Model for the optimal planning of structural flood control systems

A mixed integer programing approach is described in this paper for the planning and design of composite multiunit flood control systems. The model is intended to be a preliminary selection device permitting the planner to compare alternative configurations and determine roughly the optimal solution to a given flood control problem. Such a solution may then be used to establish the guidelines and specifications for the design of the individual components. The flexibility of the method enables a large number of alternatives to be considered simultaneously, even though they may be at different stages of planning. It also recognizes that optimal operation is a function of system design.