ASTM D6025-96(2008)
Standard Guide for Developing and Evaluating Ground-Water Modeling Codes

Standard No.

ASTM D6025-96(2008)

Release Date

1996

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Latest

ASTM D6025-96(2008)

Scope

Ground-water modeling has become an important methodology in support of the planning and decision-making processes involved in ground-water management. Ground-water models provide an analytical framework for obtaining an understanding of the mechanisms and controls of ground-water systems and the processes that influence their quality, especially those caused by human intervention in such systems. Increasingly, models are an integral part of water resources assessment, protection, and restoration studies and provide essential and cost-effective support for planning and screening of alternative policies, regulations, and engineering designs affecting ground water. It is therefore important that before ground-water modeling codes are used as planning and decision-making tools, their credentials are established and their suitability determined through systematic evaluation of their correctness, performance characteristics, and applicability. This becomes even more important because of the increasing complexity of the hydrologic systems for which new modeling codes are being developed.

Quality assurance in ground-water modeling provides the mechanisms and framework to ensure that the analytic tools used in preparing decisions are based on the best available techniques and methods. A well-executed quality assurance program in ground-water modeling provides the information necessary to evaluate the reliability of the performed analysis and the level to which the resulting advice may be incorporated in decision-making regarding the management of ground-water resources.

This guide is intended to encourage consistency and completeness in the development and evaluation of existing and new ground-water modeling codes by describing appropriate code development and quality assurance procedures and techniques.

In the past, some ground-water modeling codes have been developed that have turned out to be quite useful without having been subject to all of the procedures described in this guide. Nonetheless, the procedures described in this guide will give greater assurances that a code does what its developers intended it to do and that a rational basis is available to judge code adequacy and limitations.

1.1 This guide covers a systematic approach to the development, testing, evaluation, and documentation of ground-water modeling codes. The procedures presented constitute the quality assurance framework for a ground-water modeling code. They include code review, testing, and evaluation using quantitative and qualitative measures. This guide applies to both the initial development and the subsequent maintenance and updating of ground-water modeling codes.

1.2 When the development of a ground-water modeling code is initiated, procedures are formulated to ensure that the final product conforms with the design objectives and specifications and that it correctly performs the incorporated functions. These procedures cover the formulation and evaluation of the code''s theoretical foundation and code design criteria, the application of coding standards and practices, and the establishment of the code''s credentials through review and systematic testing of its functional design and through evaluation of its performance characteristics.

1.3 The code''s functionality needs to be defined in sufficient detail for potential users to assess the code''s utility as well as to enable the code developers to design a meaningful code testing strategy. Comprehensive testing of a code''s functionality and performance is accomplished through a variety of test methods. Determining the importance of the tested functions and the ratio of tested versus non-tested functions provides an indication of the completeness of the testing.

1.4 Ground-water modeling codes are subject to the software life cycle concept that c......

ASTM D6025-96(2008) Referenced Document

• ASTM D5447 Standard Guide for Application of a Numerical Groundwater Flow Model to a Site-Specific Problem*， 2017-12-15 Update
• ASTM D5490 Standard Guide for Comparing Ground-Water Flow Model Simulations to Site-Specific Information*， 1998-10-13 Update
• ASTM D5609 Standard Guide for Defining Boundary Conditions in Ground-Water Flow Modeling*， 1998-10-13 Update
• ASTM D5610 Standard Guide for Defining Initial Conditions in Ground-Water Flow Modeling*， 1998-10-13 Update
• ASTM D5611 Standard Guide for Conducting a Sensitivity Analysis for a Ground-Water Flow Model Application*， 1998-10-13 Update
• ASTM D5718 Standard Guide for Documenting a Groundwater Flow Model Application
• ASTM D653 Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids*， 1997-04-19 Update
• ASTM E978 

ASTM D6025-96(2008) history

• 1996 ASTM D6025-96(2008) Standard Guide for Developing and Evaluating Ground-Water Modeling Codes
• 1996 ASTM D6025-96(2002) Standard Guide for Developing and Evaluating Ground-Water Modeling Codes
• 1996 ASTM D6025-96e1 Standard Guide for Developing and Evaluating Ground-Water Modeling Codes