99649 - Urban Water Supply and Drainage Networks

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student owns the basic knowledge and principles for the design and management of hydraulic structures relative to water supply and drainage collection systems in an urban context. Upon completion of the course, the student is capable to identify and quantify the main variables for a critical analysis of urban hydrology problems and knows the basic criteria for the design and verification of urban drainage and water supply networks, as well as for the definition and design of water delivery and collection system within civil buildings.

Course contents

Requirements/Prior knowledge

Basic knowledge of Hydraulics, and in particular of under-pressure pipe flow and open-channel flow is required to attend with profit this course.

Drinking water supply systems in urban areas

• Analysis of urban water demand.
• Brief overview of water sources and water captation.
• Design and analysis of water supply and distribution networks: operational characteristics of long under-pressure pipes, dead-end and loop networks.
• Storages in water distribution networks: functions of water supply tanks, typologies, design of the storage volume.
• Pumping stations: pumps and system characteristics, series and parallel configurations, operating point, economic sizing.
• Water pipes: standards, materials, joints.
• Domestic water distribution networks

  Hydrological principles and drainage collection systems

• Hydrological cycle: precipitation regimes, measurements and data collection, infiltration and net precipitation, watershed water balance.
• Rainfall-runoff modelling: model types and characteristics, event-based models.
• Statistical analysis of extreme events, rainfall depth-duration-frequency curves.
• Overview of drainage systems, network types, rating curves in closed conduits, wastewater and stormwater flow analysis. Critical events.
• Design and verification of drainage systems.
• Sewage pipe materials and construction, brief overview of other special structures.
• Rainwater harvesting and drainage systems in buildings

Readings/Bibliography

There is not a required textbook for the course. Lecture slides will be made available in the collection "Virtuale" (virtuale.unibo.it/) for registered students.

For further readings:

Y. CENGEL, J. CIMBALA Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications, 4^th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2018.

T. M. WALSKY, D.V. CHASE, D.A. SAVIC Water distribution modeling, 1st Edition, Heasted press, 2001.

D. BUTLER, J. W. DAVIES Urban Drainage, 3rd Edition, Spon press, 2011.

Teaching methods

Theorical lectures and in-class exercises on key topics.

Lessons attendance is a key requisite to acquire a detailed knowledge. Students should attend all lectures or obtain the notes from their colleagues when absent.

Assessment methods

Achievements will be assessed by means of a final written examination lasting about 2.5 hours. This is based on an analytical assessment of the "expected learning outcomes" described above. The exam is composed by:

• 1 open question

• 3 exercises

To obtain a passing grade, students must demonstrate a knowledge of the key concepts of the subject and a comprehensible use of technical language. The highest grade is 30/30 cum laude, which can be obtained if both exercises and open questions are correct and complete. The test is passed with a minimum grade of 18/30.

Higher grades will be awarded to students who demonstrate an organic understanding of the subject and a good ability for critical application, without any numerical/anlytical error.

Failing grade will be awarded if the student shows knowledge gaps in key-concepts and logic failures in the analysis of the subject.

Class attendance is not mandatory and it does not have impact on the final grade; however, regular attendance is strongly encouraged to enhance the learning process.

In order to attend the exam, students have to register in AlmaEsami (https://almaesami.unibo.it).

Teaching tools

Use of powerpoint and blackboard. Lecture slides and the texts of the exercises are published in the collection "Virtuale" (virtuale.unibo.it/) University of Bologna, for registered students.

Office hours

See the website of Mattia Neri