Course Title:Basic Hydraulic Principles
Training and Development Opportunity – USGS Office of Organizational and Employee Development (OED) - National Training Center (NTC)
Course Title:Basic Hydraulic Principles
Course Number:SW1004
Date:July 18-22, 2011
Location:USGSGeomorphology and Sediment Transport Laboratory
Golden, CO
Start:MondayJuly 18th8:00 am
End:FridayJuly 22ndnoon
Course Registration Deadline Date: May 15, 2011
Course Developer:
Robert Holmes573-308-3581
(for course related questions, please contact Bob Holmes)
Tuition: USGS: $471Non USGS: $471
Payment Line: 888-390-4447
Course Description:
This 1-week course combines lectures and class problems in the study of basic open channel flow. Specifically, subject matter includes forces on submerged objects, conservation of energy, similitude, velocity profiles, resistance, the momentum principles, roughness coefficients energy losses, backwater computation, and flow through culverts, flow over dams, and flow through weirs. Prior to the course, participants will be sent a math refresher that is required to be completed before traveling to Golden, CO for the classroom lectures. In additional, students will be required to review 4 outline lectures and complete a small subset of problems prior to the course in order to give participants early exposure to the material and hopefully increase the understanding and comprehension of the material presented in class.
Students will need to bring a laptop with them to class. Each day’s homework solutions will be handed out via digital PDF files. Additionally, some homework problems will be much easier to complete using EXCEL spreadsheet. Lastly, the course textbook will be available in PDF as well as hard copy for reviewing.
Course Attendees:
Hydrologists or hydrologic technicians whose work involves application of hydraulics.
Maximum number of students is 20
Course Prerequisites:
All attendees must have a working knowledge of algebra and some background in basic physics. In addition, the Office of Surface Water recommends that prior to taking Basic Hydraulics Principles, participants have done one of the following: 1) completed the Hydrographer Hydraulics (SW1524) course, 2) have successfully completed a college-level physics class, 3) have had significant on-the-job experience with indirect measurement of discharge or step-backwater computations, or 4) have taken training courses which involve hydrology and hydraulics concepts. Potential participants should contact the course developer if they have questions about their preparation for Basic Hydraulic Principles.
Basic Hydraulic Principles (SW1004) is a prerequisite course as stipulated by the Office of Surface Water for participants who intend to take both Surface-Water Hydraulic Analysis courses (SW2009A and SW2009B) UNLESS students have completed college courses equivalent to Basic Hydraulic Principles (such as open-channel hydraulics or fluid mechanics).
OED-NTC Primary Contact:
Gloria Armstrong - - 303-445-4676or
the NTC email address at GS-COden
DOI REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS:
ALL DOI CLASS REGISTRATON MUST BE COMPLETED IN DOI LEARN
DOI LEARN – A Department-wide Learning Management System
If you have never logged into DOI LEARN you should email: or instructions. Go the OED website at click the purple box to learn more about DOI LEARN. You can also log into for assistance.
DOI LEARN Questions? Send email to: for assistance
DOI LEARN Class Registration Instructions:
- Log into DOI LEARN at
- Enter your username and password
- Click on “Settings and Preferences” then click on “My Profile” and update your profile including timezone. Then make sure the correct supervisor/alternates are listed under the Supervisor tab
- Click “Save” if any changes were made and then click on “Close Record”
- Go back to the Learning and Metrics tab and click on “Catalog”
- Type the key words of the course title into the Search field and click “Search”
- Scroll down until you find the correct course
- Click on “Details” of the course needed, click on “Submit Request”, click on “Begin” to get to the Learning Request form that needs to be filled out, and when finished filling out the form click “Save”
- Once you have done this an email goes to your Assigned Supervisor requesting Approval or Denial provided you selected the correct Supervisor in your profile. The supervisor would then go to the Approval Manager Area and make a decision to approve or deny. Once their decision has been made an email goes out telling you to go back into the system and enroll in the Scheduled Class you are looking for.
Non DOI, OFA, and Cooperator Registration Information/Instructions:
Some classes are available to non-USGS persons who may attend on a space available basis. Non-DOI attendees include Other Federal Agencies (OFAs), State/Local Agencies, American/Alaska Tribal Governments, and Cooperators. Private companies/consultants are not permitted to attend OED classes unless they meet the status of a cooperator and this can be verified by the host USGS office.
A cooperator is defined as one who has a current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), or a current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or is currently working on a Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) with a USGS office. Class approval steps for a cooperator are as follows:
- Agreement verification sent to OED from the partnering USGS Office
- Attendance approval sent to OED from the local WSC Office, and
- Completed registration application
After the above three requirements have been received, the course developer is afforded the final selection of class participants.
Non DOI, OFAs, and cooperators can register for classes at the following URL: Email it to or fax it to OED, Attn: Gloria Armstrong, 303-445-4665.
If students are requested to bring personal laptops to the class and additional software is required, students have the responsibility to contact their local IT staff to request that a privileged created user account ID be placed on their laptop BEFORE traveling to the class.
For information regarding:
-Additional class information
-Local transportation,
-Lodging information
-Non DOI, OFA, and Cooperator registration information/instructions,
-Student class tuitionpolicy
Access:
Basic Hydraulic Principles
SW1004
July 18-22, 2011
Course Outline:
DAYTOPIC
MondayFluid Properties
Forces on Submerged Objects
Overview of Similitude and
Dimensional Analysis
The Energy Equation of an
Ideal Fluid
Velocity Profiles
TuesdayThe Energy Equation Applied to Real Fluid
Flow Resistance
Computation in Steady, Uniform Flow
Flow in Channel Sections with
Variable Roughness
WednesdayThe Momentum Principle
Specific Energy
Determination of Flow Resistance in
Open Channel
Classification of Water Surface Profiles
ThursdayLocal Energy Losses in Natural Channels
Water Surface Profile Computation
Rapidly Varied Flow at Constrictions
Flow Through Culverts
FridayFlow Over Weirs
Team Exercise in Flume in Determine Flow