Hydraulic Engineering

Unit code: NEC3201 | Study level: Undergraduate
Credit points
12
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
Location
Footscray Park
Prerequisites
NEC2203 - Hydraulics
(Or equivalent to be determined by unit coordinator)
Overview
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Overview

In this unit, you will explore the essential role civil engineers play in delivering safe and sustainable water supply systems and supporting agricultural productivity through irrigation and drainage design. You will develop foundational knowledge and problem-solving skills in the planning, design, and analysis of urban water supply schemes, including dam infrastructure, groundwater development, treatment systems, and reticulation networks. The unit also introduces key principles of irrigation and land drainage, with an emphasis on water quality, channel and pipeline design, and the layout of various irrigation methods such as flood, furrow, sprinkler, and drip systems.



You will engage in practical tasks that build your ability to assess water demand, evaluate system performance, and apply hydraulic design tools in real-world contexts. Through these learning experiences, you will enhance your technical capability, engineering judgement, and professional communication skills in addressing water infrastructure challenges in both urban and rural settings.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Analyse demand patterns for urban water supply and irrigation systems in terms of quantity and quality, and evaluate the factors that influence them;
  2. Interpret technical data and design key components of water source development schemes, including dams, groundwater bores, pump stations, service storages, and transfer conduits;
  3. Evaluate water quality parameters and supply standards, and design basic treatment plant components to meet regulatory and contextual requirements;
  4. Plan and design town water reticulation systems and assess their performance using both manual calculations and computer-based tools;
  5. Design fundamental irrigation and drainage systems, including channels, flood, sprinkler, drip systems, and surface/subsurface drainage, and apply appropriate layout and sizing techniques; and
  6. Collaborate on team-based engineering projects and articulate findings clearly through technical reports and collaborative discussions.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment type: Portfolio
|
Grade: 40%
Design problem tasks (Individual) (3000 words)
Assessment type: Project
|
Grade: 40%
Water distribution network (20%) and Irrigation system (20%) (Group) (3500 words)
Assessment type: Test
|
Grade: 20%
Problem solving scenario test (60mins each)

Portfolio: Structured design problem-solving exercises that demonstrate the progressive development of engineering skills, supported by regular feedback and validation discussions.

Project: This secure assessment ensures accountability through structured reflection, documented collaboration, and detailed explanation of techniques, with in-class progressive milestone checks linked to individual students also being used to enhance security. These milestones are recorded and incorporated into the overall marking process. Explicit evaluation of individual contributions further support the secure assessment and assurance of each student’s achievement of learning outcomes.

Test: This secure invigilated in class assessment presents unpredictable problem-solving scenarios that test deep understanding, require explanation of reasoning and process, and involve applying knowledge to new contexts.

Required reading

All resources, notes and readings are available on VU Collaborate.

As part of a course

This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil Engineering)
NHEC | Bachelor honours degree | Duration: 4 years

Refer to the course page for information on how to apply for the course. VU takes care to ensure the accuracy of this unit information, but reserves the right to change or withdraw courses offered at any time. Please check that unit information is current with the Student Contact Centre.

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