TUFLOW

TUFLOW is a computer modelling package for simulating surface water flow in two dimensions, with optional coupling to one-dimensional hydraulic networks. It is widely used for flood risk assessment, urban drainage, river and coastal hydraulics, and dam-break studies. The software enables detailed representation of complex topography, land use, and hydraulic structures to evaluate inundation and hydrographs in dynamic scenarios.

The core solver uses finite volume methods to discretize the 2D shallow water equations on meshes that can be unstructured (such as triangular elements) or structured, allowing accurate representation of irregular terrain and man-made features. Time integration is typically explicit, and operator splitting is used to couple 2D flow with 1D networks, such as channels, culverts, and weirs. Boundary conditions include inflows, outflows, rainfall-runoff forcing, tidal interactions, and hydraulic structures. Users can assign Manning’s n, bed elevation, and initial conditions, and calibrate models against observed data.

Inputs commonly required are digital elevation models, bathymetry, land use, roughness parameters, rainfall and runoff data, and details of hydraulic structures. Outputs include water surface elevations, depths, velocities, and discharges, as well as inundation maps and time-series data suitable for GIS visualization and reporting. TUFLOW supports GIS integration and scripting for scenario analysis and batch processing.

Variants of the software include TUFLOW Classic and TUFLOW FV, representing legacy and newer numerical engines with different modelling approaches. The package is used by utilities, engineering consultancies, research institutions, and regulatory bodies for planning, design, and risk assessment.