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Hydraulics & Hydrology

Problem Statement

The Romans were exquisite water engineers, and that withouthaving at their disposal the modern tools and the knowledge we havetoday. Remember that Hydraulics and Hydrology as we know it nowonly came to be in the 1700’ when engineers started to put afundamental framework together that is/was based on lab experimentsand theoretical approaches and principles. Until then, you just“knew”. The Romans build all sorts of hydraulic systems, fromirrigation canals, to water supply infrastructure, to the famed“hot baths” of Rome, to sewer systems, you name it. They realizedthat if you want water for different purposes at locations thatwere important to you that very often you had to get the waterthere because it just was not available in close proximity.

One of the marvelous feats they accomplished was to build watersupply systems that would run over dozens of miles to convey waterfrom sources to locations of need, typically the towns and citiesthey founded in their vast empire. They managed to do so bybuilding a lot of infrastructure that withstood time and that,almost 2000 years later, is still in place for us to marvel at.Especially the many bridges that were built to cross valleys andgorges to keep the supply line flowing as an open channel arespectacular in their construction, such as the Pont du Gard,Segovia, and Aquila aqueducts.

Task:

1. Create a small inventory of the 5 most prominent and well-knownaqueducts around to this day (you make a decision on what thecriteria are for the selection of the 5). Come up with somedescribing parameters (for sure show an image or two) such aslocation, total length, capacity, year of built, special features,how many bridges, building materials, etc. Be creative and decideon your own what you want to tell about them.

1. Pick one of them and carry out a hydraulic analysis. I aminterested here in typical characteristics such as dischargecapacity, slopes, cross sections, but also operation: how did youget the water into the aqueduct, control structures, terminal endstructures, Manning’s “n”, ... But also how they were lined, howgaps between construction elements were sealed so no seepage (orlosses) would occur. It would also be great if you could treat theaqueduct as a chain of: uniform, rapidly (around controls), andgradually varied flow sections. Carry out a few analyses steps andreport on what happens to energy and friction grade lines in thesesections, preferably of the entire length of the aqueduct.