On September 4th, 2024, the New South Wales ANCOLD Young Professionals Group hosted a highly engaging half-day event at the University of New South Wales Water Research Laboratory (UNSW WRL) in Manly Vale. Nineteen young professionals participated in this site tour, to deepen their understanding of hydraulic engineering and its application in ensuring our dams are safe.
The day began with a seminar led by the keynote speaker, Dr. Stefan Felder, outlining the benefits and challenges of working with hybrid models comprising physical and numerical models in hydraulic engineering. Additionally, the WRL team provided in-depth explanations of the instrumentation necessary to capture accurate and reliable data during experiments involving the physical models. They also offered valuable insights into the benefits of using models for dam spillways, wave pools, and fish passages, further enhancing the attendees’ understanding of these critical structures.
Following the seminar, the attendees’ participated in a hands-on tour of the laboratory, which included a series of engaging demonstrations by the WRL team, namely:
The tour allowed participants to witness and explore these intricate models, understand how WRL assists in solving real-world engineering problems, and discuss the valuable insights gained from studying physical hydraulic systems.
In addition to the technical presentations, the event also provided an opportunity for networking among young professionals and industry experts, while afternoon tea was generously provided by the WRL.
The ANCOLD Young Professionals Event at UNSW WRL was an exceptional learning experience, further enhancing the knowledge and expertise of its members in the field of dam engineering and hydraulic research. We thank UNSW WRL for their hospitality and the ANCOLD NSW YP Group for organising this enriching event. Until the next learning experience!
A 1:50 scale Dam hydraulic model, aiding engineers in simulating extreme flood events to assess risk profiles.
A Prop-Wash basin model, designed to help engineers understand the scouring effects of ship propellers on port and coastal structures, advancing development for scour protection.
A spillway flume, used for fundamental research of complex high-velocity free-surface flows as well as for applied research of hydraulic structure designs.
A wave flume optimized for studying coastal hydrological flow worldwide, including break walls, seawalls, and marinas.
ANCOLD is an incorporated voluntary association of organisations and individual professionals with an interest in dams in Australia.
