Our application for a CRC-P funded research project has been successfully funded.
This exciting collaboration between UNSW, Pells Consulting, and Sunwater aims to develop next-generation tools to address one of the most challenging problems in dam engineering: rock erosion in spillways, with the following topic areas to be addressed:
- Undertaking UAV (terrestrial) and USV (bathymetric) surveys of various dam spillways, with development of industry leading capability in this area.
- Geological interpretation of rock masses in unlined spillways including rapid development of rock mass models, DFN modelling, based on field inspection and UAV/USV data and interpretation of mechanism of past scour. Additional surveys also undertaken of some cases of soil erosion, including embankments or levees.
- CFD modelling of spillways and correlation between observed scour, interpreted geological mechanisms and hydraulic parameters in CFD models
- Physical hydraulic modelling to represent and analyse the process of scour of fractured rock masses.
- Development of new code for simulation of scour by coupling CFD modelling with rock-mass models, including calibration to field and laboratory studies.
The project offers opportunities across computational modelling, laboratory physical modelling at the UNSW Water Research Laboratory, and field-based investigations in advancing UAV / USV techniques. There are a number of roles we are seeking to fill to do this, including PhD students, Postdoctoral Researchers and consulting roles. We welcome candidates with backgrounds in civil engineering, dam engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulic/water engineering, and engineering geology.
Further details are provided in this document Positions Available