Hydraulics & Hydrology
Open-channel flow, critical depth, uniform and gradually varied flow, hydraulic jumps and control structures, then rainfall, runoff, unit hydrographs, routing and flood frequency, applied to a site drainage and creek crossing design near Duluth.
CIV-370 Year 3 3 credits 12 lessons · 4 h 4 min ▶ Video lessons coming soon
Offered by HSM University · Civil Engineering
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Classify open-channel flows as steady or unsteady, uniform or varied and subcritical or supercritical, and compute section properties, Reynolds numbers and Froude numbers.
- Use specific energy and critical depth to analyze alternate depths, transitions and choking, and locate hydraulic controls.
- Compute normal depth with Manning's equation, classify channel slopes, and design grass-lined and lined channels for capacity, velocity, shear and freeboard.
- Classify gradually varied flow profiles and compute water surface profiles by the direct step and standard step methods, including backwater from a lake.
- Analyze hydraulic jumps with the momentum equation and design stilling basins for the full range of tailwater conditions.
- Develop stage-discharge ratings for weirs, flumes, orifices, gates and spillways and combine them into the rating of a multi-stage pond outlet.
- Explain the hydrologic cycle, analyze rainfall frequency with the Gumbel distribution, and use NOAA Atlas 14 IDF data, the status of Atlas 15 and design storms.
- Estimate abstractions with infiltration models and compute runoff volumes with the NRCS curve number method for natural and developed land.
- Compute times of concentration by segments and peak flows by the rational method, and explain the minor and major drainage systems.
- Build flood hydrographs with the NRCS unit hydrograph and route them through ponds by the level-pool method and through channels by the Muskingum method.
- Perform flood frequency analysis with the log-Pearson III distribution as in Bulletin 17C and with Gumbel, transfer estimates to ungaged sites, and test designs for climate change.
- Prepare a drainage design basis and check a site drainage system and a culvert crossing under inlet and outlet control, including fish passage and climate sensitivity.
Course content
12 lessons · 4 h 4 min total · final exam
- 1 Open-channel flow: classification and basic principles 22 min · quiz
- 2 Specific energy and critical flow 19 min · quiz
- 3 Uniform flow and channel design 21 min · quiz
- 4 Gradually varied flow 20 min · quiz
- 5 Hydraulic jumps and energy dissipation 20 min · quiz
- 6 Weirs, flumes, gates and spillways 20 min · quiz
- 7 The hydrologic cycle, precipitation and IDF curves 21 min · quiz
- 8 Abstractions, infiltration and the curve number method 19 min · quiz
- 9 Runoff: the rational method and time of concentration 20 min · quiz
- 10 Unit hydrographs and flood routing 21 min · quiz
- 11 Flood frequency analysis and climate change 19 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: site drainage and the creek crossing 22 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Open-channel flow, critical depth, uniform and gradually varied flow, hydraulic jumps and control structures, then rainfall, runoff, unit hydrographs, routing and flood frequency, applied to a site drainage and creek crossing design near Duluth.
Part of the Engineering stream, typically taken in year 3.