Urban and environmental hydraulics

Duration

25h Th, 25h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Benjamin Dewals

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The purpose of this course is to teach the students in geomatics the fundamentals they will need to interact effectively with professionals in hydraulics (engineers, hydrologists ...). The course details the physical principles and basic computational methods useful to analyze a wide range of flows of interest in environmental and urban hydraulics: water supply and drainage networks, rivers, channels, waterways The course also makes the student acquainted with the design of real hydraulic structures and networks such as reservoirs as well as water supply and drainage networks. The aim is to gain understanding of the main challenges of such design, including the needs in terms of geographic and geomatic data.
The course is supported by numerous real examples, while the practical exercises provide the student with the opportunity to solve simple realistic problems.
The following topics are studied:

• fundamentals, uniform flow, gradually or rapidly varied flows;
• collection of surface water and groundwater, water transmission, pumping and storage;
• estimation of water demand and design of water supply networks;
• fundamentals in hydrology, rainfall-runoff modelling, concept of return period;
• design and construction of drainage networks, storm tanks, sewer overflows and water sanitation;
• fundamentals of sediment transport.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

After this course, the student will be able to analyse and compute a wide range of free surface and pressurized flows of major interest for the professional practice of geomatics. In particular, the student will have gained the necessary skills to compute uniform flow, backwater curves and hydraulic jumps.
The student will be able to understand the functioning of hydraulic systems (reservoirs, water supply and drainage networks), and to identify the main challenges in their design. Through the practical exercises, the student will have been trained to analyse such systems in real-life conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

The course relies on fundamentals in physics (mechanics) and mathematics as taught for the degree of bachelor in geographical sciences.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is based on theoretical lectures and on practical exercises consisting in the design of real-life hydraulic structures and networks.
Since the course focuses more on a deep understanding of the concepts, the student is requested to take part actively in the lessons, during which the teacher interacts with the audience.
Exercise sessions and practical assignments constitute a key part of the course and are compulsory. Students who do not attend these activities and/or who fail to submit in due time the expected reports will not be allowed to take the exam.
A discussion forum is available on eCampus, enabling the student to ask questions related to the course.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face lectures.

Recommended or required readings

Lecture notes are available.
Slides used during the lectures may be downloaded from eCampus.
The teacher recommends the reading of complementary material. All documents are made available on eCampus.

Assessment methods and criteria

It is compulsory for the the student to submit an individual report after each practical exercise. These reports are noted. Participation of the student to the practical exercises is compulsory.
A written exam takes place in January and September. It includes a theoretical and a practical part. For the later, the student may use reference documents.
No partial exemption is granted.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Theoretical lessons and practical exercises are organized alternately.

Contacts

Prof. Benjamin Dewals Hydraulics in Environmental and Civil Engineering (HECE)   Département ArGEnCo Quartier Polytech 1, Allée de la Découverte 9 Bâtiment B52/3, niveau +1, bureau +1/542 Tél. : 04/366.92.83 b.dewals@ulg.ac.be The teacher is available to answer questions of the students. They are advised to set an appointment by email. The teaching assistants involved in the tutorial sessions are also available to answer questions of the students. An e-learning space is available on the platform eCampus. Among other features, it offers an online discussion forum which enables interactive exchanges in-between the students as well as with the teacher and the teaching assistants.