CIVILENG 7404 - Advanced Water Distribution Systems Engineering

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025

Water distribution systems analysis. Steady state analysis of pipe networks. Alternative formulations of equations for pipe networks - the flow (Q)-equations, the head (H)-equations, the loop flow correction (LF) equations, the Q+H equations, the Global Gradient Algorithm formulation, and numerical solutions based on Newton Raphson solution technique. Convergence criteria for stopping the iterative solution process. Computer solution techniques in Excel and FORTRAN. The Global Gradient Algorithm of Todini and Pilati for solving the pipe network equations in EPANET. Optimisation of pipe networks/design using genetic algorithms. Pumping operations optimisation using genetic algorithms. Consideration of sustainability criteria (economic, environmental, technical, social, temporal) using multi-objective genetic algorithms. Water hammer analysis. Pump transients. Air vessel sizing. Water hammer control methods. Flywheels and one-way surge tanks for water hammer protection. Column separation during water hammer events. Ten guest lectures from Industry Engineers. Includes Masters level project.

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Course Details

Course Code	CIVILENG 7404
Course	Advanced Water Distribution Systems Engineering
Coordinating Unit	Civil Engineering
Term	Semester 2
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	C&ENVENG 7079 or equivalent
Assessment	Exam, tutorial, project work and participation in lectures, class participation

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Michael Leonard

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1. 1 Formulate the underlying governing equations for behaviour of flows and pressures in piped water distribution systems
2. Optimise a water distribution system taking into account uncertainty and sustainability
3. Analyse the unsteady behaviour of pipeline systems using fundamental principes and advanced techniques, including pump and turbine behaviour, the influence of surge protection
4. Use advanced computational fluid dynamics software to solve complex fluid problems
University Graduate Attributes

No information currently available.
Learning Resources

Required Resources

Lecture notes and learning material will be provided via Myuni
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Online material will be provided via Myuni. Please see the course planner for timetabled workshops.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

4 contact hours per week = 48 hours. Another ~100 hours is required to complete the assessment.

Learning Activities Summary

No information currently available.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Weighting (%)	Individual/ Group	Formative/ Summative	Due (week)*	Hurdle criteria	Learning outcomes
1 - Numerical Equations ( 1 assignment)	10	Individual	Summative	Week 3		1.
2 - Optimisation design (3 phases)	20	Group	Summative	Weeks 4,5,7		2.
3 - Water hammer (2 assignments + lab)	20	Individual	Summative	Weeks 8,9,10		3.
4 - Flow 3D ( 3 assignments)	20	Individual	Summative	Week 11,12,13		4.
Exam	30	Individual	Summative	Exam period	Yes	1. 2. 3. 4.
Total	100

* The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.

Assessment Detail

No information currently available.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

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SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator