2011 Darcy Lecture

Published on August 1, 2011 in IAH and Panel Event. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The next panel seminar, we are pleased to announce, will be the Darcy Lecture and will be a joint presentation with the NSW Branch of the IAH. The presentation is titled: Characterisation of a complex sole source aquifer system in Benin, West Africa and will be given by Dr Stephen E. Silliman, Professor of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences at University of Notre Dame.

The presentation will be held at:
UTS Aerial Function Centre
5:30 for 6pm on the 16 August 2011

The Godomey wellfield is the only source of fresh water for Cotonou, Benin which has between 1.5 to 2 million population. This West African centre is located directly on the Atlantic coast and bordered to the south and west by the large shallow lake. Most production wells are pumping from the partially confined portion of the complex aquifer system and due to the proximity to the lake and coast this water source is under the threat from anthropogenic contamination and seawater intrusion. Collaboration between scientists and students from the United States and Benin has enabled the development of insight into this complex coastal aquifer system by using several different techniques such as numerical modelling, hydraulic testing, water quality characterisation and geophysical surveys.
A series of discussions on scientific and social issues undertaken during this research shows the value of close cooperation between the scientists and in- country collaborators both from technical and social background.

A printable PDF flyer is available.

Severn River Tidal Barrage Talk

Published on July 4, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Following the recent IAHR Biennial Congress in Brisbane we have managed to secure the incoming IAHR President, Professor Roger Falconer, to present a lecture on his work on the Severn River Tidal Barrage. Professor Falconer is the Halcrow Professor of Water Management and Director Hydro- environmental Research Centre, School of Engineering, Cardiff University.

The presentation is at UTS Broadway, Room CB01.04.06 and is scheduled for 5:30 for a 6pm start on the 12th July 2011. Refreshments and alcoholic beverages will be available for the event.

PDF Flier

Design Aspects of a SWRO Desalination Plant

Published on June 4, 2011 in Engineers Australia and Industry Information. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

This is a cross post from the Sydeny Mechanical Chapter as the topic may be of interest to the Water Panel’s membership.

Design of a major seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant poses many challenges to engineers of various disciplines particularly those of process and mechanical backgrounds. These challenges include meeting or exceeding the contracted energy efficiency targets, addressing durability of materials in a seawater environment, ensuring safety of piping and equipment operating at high fluid pressures and design to meet sometime conflicting constructability, operability and maintainability requirements. This presentation will briefly outline the design aspects of pressure driven membranes, energy recovery, material selection for protection against corrosion and piping.

The recently completed Sydney Desalination Plant has provided Dennis Cho and Con Sikallos with valuable experiences and insights arising form their involvement for over three years in the bid, design delivery and commissioning phases. Dennis will review the basis of design of a desalination plant and Con will present some of the mechanical challenges.

Dennis is a senior process engineer at SKM and has completed his PhD at UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology at University of NSW. His work is based on over 10 years of engineering experience, largely in the water and wastewater industry.

Con has 20 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry and currently holds a senior mechanical engineering position at SKM. He has been involved in many engineering projects from detail design through to commissioning including the Sydney Desalination Plant.

Date: 16-06-2011
Starting: Light refreshments at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start
Finishing: 7.40 to 7.50pm
Dinner Option: With the speaker at 8.00pm, at a nearby restaurant (at cost)
Venue: Engineers Australia Auditorium, Ground Floor, 8 Thomas Street, Chatswood

All contact to: Andrew Lowe would be appreciated, phone no (02) 9777 1111 or HIDDEN EMAIL.

Full details: PDF Flyer.

IAHR Conference Update

Published on May 24, 2011 in Conferences. 0 Comments Tags: .

The following is an update from the Organisers of the 34th IAHR Conference:
Continue reading ‘IAHR Conference Update’

Baseflows for Design Flood Estimation (ARR Project 7)

Published on May 3, 2011 in Panel Event. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The next Panel presentation will be given by Rachel Brown, of SKM, who is the manager of the ARR Project 7 project team. It will be a 5:30 for 6pm start at UTS Broadway.

Please note: this will not be at the usual Chatswood venue rarher it will be held at UTS. Also it is being held on the Thursday and not the usual third Tuesday.

An important aspect of flow estimation as distinct from flood estimation is the relative importance of the baseflow component of a hydrograph. Whereas the direct runoff component is the most significant component of a hydrograph for flood estimation and the baseflow component is neglected, this is not always the case for general flow estimation. In recent years the need to estimate small flood flows (in-bank floods) has arisen and, therefore, estimation of baseflow needs to be considered within Australian Rainfall and Runoff.

This project focuses on the development of appropriate techniques for estimating the baseflow component of a hydrograph. It is expected that both statistical and deterministic approaches be developed to meet the various needs of the industry.

This project will result only in preliminary guidance in a form suitable for inclusion in Australian Rainfall and Runoff.

Printable PDF flyer.

EA Eminent Speaker: Flood and Storm Surge Levees

Published on April 21, 2011 in Engineers Australia. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

EA is hosting a talk by Dr Dr Steven Hughes from Colorado State University (USA) on Flood and Storm Surge Levees – design, maintenance & performance in particular how it relates to the failures during Hurricane Katrina. See the PDF flyer and the EA blurb below:

Dr Hughes is the Senior Research Scientist for Colorado State University, USA and is an international expert in the research and policy of Flood and Storm Surge Levees. He will be speaking on the timely topic of Flood and Storm Surge Levees – design, maintenance and performance and drawing on his experiences in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina.

Monday 16th May
Time: 5.30pm for 6pm Start
Auditorium, Engineers Australia Sydney Division, 8 Thomas St, Chatswood

Seats limited to 130 – please book online early!

Please RSVP online HERE or see the attached flyer for further details.

Please note: this presentation is hosted by EA and not the Panel event. If you do attend please confirm as the last presentation we advertised for EA was cancelled at the last minute with no warning.

Environmental Award for Rainwater Thesis

Published on April 8, 2011 in Engineers Australia. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

According to a recent EA release Benjamin Taylor of USQ won the National Student Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Award:

University of Southern Queensland postgraduate student Benjamin Taylor has been presented with the 2010 National Student Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Award from Engineers Australia’s Society for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering. He received the award for his graduate research project Rapid estimation of rainwater yield throughout Australia and review of Queensland rainwater harvesting operating policy.

Source: EA News

Stormwater Management – What Progress Have We Made?

Published on April 8, 2011 in Panel Event. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The next Panel seminar will be on Tuesday 19th April 2011, 5:30 for a 6pm start at the EA Auditorium, Chatswood. It is a panel Q&A session:

A big leap was made in the way we manage storm water 15 years ago when industry and the public embraced a more holistic view. Storm water systems were no longer seen as just a way of conveying urban runoff in a way that minimized inconvenience for the public. The focus on storm water systems started to include water quality, softer more environmental systems, repairing the ecologically of systems that had been neglected and more recently using storm water as a resource. This seminar’s participants were at the forefront of these changes and bring their combined industry experience to look back on the progress we have made.

Panel:

  • Dr Geoff O’Loughlin, Anstad Pty Ltd
  • Dr Peter Coombes, Bonacci Water Pty Ltd
  • Dr Brett Phillips, Cardno

Drinks and nibbles will be available.

A PDF flyer is available.

PDF of Hugh’s Presentation: The Complexities of Surface and Groundwater Interactions

Published on March 29, 2011 in Panel Event. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Hugh has kindly made a pdf copy of his presentation available.

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The Complexities of Surface and Groundwater Interactions

Published on March 14, 2011 in Panel Event. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The next Panel presentation will be held on Tuesday 22nd March, 5:30 for 6pm at the EA Auditorium Chatswood and is title: The Complexities of Surface and Groundwater Interactions. The presentation will be given by Dr Hugh Middlemis, Senior Principal of Aquaterra, Adelaide.

The complexity of surface and groundwater interaction has traditionally resulted in an approach based on simplifying assumptions. Engineers have usually taken a “top down” approach of concentrating on the surface processes, which involve fast hydrologic response times, and not analysing the slower sub-surface processes in much detail. Hydrogeologists have usually taken a “bottom up” approach, which simplifies the surface water process and concentrates on dealing with the longer term sub-surface processes. Neither approach is ideal.

Full details and a more extensive biography are available: Water Panel Flyer March 2011.