact: -

• Steve Flood on 01752 691723 or sjf@dhigroup.com
• Suzie Clarke on 02476 462188 or scl@dhigroup.com

We very much hope to see you at what will undoubtedly be a very interesting and informative event.

The UK Team

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our Spring 2014 User Group Meeting on the 13th of May 2014, and Seminar Day on 14th of May 2014, at the new venue of Coombe Abbey in the Midlands.

The event is now in its 16th year, and we are very pleased to announce that the event is once again free of charge to all existing and potential users of MIKE by DHI software, as well as those with a general interest in water modelling, engineering and management.

If you are new to MIKE by DHI software, this annual event attracts participants from across industry and academia. The format of the meeting allows exchange of experiences through user presentations plus formal and informal interaction with both UK and Head Office DHI staff.

On the first day, 13th May 2014, there will be a mixture of presentations of new and forthcoming software features and technologies, as well as practical case studies. If you would like to present a paper please contact us without delay.

On the second day, 14th May 2014, we will host a number of seminar style training and open discussion sessions.

2014 is a special year for DHI and, during the User Group Meeting, we hope you will help us to celebrate our 50th Anniversary!

On the 25th of February, exactly half a century ago, DHI was established as The Hydraulic Engineering Institute – an offshoot of the Technical University of Denmark. Initially, the conceptual basis was to combine calculations of underwater currents with large model tests, so that the impact of waves and currents in harbours and on coasts could be explored. The first tasks included the establishment and expansion of several ports on the west coast of Jutland, Denmark.

At a time when physical models were perceived to be the only option, DHI was one of the inventors of computational hydraulics. The roots of DHI's commercial software can be traced back to 1970 - starting with System 11 and System 21 (later MIKE 11 and MIKE 21) for mainframe computers. MIKE by DHI software is still being developed and reinvented today, and is an important tool in making our 50-years of knowledge globally accessible.

Online booking is now available here, so don’t miss out, make your booking now!


Participation in the event is free of charge and includes lunch and refreshments on both days. Overnight accommodation is available at the venue for a special rate of £105.00 per person per night, including evening meal and breakfast. Book by 11th April 2014 to receive a further 10% discount to £94.50 per person.

If you would like more information about the content of the event please contact: -

• Steve Flood on 01752 691723 or sjf@dhigroup.com
• Suzie Clarke on 02476 462188 or scl@dhigroup.com

We very much hope to see you at what will undoubtedly be a very interesting and informative event.

The UK Team

Courses & Events Calendar 2014

MIKE FM Series HPC trial at the University of Southampton

DHI is working with the University of Southampton, with input from ABPmer, on a UK trial of MIKE 21 FM HPC using IRIDIS (the University's 12,000 core HPC cluster). The current results, as presented by Steve Flood (DHI), are impressive.

TeraWatt : A collaborative research project funded under the EPSRC Grand Challenge

A general overview of the TeraWatt project and wider context (MASTS, EcoWatt2050), followed by a description of the model domain, boundary conditions, calibration points, and so on as presented by Arne Vögler (UHI).

Photos from the first day (21st March 2013)!


Thanks to everyone who participated!

Photos from the second day (20th March 2013)!


Thanks to everyone who participated in the training sessions!

Photos from the first day (19th March 2013)!


Thanks to everyone who participated!

Draft UGM Agenda

There is just one week left until the UK User Group Meeting on 19th and 20th March at the Lion Quays Waterside Resort. We are pleased to present here a draft agenda for your perusal: -



Online booking is now available via http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2013.aspx, so don’t miss out, make your booking now!


Participation in the event is free of charge and includes lunch and refreshments on both days. Overnight accommodation is available at the Lion Quays Resort for a special B&B rate of £88.50 per person per night, including breakfast and dinner on Tuesday evening.

If you would like more information about the event, or would like to contribute, please contact: -

• Steve Flood on 01752 691723 or sjf@dhigroup.com
• Suzie Clarke on 02476 462188 or scl@dhigroup.com

We very much hope to see you at what will undoubtedly be a very interesting and informative event.