Undergraduate Courses
An introduction to open channel hydraulics. The main objectives of this course are to introduce students to the basic principles of open channel hydraulics, following a brief review of fluid mechanics principles. The course elaborates on methods for estimating flow depth and energy, providing students with the foundational knowledge required for further study in hydraulic works design in subsequent courses.
This course is a core lesson focused on the practical demonstration and application of the theoretical concepts taught in the Hydraulics I course from the previous semester. It introduces practical concepts, including the measurement of basic hydrological variables across a wide range of applications. These applications include atmospheric variables such as precipitation, surface hydrological variables such as river flow, and underground hydrological variables such as aquifer levels. Laboratory experimental measurements serve to confirm fundamental concepts and theories of surface and underground hydrology.
Design of hydraulic structures is a fundamental design course. The course focuses on the introduction and practical application of water supply and sewerage concepts. Upon successful completion of the course, students acquire the ability to determine population levels according to the planning period, calculate water needs for different types of use, and calculate flow rates and consumption fluctuations. They also gain the skills to estimate values for external aqueducts, implement design principles, and calculate reservoir volumes. Additionally, students become proficient in identifying suitable materials and dimensions for water and drainage pipes, applying the Hardy-Cross method for supply network design, and estimating stormwater and wastewater design flow rates, return periods, IDF curves, velocities, and slopes.
Postgraduate Courses
Hybrid Master Programme: Sustainable Engineering and Climate Change
Climate change is a leading environmental and social issue globally. However, its impacts are experienced at regional and local scales; thus, their assessment and the planning for adaptation depend on the availability of regional and local climate information at appropriate scales and forms. This course covers the theory and application of climate change impact assessment as a tool for environmental science. The course discusses the use of climate data to analyse the effects of climate change and, eventually, to guide regional decision-making and adaptation plans. The course begins with an overview of climate change science and the adaptation and vulnerability of manmade and natural systems to climate change. The framework for the climate change impact assessment (CCIA) is then presented and used in a number of case studies. A significant part of the course is dedicated to individual student projects. Instructors will assist students in designing a research project of their choice that will use open-source online platforms and tools to access projections of future climate generated by climate models participating in the most recent climate modelling phases. Students are encouraged to choose projects based on their prior research and professional experience or based on topics and regions about which the students are particularly knowledgeable or interested. By the end of the course, students will be able to work with observations and climate model outputs for CCIA, apply CCIA to real-world problems and professionally communicate scientific findings.