101-0258-00L  River Engineering

Courses

Catalogue data

Abstract	The lecture addresses the fundamentals of river engineering to quantitatively describe the flow of water, transport of sediment and wood, and morphological changes such as erosion and deposition processes associated with river structures. In addition, design guidelines for river engineering structures are introduced.
Learning objective	At the end of the course, the students will be able to: - recall and describe the fundamentals of transport processes in rivers, - apply different calculation approaches and methods to tackle river engineering problems and tasks such as the discharge capacity of a river, scour estimation, or sediment budget of a river, - design and dimension river engineering works needed to influence the processes in watercourses, and - determine the interaction between flow (discharge), sediment transport, wood transport and the resulting channel evolution.
Content	The first part of the lecture introduces the fundamentals of river engineering, such as methods to determine and calculate the river discharge, or sampling methods to characterize the bed material. In addition, the transport processes of sediment (bedload and suspended load) and wood in rivers will be examined, including the principles of incipient motion, and initiation of erosion or deposition processes. In the second part of the lecture, the methods will be explained to quantify the bed load budget and the morphological changes (erosion, deposition) in river systems. Specifically, natural channel formation processes, different bed forms and plan forms of rivers (straight, meandering, braided) are examined. The last part of the lecture focuses on the design of river engineering structures, including examples from an ongoing flood and river rehabilitation project at the Alpine Rhine in Austria and Switzerland.
Lecture notes	Lecture slides can be downloaded via Moodle. Remark: The slides support the learning process with the most important basics. They do not replace attendance and active participation in class, which is a basic requirement for successfully completing the course.
Literature	1. Erosion and Sedimentation; Pierre Y. Julien 2. River Mechanics; Pierre Y. Julien
Prerequisites / Notice	Recommended lectures: Hydrology (102-0293-AAL), Hydraulics I (101-0203-01L), and Hydraulic Engineering (101-0206-00L). Short practical exercises (voluntary) will be offered throughout the semester to improve the application of the learned subjects.
Competencies	Subject-specific Competencies Concepts and Theories assessed Techniques and Technologies assessed Method-specific Competencies Analytical Competencies assessed Decision-making fostered Problem-solving assessed Social Competencies Communication fostered Cooperation and Teamwork fostered Personal Competencies Creative Thinking fostered Critical Thinking assessed Self-direction and Self-management fostered

Performance assessment

Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course
ECTS credits	3 credits
Examiners	V. Weitbrecht, I. Schalko, K. Sperger
Type	session examination
Language of examination	English
Repetition	The performance assessment is offered every session. Repetition possible without re-enrolling for the course unit.
Mode of examination	written 75 minutes
Additional information on mode of examination	In addition to the written exam, optional learning tasks in form of short exercises, distributed evenly over the semester, are offered. If 5 out of 8 exercises are solved in a meaningful and comprehensive way, a bonus of 0.25 grading points is added to the final course unit grade. This bonus expires as soon as the course is offered again.
Written aids	No aids allowed, except for a simple, non-programmable calculator.
This information can be updated until the beginning of the semester; information on the examination timetable is binding.

Learning materials

Groups

Restrictions

Offered in

Programme	Section	Type
Civil Engineering Master	Major in Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management	O
Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems Master	Recommended Electives of Master Degree Programme	W
Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems Master	Major in Network Infrastructure	W
Environmental Engineering Master	River Systems	O
Environmental Engineering Master	EM: River Systems	W