Course syllabus for Hydrology and stormwater

The course syllabus contains changes
See changes

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameHydrologi och dagvatten
  • CodeACE185
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKSAM
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • ThemeEnvironment 3 c
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 58123
  • Maximum participants80
  • Minimum participants15
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsNo

Credit distribution

0119 Examination 4.5 c
Grading: TH		 4.5 c
  • 03 Jun 2022 pm J
  • 08 Okt 2021 pm J
  • 23 Aug 2022 pm J
0219 Project 3 c
Grading: UG		 3 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

BOM270 Water resources and hydraulics
BOM575 Technical planning or BOM275 Urban planning - theory and application

Aim

Water presents opportunities and poses risks; both utilisation of and protection from water are key societal issues in a changing climate. Knowledge on how precipitation affects runoff is critical for building a sustainable society with adequate supply of water of high quality and where important infrastructure is protected from high water flows.

The overall aim of this course is for students to obtain an in-depth understanding of the hydrological cycle in natural and urban environments and the effects of climate change on the hydrological cycle. Students should be able to apply their knowledge to calculate and model water transport and to relate changes in hydrological processes, e.g. precipitation and water flows, to effects on the environment and society. After the course, students will be able to work in projects aimed at designing and adapting infrastructure affected by precipitation and runoff in a changing climate.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

- Explain the processes involved in the hydrological cycle and how these are affected by climate change.
- Describe how hydrological changes affect the hydrological cycle and thus the environment and society.
- Calculate and model surface water flows for various hydrological conditions.
- Calculate and model stormwater flows in urban areas.
- Apply the principles of pollutant transport in water.
- Describe and motivate suitable methods for measuring the water flow and sampling natural water bodies and stormwater.
- Describe the importance of the EU Water Framework Directive.
- Evaluate and propose solutions for sustainable stormwater management in urban areas in terms of quantity, quality, and ecosystem services.

Content

The course covers the hydrological cycle in the natural and urban environment, focusing on precipitation, runoff, and the formation and quality of surface water. Impacts of climate change on the hydrological cycle and subsequent consequences for the environment and society, as well as opportunities for climate adaptation of infrastructure, are important parts of the course. The course covers solutions for stormwater management in urban areas with regard to water quantity, quality and ecosystem services. This includes the calculation of stormwater runoff and pollutant transport, and design of sustainable stormwater solutions. The course introduces the EU Water Framework Directive and its importance for water conservation and planning in Sweden and the EU.

The students learn how to use different modelling techniques to answer questions regarding runoff, water flow, stormwater processes and water quality. During field studies, the students investigate a study area for the project assignment and become acquainted with different sampling techniques, e.g. sediment sampling and flow-proportional sampling of stormwater and natural water bodies, as well as various measurement techniques, e.g. for flow, water quality and biodiversity.

Organisation

Teaching consists of lectures, exercises, the project assignment with intermediate assessment, and reading course literature. Field studies are conducted during the course and form the basis for the project assignment.

Literature

Compendium and materials on the course website.

Examination including compulsory elements

The examination consists partly of the project assignment and partly of a written exam.
The written exam (grade: Fail, 3, 4 and 5) corresponds to 4.5 credits.
Compulsory parts of the course are: completion of the project assignment (all intermediate assessments and the final report; grade: Fail or Pass), attendance at guest lectures and participation in field studies. These activities together correspond to 3 credits.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course rounds:
    • 2022-02-04: Examinator Examinator changed from Ekaterina Sokolova (sokolova) to Jesper Knutsson (jespknut) by Viceprefekt
      [Course round 1]
  • Changes to examination:
    • 2021-09-21: Grade raising Changed to grade raising by GRULG