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Frequently Asked Questions
This page contains answers to common questions handled by our support team, along with some tips and tricks that we have found useful and presented here as questions. Please review these questions and answers before contacting the AMDTreat team for support.
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What is AMDTreat?
AMDTreat is a tool to assist users in the process of estimating the long-term cost of abatement of pollutional mine drainage discharges.
AMDTreat provides a detailed framework for calculating real-world site-specific treatment cost estimates.
AMDTreat users can model costs both forward (In advance of construction.) and reverse. (Determining the cost of a previously constructed system.)
AMDTreat is a powerful what-if modeling tool to help in determining the most cost effective long-term treatment type for a given discharge.
AMDTreat is a flexible tool for estimating costs where the user has full control over how and what elements are considered.
AMDTreat is not a design tool, it is a cost modeling tool.
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How do I Save and Retrieve my AMDTreat projects?
To save a project, select the File menu from the upper left portion of the screen then select the Save As menu item (File->Save As). You will be prompted for a project name, a company name (optional), a Site Name, a date and comments (optional). By default, AMDTreat v4.x saves your files into a folder (directory). The default AMDTreat folder is My Documents\AMDTreat. Each saved project is stored in a separate folder within that folder. To save updated information in an already saved project just hit the Save button (File->Save). To load a saved project just select the Open menu item from the File menu (File->Open).
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Where can I change the color of the background in AMDTreat?
Background colors can be changed under the Tools menu by selecting the background color option. (Tools->Background Color). Just select the new color you would like to use for your background. In version 4 the user can also change the colors of elements on the module screens and place a picture in the background of the main screen.
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What are the system requirements to run AMDTreat?
AMDTreat requires a Windows 2000 or XP operating system; a Pentium computer; and a minimum screen resolution of 1024 by 768.
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I am using Windows 2000 or Windows XP and AMDTreat will not install.
What should I do?
Many advanced Windows operating systems have a security feature that, when invoked, will not allow users to install programs unless they have local Administrative Privileges. If you receive a message to this effect when trying to install AMDTreat you must contact your system administrator for assistance in installing the program. Technical assistance is available to system administrators from the AMDTreat Contact page. (This problem was first reported by personnel at Pennsylvania DEP.)
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Why does AMDTreat require a minimum screen resolution of 1024x768?
The simple answer to this question is screen real-estate. Every effort was made by the developers to allow AMDTreat to run on a screen resolution of 800x600. In fact, early in the development process, 800x600 was the standard for development. However, there were several requested enhancements that required more screen space so the Team was forced to increase the resolution requirement to 1024x768. We apologize if this causes any inconvenience.
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Can I change the AMDTreat default values for costs, etc.?
Yes, this capability is provided. This feature, in the Tools menu, allows the user to change all default values and retain the new default settings for use in future cost calculations. Note, however, that changes made to the default values do not take effect until the next time a New project is started in AMDTreat, the changes do not affect existing projects or saved files. Version 4 of AMDTreat also provides a global defaults screen where a one-time change will change all instances of commonly used elements. (e.g., One place to globally change all instances of the cost of limestone.) In addition, version 4.1 allows the user to Export and Import an unlimited number of Default Value sets. One way the user may use this function would be to save Default Value sets for different geographic or cost regions. The appropriate Default Value set could then be recalled when cost modeling a New treatment scenario for that region.
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Why do some screen blocks turn red?
This connotes a critical error and it must be corrected before proceeding. This error can occur in any AMDTreat routine that sizes impoundments. It is the result of a combination of low flows, narrow surface widths and too much pond depth. These conditions can cause AMDTreat to model a non-viable structure. (e.g., a pond with a negative bottom width) When this error occurs, the portions of the screens that contain pond depth values turn red. This is done to alert the user that the pond being modeled is not viable to construct. In most circumstances, the error can be corrected by entering depth values for the structure within an acceptable range! Acceptable ranges are provided to the user in the detailed error message. However, when the error results from a pond with a negative bottom width the error cannot be corrected by changing depth values. When this occurs, the user must change the sizing methodology for the pond to size the pond based on dimensions. It is one of the key assumptions of the software that all ponds are trapezoidal in shape.
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The software does not appear to support Windows cut and paste. Can you provide and Edit menu with cut and paste functions?
Currently, there is no Cut and Paste function on any of the menus; however, you can cut and paste by blocking the desired text or number, then using Ctrl+x or Ctrl+c, for cut or copy, and Ctrl+ v for paste.
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The system will let you cost out a treatment system even though it may be completely unsuitable for the water quality and/or quantity of the discharge.
The system should, at a minimum, notify the user if a selected treatment type cannot work with a given water chemistry.
This issue has been debated many times by the Development Team. The decision arrived at, after much consultation, is not to provide such guidance. The technology of mine water treatment is still evolving. What may be considered an unworkable treatment system for a certain discharge today may be the system of choice next year. Some guidance on what is currently considered the appropriate treatment system is provided in the HELP module.
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In the field, during sequential treatment steps, the water quality will change (improve). This requires the user to predict what these changes are and change the inlet water quality parameters in the Water Quality screen for each progressive step. How does AMDTreat calculate costs in this type of treatment-systems-in-series scenario?
We agree that there is a need to explain to users how we envision the program being used to size a series of treatment impoundments. This information has been included in the Getting Started module. Version 4 of AMDTreat includes an enhanced ability to handle systems-in-series and parallel. Including the ability of handle changes in water quality and quantity as the water progresses from structure to structure. Predicting the magnitude those changes is, however, left to the expertise of the user.
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No cost module is presented for Diversion Well applications. Is this cost category to be added?
The development team considered writing a module for Diversion Wells, but decided against it after doing an inventory of the number of diversion wells. There are only a handful of them in use and their use does not seem to be growing. At this time, it was decided to focus efforts toward systems that are being used more often in the Eastern United States.
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Installation of Active Treatment systems should include costs for the start-up chemical supply inventory. Is one planned for future releases of AMDTreat?
Users can include that cost by accessing the Chemical Cost module. Here the cost of the reagent will be treated as an annual cost; however, if you want to treat it as a capital cost you should use the Chemical Cost module to determine the annual price of the reagent and use the Other Cost module to enter the price of the start-up reagent as an capital cost.
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It would be helpful to have a theoretical acidity calculator. Is one planned?
The team has added several calculator "tools" to AMDTreat, including a Theoretical Acidity calculator and a Sulfate Reduction Calculator. These tools are found in the Tools menu at the top of the AMDTreat screen.
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Can I have more than one trunk pipe in a VFP?
Currently, the only way to have more than one trunk pipe is to use the custom piping routine and specify the diameter, length and unit cost. The Other Costs module could also be used to enter any number of piping scenarios.
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In VFP, can I have multiple layers of pipes?
The development team did not include multiple piping layers for several reasons. If a user wants a multi-layer flushing system they can take the cost for piping 1 layer (the cost AMDTreat produces) and multiply it by the number of layers desired. This cost can be placed in the "Other Costs" module as a capital cost.
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In primary pond, why is the pond L:W assumption 2:1?
Why can't the user change it?
Site conditions often dictate long narrow ponds and this would be helpful.
The 2:1 length-to-width ratio assumption applies to only Primary Pond. It also applies to secondary pond if the user chooses to design the pond using the Retention Time method. If the user chooses to size a pond by entering a length and width, they can choose any length-to-width ratio. The team had to assume a length-to-width ratio for primary ponds to eliminate unknowns in the volumetric equation. See Primary Pond HELP topic, Volumetric Calculation, for a mathematical explanation. The pond modules received significant enhancement in version 4.0 of AMDTreat. Primary Pond and Secondary Pond modules were consolidated into one Ponds module that allows cost modeling of up to 99 ponds of differing size and type and with different water quality and quantity entering the pond.
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