RMC-RFA

Welcome to RMC-RFA

This software is developed as a screening level tool for estimating frequency relationships for dams in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Program.

System Requirements

The recommended system configuration for RMC-RFA includes:

• 64-bit Operating System (Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10)
• 512MB of RAM
• Quad-Core CPU with 2.7GHz (or faster) clock speed
• 2GB of free disk space at a minimum
• 1280x1024 screen resolution or higher (and at least a 17" monitor)

Installing RMC-RFA

🡇 RMC-RFA v1.1.0

RMC-RFA Version 1.1.0 is available for download as a self-extracting setup package.

The installer will run through selecting an install location (e.g., C:\Program Files).

Once RMC-RFA has been extracted, the program can be launched by double clicking the RMC-RFA executable. To create a desktop shortcut, right click on the RMC-RFA executable as shown in Figure, select New, and select Shortcut.

Figure: Creating a shortcut from File Explorer.

If a shortcut is created the shortcut will look like in Figure:

Figure: RMC-RFA desktop shortcut.

Getting Help

This user's manual is included as part of the RMC-RFA installation. To launch it, click on the Help drop-down menu strip as shown in Figure.

Figure: Opening the User's Manual.

To get help on a specific component of the RMC-RFA project, click on the help button at the top right of any of the main forms as shown in Figure.

Figure: Location of the help button.

Terms and Conditions for Use

The United States Government, US Army Corps of Engineers, Risk Management Center ("RMC") grants to the user the rights to install RMC-RFA "the Software" (either from a disk copy obtained from RMC, a distributor or another user or by downloading it from a network) and to use, copy and/or distribute copies of the Software to other users, subject to the following Terms and Conditions of Use:

All copies of the Software received or reproduced by or for user pursuant to the authority of this Terms and Conditions of Use will be and remain the property of RMC. User may reproduce and distribute the Software provided that the recipient agrees to the Terms and Conditions for Use noted herein.

RMC is solely responsible for the content of the Software. The Software may not be modified, abridged, decompiled, disassembled, unobfuscated or reverse engineered. The user is solely responsible for the content, interactions, and effects of any and all amendments, if present, whether they be extension modules, language resource bundles, scripts or any other amendment.

The name "RMC-RFA" must not be used to endorse or promote products derived from the Software. Products derived from the Software may not be called "RMC-RFA" nor may any part of the "RMC-RFA" name appear within the name of derived products. No part of this Terms and Conditions for Use may be modified, deleted or obliterated from the Software. No part of the Software may be exported or re-exported in contravention of U.S. export laws or regulations.

Waiver of Warranty

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND ITS AGENCIES, OFFICIALS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING ITS CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS PROVIDE RMC-RFA "AS IS," WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. Depending on state law, the foregoing disclaimer may not apply to you, and you may also have other legal rights that vary from state to state.

Limitation of Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND ITS AGENCIES, OFFICIALS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING ITS CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS, BE LIABLE FOR LOST PROFITS OR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH USE OF RMC-RFA REGARDLESS OF CAUSE, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT’S LIABILITY, AND THE LIABILITY OF ITS AGENCIES, OFFICIALS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING ITS CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS, TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTIES IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE IS LIMITED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF CERTIFIED COPIES OF RMC-RFA WITH IDENTIFIED ERRORS CORRECTED. Depending on state law, the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

Indemnity

As a voluntary user of RMC-RFA you agree to indemnify and hold the United States Government, and its agencies, officials, representatives, and employees, including its contractors and suppliers, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of your use of RMC-RFA or breach of this Agreement or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.

Assent

By using this program you voluntarily accept these terms and conditions. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions, uninstall the program and return any program materials to RMC (If you downloaded the program and do not have disk media, please delete all copies, and cease using the program).

RMC-RFA versions

Software Versioning

RMC-RFA uses a semantic versioning system in the format of "MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH":

1. 1.MAJOR version for significant software changes that are not compatible with previous versions.
2. 2.MINOR version for additional features that are included in a backwards-compatible manner.
3. 3.PATCH version for backwards-compatible bug fixes.

Once a versioned package has been released, the contents of that version will not be modified. Any modifications to the software will be released as a new version.

Software History

The computational engine of RMC-RFA draws on methods included in existing stochastic simulation software, including the Monte Carlo Reservoir Analysis Model (MCRAM), the Flood Risk Analysis (FRA) module in HEC-WAT, and the Stochastic Event Flood Model (SEFM).

RMC-RFA Versions

Version 1.0.0

The initial program release is called RMC-RFA Version 1.0.0 and its intended to replace MCRAM as the preferred screening level tool for estimating frequency relationships for dams in the USACE Dam Safety Program. MCRAM is a Microsoft Excel based application, which uses Excel as a user interface for model inputs and displaying of outputs for MCRAM. In MCRAM, all computations are performed in code via Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), and model output is stored in a Microsoft Access database. RMC-RFA has several notable improvements to MCRAM, including the following:

• RMC-RFA is written in Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), which is a multi-paradigm, object-oriented programming language, implemented on the .NET Framework.

• The graphical user interface (GUI) is developed with the Windows Forms (WinForms) graphical class library included in the .NET Framework.

• Data storage for the software relies on SQLite, which is a popular relational database management system that does not have a 2 GB file size limitation like Microsoft Access, allowing for much larger stochastic simulations.

• The stochastic simulation employs a stratified sampling approach, rather than the naive Monte Carlo sampling procedures utilized in MCRAM, significantly improving simulation efficiency.

• Supporting statistical analyses, such as flood seasonality, stage duration, and empirical frequency analysis, are included as internal components in RMC-RFA and do not require additional software.

• Inflow volume-frequency relationships can be defined using the Log Normal, Log Gumbel, Log Pearson Type III, or Log Generalized Extreme Value distribution, allowing the user to also assess the range of uncertainty and sensitivity in reservoir stage-frequency due to statistical model selection.

• The software allows for an unlimited number of input data sets, analyses, reservoir models, and simulation configurations.

• There is a suite of charting and tabulating features for viewing and analyzing simulation results.

• Simulation run times have been significantly reduced from those of MCRAM.