Welcome to the IAHR internet site

Committee on Hydraulic Structures

Scope / Research Agenda / Committee Officers / Publications / Reports

Scope

Hydraulic Structures includes a broad spectrum of applications to engineering practice. The purpose of the Committee is to champion the subject area of hydraulic structures in an era of increasing specialization in the hydraulic profession. There are important new developments in the planning, design, construction, and life cycle maintenance of hydraulic structures.
The Hydraulic Structures Committee was established with the following objectives:

to champion the area of hydraulic structures in an era of increasing specialization;
to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners;
to identify knowledge gaps where hydraulic research can be applied;
to address the subtle changes in the use of hydraulic structures to manage water in an environmentally sound manner;
to provide a solid knowledge and experience base for design of hydraulic structures;
to encourage continuing education in hydraulic structures through specialty conferences; short courses and educational curriculum;
to gather competent data bases from laboratory and field to encourage hybrid modeling (numerical/physical);
to collaborate with other organizations in the advancement and understanding of hydraulic structures in the natural environment.

The flow fields in and around most hydraulic structures are complex, three-dimensional, and highly turbulent and can cause phase changes resulting in air entrainment or sediment transport. Safety evaluation of existing structures is another growing area of need as materials age, hydrologic methods improve, and evaluation technologies improve.
The topic of hydraulic structures is changing as an engineering and research area. In recent years, the focus has expanded to include water management as well as improvements in the design, construction and operation and maintenance of locks, dams, spillways, and outlet works. The Committee will embrace the traditional use of hydraulic structures in water resource development and in addition focus attention on the role hydraulic structures have in improving water management practices, water quality, and restoration of natural habitats. It is hoped that a practice oriented research agenda will draw the attention of the global design community.
To meet these objectives, the Committee presents workshops and symposia to advance the science and understanding of hydraulic phenomena near hydraulic structures, which will assist in applying new technologies to practice. Examples of past workshops and symposia include:

International Workshop on Hydraulics of Stepped Spillways (March 22-24, 2000, Zurich, Switzerland)
Special Seminar on Key Hydraulic Issues of Huge Water Projects (September 17-18, 2001, Beijing China)
International Symposium on Hydraulic and Hydrological Aspects of Reliability and Safety Assessment of Hydraulic Structures (May 29-June 2, 2002, St. Petersburg, Russia)
International Workshop on Rock Scour due to High Velocity Jets (September 25-28, 2002, Lausanne, Switzerland)
International Conference on Hydraulics of Dams and River Structures (April 26-28, 2004, Tehran, Iran)
International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures (September 2-4, 2006, Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal)
International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures (October 12-14, 2006, Cuidad Guayana, Venezuela)
2nd International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures (July 30 – August 1, 2008, Pisa, Italy)
3rd International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures (October 20-23, 2008, Nanjing, China)

It is our desire to collaborate with other IAHR Committes as well as international associations such as the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of ASCE to organize workshops and symposia as well as technical publications, thus improving the practice of hydraulic engineering as it relates to structures.

Research Agenda

Study the interaction between near-field and far-field interaction - The flow within and around hydraulic structures involves near-field hydraulics, which is often embedded in a far-field environment, and the interaction between the two fields is of great interest in the combination of near-field scale model and far-field numerical model.
Fluid phase changes and multiphase flows – The flow is in most cases complex, three-dimensional, highly turbulent, and the pressure and turbulence in the field can cause phase changes and air entrainment or sediment transport.
Effect of hydraulic structures on natural systems – Interaction is needed with other disciplines such as environmental scientists (fishery issues associated with hydraulic structures), soil and rock mechanics (scouring criteria), etc.
Safety criteria for existing dams with respect to climate change and extreme floods, which can require new innovative structures, modifications to structures or changes in operational procedures.
Sluices and navigation locks in salt-fresh water environments.
Management of reservoir siltation caused by hydraulic structures.
Dam breaches and their effect on downstream valleys in terms of erosion and aggradation.
Advancement of research and technology in hydraulic engineering and structures, combining leading research scholarship and world-class engineering practice.
Consider developing a web-based international Network on hydraulic structures where practitioners can exchange engineering practice and research ideas.
Learning from past incidents.

Committee Officers

Leadership Team

Chair

Prof. Stefano PAGLIARA
Universita' di Pisa
Dip. Ingegneria Civile
Via Borsellino 14
56123 Pisa
ITALY

tel +39 050 2217717
fax +39 050 2217730
e-mail s.pagliara@ing.unipi.it

Vice Chair

Dr. Robert JANSSEN
Bechtel
Hydraulics / Hydrology
Level 10, 200 Mary Street
Brisbane, Queensland 4000
AUSTRALIA

tel +61 7 3295 1740
e-mail rjanssen@bechtel.com

Past Chair

Dr. Hubert Chanson
The University of Queensland
Department of Civil Engineering
St. Lucia, Brisbane QLD 4072
AUSTRALIA

tel +61 7 3365 3516
fax +61 7 3365 4599
e-mail h.chanson@uq.edu.au

Members

Prof. Blake Tullis
Utah Water Research Laboratory
Civil & Environmental Engineering Depart.
Utah State University
8200 Old Main Hill
84322 Logan
USA

tel. +1 435-797-3194
fax +1 435 797-0296
e-mail blake.tullis@usu.edu

Dr.-Ing. Daniel Bung
Leibniz Universität Hannover
Franzius-Institut für Wasserbau und Küsteningenieurwesen
Nienburger Straße 4
D-30167 Hannover
GERMANY

tel. +49 (0)511.762-5481
fax: +49 (0)511.762-4002
e-mail bung@fi.uni-hannover.de

Dr. Michael Pfister
Laboratoire de constructions hydrauliques
LCH - ENAC - EPFL
Station 18
CH - 1015 Lausanne
SWITZERLAND

tel. +41 (0)21 693 23 76
e-mail michael.pfister@epfl.ch

Co-opted

Prof. Jorge Matos (co-opted member)
Institut Superior Técnico
Secçao de Hidráulica e Resursos Hídricos e Ambientaiso
Dept. de Engenharia Civil
Av. Rovisco Pais 1
P-1049-001 Lisboa
PORTUGAL

tel. +351 21 841 8145
fax +351 21 849 7650
e-mail jsg.matos@gmail.com

Publications

4th International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures, February 9-11, 2012, Porto, Portugal.
3rd International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures, October 20-23, 2008, Nanjing, China. 6 volumes and CD-ROM available at IAHR Secretariat.
2nd International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures, July 30 – August 1, 2008, Pisa, Italy. Published by Edizioni Plus, Pisa University Press.
2nd International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures, October 12-14, 2006, Cuidad Guayana, Venezuela. CD-ROM and book available at the IAHR Secretariat
1st International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures, September 2-4, 2006, Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal.
International Conference on Hydraulics of Dams and River Structures, April 26-28, 2004, Tehran, Iran. Published by Balkema.
International Workshop on Rock Scour due to falling high-velocity jets, September 25-29, 2002, Lausanne, Switzerland
International Symposium on Hydraulic and Hydrological Aspects of Reliability and Safety Assessment of Hydraulic Structures, May 29-June 2, 2002, St. Petersburg, Russia. From Vitaly Klimovich or Vadim Radchenko, 195220, 21, Gzhatskaya str. VNIIG, Steering committee of IAHR Symposium, tel. +7 812 535 88 71, fax +7 812 535 67 20 or e-mail: vniig@vniig.ru
Special Seminar on Key Hydraulic Issues of Huge Water Projects, September 17-18, 2001, Beijing China.
International Workshop on Hydraulics of Stepped Spillways, March 22-24, 2000, Zurich, Switzerland

Reports