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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility
Published on: August 8, 2014
Uncertainty in predicting riverbed erosion caused by urban stormwater discharge
1Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Ueberlandstr. 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. helge.daebel@eawag.ch
Abstract:
Ecologically based criteria require an integrated modeling approach. Due to the complexity of the system, the stochastic nature of loads, and the model abstractions, many uncertainties are involved. In this study, a simple integrated model is applied, which Swiss engineers employ to assess the impact of urban stormwater discharges on riverbed stability. In the course of a case study, an uncertainty analysis is carried out focusing on parameter uncertainties. The underlying context of the uncertainties is evaluated, and a variance-based sensitivity analysis is presented estimating the local uncertainty contribution of each parameter. The results reveal that the largest contributions stem from the model components describing the natural system. An experimental design is proposed that manages to reduce the output uncertainty significantly. Finally, we discuss the benefits of following the proposed procedure.
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