OVERVIEW

The question of the sustainability of coupling water and urban requirements is the subject of the engineering disciplines (hydrology and hydraulic structures) dealing with the themes of water in the urban environment and the associated demand for security, liveability and environmental protection. The objectives are the correct design and optimal management of urban drainage and water supply networks, of discharge outflows into receiving water bodies and of water saving and harvesting solutions.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

This module aims to provide the students with the capability of designing, from both the engineering and managerial point of view, water supply and drainage systems for the urban environment.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module the students:

• will know the necessary technical elements for the design and management of water supply and urban drainage systems as well as the basic hydrological and hydraulic processes;  
• will be able to solve simple construction and operative issues of water supply networks (including water collection, delivery, and distribution);
• will be able to solve simple construction and operative issues of urban drainage networks (including water collection, conveying and discharge of wastewater and storm water);
• will be able to gather and interpret relevant data for the design and management of urban drainage networks (e.g., data deriving from rain gauge and flow gauge measurements) and their processing and interpretation;
• will have developed the ability to gather and communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, with reference to environmental and socio-economic issues linked with the course topics and having a relevant impact on the territory;
• will have developed a collaborative attitude towards working in groups and will have acquired awareness of their personal learning strategies.

Finally, this module allows students to develop those learning skills that are necessary for them to continue to undertake further study in the field of civil and environmental engineering, with a suitable degree of autonomy.

TEACHING METHODS

The module is organised in a series of frontal teaching lectures which include a few practical exercises about the design of sample water supply and drainage network schemes.

The main notions about a few dimensioning methods of urban hydraulic infrastructures will be illustrated to the students during frontal lectures, and detailed course material will be distributed about each method. Small groups of students will be formed and the dimensioning of a segment of a sample hydraulic infrastructure will be assigned to each group. Each member of the group will have the time to elaborate individually the given assignment and will then have the possibility to compare the solution with the other members of the group. At the end of the dimensioning exercise, a representative student per each group will illustrate to the whole class the work done and the obtained results.

At the end of the course, to prepare the exam, sample solved exercises will be provided on the Aulaweb platform similar to the written test, together with a few fully solved exercises.

Working students and students with learning disorders ("Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento", DSA), disability or other certification of special educational needs are advised to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and exam methods which, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account individual ways of learning.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS 1) Analysis of the demand – consumption characteristics – estimate of water needs. 2) Drinking water resources: surface water. 3) Diversion and collection structures. 4) Storage: design and management of reservoirs. 5) Transportation: design of large pipes: calculations under steady flow conditions, pipes and special devices. 6) Water distribution networks: layout - criteria for tracing and laying pipes – hydraulic assessment of pressure networks: Hardy-Cross methods – pipes for water supply: materials, working pressures, dimensions, joints and special features – head and downstream reservoirs. 7) Private systems: Internal distribution systems, fire prevention systems.
URBAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS 1) Design of urban drainage systems: engineering and managerial requirements. 2) Analysis and estimation of rainfall events: depth-duration-frequency curves – design hyetograph. 3) Evaluation of infiltration and runoff: practical methods to estimate storm water runoff. 4) Calculation of the flow rate in drainage networks: rational method, time of concentration method, storage method – critical network conditions. 5) Verification and design problem for drainage networks. 6) Construction of separate and combined networks, wastewater management.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The notes of this module, comprehensive of the whole contents covered, are available on AulaWeb. In the notes, references to a few books are reported as a possible support to more in depth understanding of the topics covered.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LUCA GIOVANNI LANZA (President)

GIORGIO ROTH (President)

GIORGIO BONI

ENRICO CHINCHELLA

ANGELA CELESTE TARAMASSO

ARIANNA CAUTERUCCIO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/8715/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination is composed of a written and an oral part. Access to the oral part is obtained after the written part is successful with a minimum score of 18/30.

Students with learning disorders ("Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento", DSA) will be allowed to use specific modalities and supports that will be determined on a case-by-case basis in agreement with the delegate of the Engineering courses in the Committee for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

In the written part, the assessment of the student qualification is performed by evaluating the correctness of the solution provided for two practical exercises concerning the design of simple water supply and drainage network schemes. Examples of the test and a few solved exercises are available on AulaWeb. For the oral part, the assessment is performed based on the correctness of the exposition and discussion of design and/or conceptual topics concerning the whole content of the course.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Check the info and documentation available on AulaWeb.