Applied Hydraulics Coursework Portfolio Brief
This portfolio of work will complement the online lectures, classroom work, field visits and laboratory work. There are two elements to the coursework which will enable you to gain an in depth understanding of different core elements of Applied Hydraulics.
Part B (60%) Flood Mitigation
As part of a consultation on flooding in the river Ouse you have been asked to investigate the impact that Nature Based Solutions (NBS) has had on the river flow. In order to achieve this, to understand the hydrodynamics you will be provided with 2 years’ worth of data from a gauge on the river course together with data from tipping-bucket rain-gauges across the catchment. Furthermore you have been asked to identify other sites within the catchment which would be suitable for, and to design a Nature Based Solution (NBS) in order to further reduce the increasing flood risk posed by climate change and other human actions.
You will analyse the data, identify a suitable site, design the NBS and present your results in a pre-recorded PowerPoint presentation, using Panopto Software. This will be re-played live in the classroom session and will be followed by questions. This presentation would be aimed at other Coastal/Riverine Engineers. From your work, you will produce and submit an A4 leaflet, aimed at outlining the scheme to the local residents and stakeholders.
The key dates are:
| 14th January 2022 @12:00 | Part B – Flood Mitigation Panopto presentation submission deadline.† |
| To Be Arranged on submission | Part B – Flood Mitigation Presentation session. †† |
| 14th January 2022 @ 18:00 | Part B – Flood Mitigation Leaflet submission deadline. † |
| 11th December 2021 @ 12:00 | Part A – Renewables Report submission deadline. † |
| †’Deadlines’ are the last possible submission time, you are of course able to submit your work at anytime before the deadline. ††The presentations and question session for CW 2 will take place in the timetabled classroom session in W504 on 7th December. Attendance is compulsory. Failure to attend will result in penalties being applied in line with University Guidelines (GEAR). | |
CLICK HERE TO ORDERPart B Flood Mitigation
Nature Based Solutions for flood mitigation, where possible, is now the preferred first option of the UK Environment Agency (EA). All rivers will flood at some point, but interventions in the past, along with climate change have, in many areas, exacerbated flooding. Since 2012 Sussex flow initiative which is part of the Sussex wildlife trust have been working together with the EA to increase the number of Nature Based flood interventions in the River Ouse catchment.
As part of a consultation on flooding in the river Ouse you have been asked to investigate the impact that Nature Based Solutions (NBS) has had on the river flow and suggest future schemes. In order to achieve this, you have been asked to:
- Analyse data from before the start of NBS implementations and compare these with analysis of more recent data. You have been provided with 2 years’ worth of data from a gauge on the river course together with data from tipping-bucket rain-gauges across the catchment. Your client is looking for evidence as to whether these interventions are reducing water levels and slowing the flow of rainwater and run-off through the Ouse catchment. The data will be made available on my studies, once the groups have been sorted.
- With your newfound understanding you have been asked to identify further sites within the Ouse catchment, which would be suitable for further NBS interventions in order to further reduce the increasing flood risk posed by climate change and other human actions. You will need to design these interventions and explain what impact you expect them to have on the river flow in the short-term (< 2 years), in the medium term (<20 years) and in the long-term (>50 years).
For a practicing Civil Engineer communication of your work and ideas is essential and must be at the appropriate level for the intended audience. Therefore, you are to present your results and details of your outline design in two formats:
- i) The Presentation (75%) – Panopto submission
Details of your results from your analyses and your new design should be presented to the client in the form of a recorded PowerPoint presentation. This presentation is aimed at understanding your background understanding and technical ability and should be aimed for an audience of Coastal/Riverine Engineers. This will be worth 75%, see table below for the contents.
A maximum of 7 slides for each of the above sections (max 7 slides) with a maximum time of 7 minutes to present. You you should pre-record the PowerPoint (with a voiceover and speaker visible), using Panopto software. Details of how to record and submit Panopto recordings are available in MyStudies. The deadline for submitting this is 14th January 2022 @ 12:00. This recording will be played back in the timetabled session on 7th December and will be followed by a 5 minute question and answer session. Attendance is compulsory for the whole session. Those absent will be awarded zero and fail this element of the module.
- ii) The leaflet (25%) – Written submission
To demonstrate your skill in communicating technical details in concise layman’s language, understandable to the general public, you will produce and submit an A4 leaflet, aimed at outlining the scheme to the local residents and stakeholders about your proposed schemes. This also provides you with an opportunity to convey your own personal understanding of all of the areas covered within the group presentation. You are not expected to conduct any extra research or analyses for this element but should be using material from your group work to demonstrate your understanding of all of the areas. You This will be worth 25%.
This will need to convey to the general public why the scheme is needed, what the scheme will consist of and what the long-term benefits will be. All text will be in Aerial with a Minimum font size of 12 and a maximum of 2 sides of A4 (this can be in A5 booklet format). The leaflet should include diagrams, images and plots, which may or may not have been included in your PowerPoint Presentation.
This is to be done individually and submitted through turnitin by 14th January 2022 @ 18:00.
| Contents of recorded PowerPoint presentation | School marking criteria and Weighting | |
| 1 | Background / Scoping details History of the Ouse catchment including: · Socio/Economics. · Natural Habitat. · Alterations to the river and catchment. · Impact of climate changes over time. · Hydrogeology of the catchment. | Knowledge 1
10% |
| 2 | Data analyses and comparison of impact of NB interventions. · Extraction of all hydrographs for the given time periods. · Extraction of data from plotted hydrographs and rain events. · Comparison of data before and after intervention date. | Knowledge 2 / Application 1
25% |
| 3 | New NBS scheme(s): · Description and justification of location of new interventions. · Description and justification of the types of new interventions. · Any other infrastructure needed within the defences. | Application 2
20% |
| 4 | Construction Plan · Overview of construction Health and Safety, specific to the site. · Ethical considerations. · Outline materials to be used in construction · Where will the materials come from · Gantt chart · Estimated cost and source of funding. | Application 3
20% |
| 5 | Benefits / disadvantages of the new scheme in the short, medium and long term. · Energy and flood reduction · New habitats. · Recreational facilities. · Carbon capture. · Any other appropriate issue. | Evaluation 1
25% |
Suggested tools
- Digi-map
- GIS
- Excel or Matlab
- Panopto
Learning Outcome 4 Understand the health and safety constraints of working and constructing near water, carry out analysis of field data and present the data analysis and conclusions in common professional formats. This will also provide some of the theory needed for LO3 which will be in the exam.
Learning Outcome 5 Apply the theory of hydraulic modelling to the solution of hydraulics problems in civil engineering applications and conduct laboratory modelling associated with sediment transport or hydraulic structures. This will also provide some understanding for LO2 and LO3 which will be in the exam.
