LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides competences on how the morphology of rivers and tidal estuaries is shaped by the action of steady and unsteady free-surface flows, with an eye to the mutual interactions between the flow, the morphology and the ecosystem.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The module aims to provide interpretive and predictive tools related to the hydrodynamics of the free surface flows and to the mechanics of the sediment transport. Steady and uniform flows, non-steady flows, with attention to the determination of the flow profiles and flood wave propagations are analysed. The course also aims to analyse the implications of mechanics of sediment transport on the morphodynamics of rivers.

The course is useful in order to:

- design flood and coastal protection works and assess their environmental impact;

- design navigation canals;

- design hydraulic works for energetic and irrigational utilizations;

- design fluvial restoration works;

- contribute to the redaction of Water Basin Plans.

TEACHING METHODS

The lectures are organized in about 50 hours of theory. 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Part one: Flow in open channels. Uniform and steady flow in a channel. Gradually varied flow. Flow profiles. Lateral inflow and outflow. Unsteady flow in channels: the kinematic and parabolic model.

Part two: Mechanics of Sediment Transport. Characteristics of sediments, Types of transport of incoherent sediments, Incipient transport and bedload transport, Incipient transport and transport in suspension.

Part three: Flows over mobile beds, Formulation of the mathematical problem of fluvial morphodynamics in 1D,  Morphodynamic equilibrium in channels: equilibrium bed profile in straight channels.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes of the course (aulaweb)

Garcia, Ed., 2007, Sedimentation Engineering: Processes, Management, Modeling, and Practice. ASCE Manual and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 110. 1st Edition

Principles of River Engineering - The non-tidal alluvial river, Jansen et al. (in English)