Course Outline

CIV202 Hydraulics and Hydrology

Course Coordinator:Anne Ng (wng@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course will introduce you to fundamental hydrological and hydraulic theories. The unit places particular emphasis on the fundamental basis for the estimation of flow in catchment and open channel flow hydraulics and estimating runoff for the design of drainage structures. You will develop the skills required to analyse and design urban drainage networks, water sensitive urban designs, and water supply systems.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Asynchronous weekly learning material 1hr Week 1 12 times
Seminar – On campus 1hr Week 1 Once Only
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus 2hrs Week 1 12 times
Laboratory 1 – On campus 2hrs Week 2 5 times

Course Topics

Topics may include: 

  • Pipeline and pumping systems, pipe networks; steady open channel flow, flow control and flow measurement.
  • Design and analysis of hydraulic structures.
  • Precipitation and its analysis; rainfall and runoff estimation; stormwater management and planning.
  • Soil moisture and soil water movement; Groundwater; sediment characterisation and sediment transport.
  • Flood plain management.

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Competencies from multiple Professional Bodies (see below) *
1 Describe the various forms of energy that are relevant to the flow of fluids, concepts of hydrostatics and pressure measurement, and Reynolds number. Knowledgeable
1, 1, 1.3.a, 1.3.a, 1.3, 1.3
2 Describe the principles of methods for the estimation of peak discharges from a catchment and groundwater flows. Knowledgeable
1, 1, 1.3.a, 1.3.a, 1.3, 1.3
3 Evaluate the water supply for reservoirs from catchments, variation in supply and prediction of future changes in supply. Creative and critical thinker
2, 2, 2.1.a, 2.1.a, 2.1, 2.1
4 Perform laboratory experiments to calculate friction losses and measure flows in hydraulic structures. Empowered
2, 2, 2.2.e, 2.2.h, 2.2, 2.2
5 Apply the equations available for the analysis of flow in pipes and open channels for the solution of practical hydraulic problems. Empowered
2, 2, 2.2.d, 2.2.e, 2.2, 2.2
6 Apply rainfall and runoff calculations and use appropriate procedures for the design of storm water drainage systems. Empowered
2, 2, 2.2.d, 2.2.e, 2.2, 2.2

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE COMPETENCY
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Engineering Technologist Competency Standards
1 Elements of competency: Knowledge and Skill Base
1.3.a Knowledge and Skill Base - In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the technology domain: Proficiently applies advanced technical knowledge and skills to deliver engineering outcomes in specialist area(s) of the technology domain and associated industry, commercial and community sectors.
1.3 Knowledge and Skill Base: In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the technology domain.
2 Elements of competency: Engineering Application Ability
2.1.a Engineering Application Ability - Application of established engineering methods to broadly-defined problem solving within the technology domain: Identifies, discerns and characterises salient issues, determines and analyses causes and effects, justifies and applies appropriate simplifying assumptions, predicts performance and behaviour, synthesises solution strategies and develops substantiated conclusions.
2.2.e Engineering Application Ability - Application of engineering techniques, tools and resources within the technology domain: Applies a wide range of engineering tools for analysis, simulation, visualisation, synthesis and design, assesses accuracy and limitations of such tools, and validates results.
2.1 Engineering Application Ability: Application of established engineering methods to broadly-defined problem solving within the technology domain.
2.2 Engineering Application Ability: Application of engineering techniques, tools and resources within the technology domain.
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Professional Engineer Competency Standards
1 Elements of competency: Knowledge and Skill Base
1.3.a Knowledge and Skill Base - In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline: Proficiently applies advanced technical knowledge and skills in at least one specialist practice domain of the engineering discipline.
1.3 Knowledge and Skill Base: In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
2 Elements of competency: Engineering Application Ability
2.1.a Engineering Application Ability - Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving: Identifies, discerns and characterises salient issues, determines and analyses causes and effects, justifies and applies appropriate simplifying assumptions, predicts performance and behaviour, synthesises solution strategies and develops substantiated conclusions.
2.2.h Engineering Application Ability - Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources: Safely applies laboratory, test and experimental procedures appropriate to the engineering discipline.
2.2.d Engineering Application Ability - Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources: Applies a wide range of engineering tools for analysis, simulation, visualisation, synthesis and design, including assessing the accuracy and limitations of such tools, and validation of their results.
2.1 Engineering Application Ability: Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
2.2 Engineering Application Ability: Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

SCI107

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

ENG330

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Early feedback will be provided through completion of weekly activities in workshops.  Furthermore, feedback on each assessment will be provided which will be used to help with the following assessment.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Artefact - Technical and Scientific, and Written Piece Group 35%
Approximately five A4 pages including graphs, tables and explanations per student.
Week 7 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Artefact - Technical and Scientific, and Written Piece Group 35%
Approximately five A4 pages including graphs, tables and explanations per student.
Week 12 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Practical / Laboratory Skills, and Written Piece Individual 30%
Approximately three A4 pages including graphs, tables and explanation per student.
Refer to Format Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Design Flood Report
Goal:
Produce a Design Flood Report that presents the flow characteristics of a Design Flood Event at a specified location to guide the design of an infrastructure asset (eg. Bridge, Road, Building). The report will consider the implications of future climate conditions on design outcomes.
Product: Artefact - Technical and Scientific, and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Written Report and Computational Model. The standard will be that of a professional engineering report with appropriate headings, graphs, tables and explanations.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Description of the various forms of energy that are relevant to the flow of fluids, concepts of hydrostatics and pressure measurement, and Reynolds number.
1
2
Description of the principles of methods for the estimation of peak discharges from a catchment and groundwater flows.
2
3
Evaluate the water supply for reservoirs from catchments, variation in supply and prediction of future changes in supply.
3
4
Application of the equations available for the analysis of flow in pipes and open channels for the solution of practical hydraulic problems.
5
5
Application of rainfall and runoff calculations and use appropriate procedures for the design of storm water drainage systems.
6
6
Calculation of friction losses and measure flows in hydraulic structures.
4
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Stormwater Management Plan
Goal:
Produce a Stormwater Management Plan for a proposed urban development. Analyse the surface water runoff of the existing and proposed development. Design drainage infrastructure to manage the stormwater across the Site in accordance with industry best practice. 
The report will consider the implications of future climate conditions on design outcomes.
Product: Artefact - Technical and Scientific, and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Written Report and Computational Model
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Description of the various forms of energy that are relevant to the flow of fluids, concepts of hydrostatics and pressure measurement, and Reynolds number.
1
2
Description of the principles of methods for the estimation of peak discharges from a catchment and groundwater flows.
2
3
Evaluate the water supply for reservoirs from catchments, variation in supply and prediction of future changes in supply.
3
4
Application of the equations available for the analysis of flow in pipes and open channels for the solution of practical hydraulic problems.
5
5
Application of rainfall and runoff calculations and use appropriate procedures for the design of storm water drainage systems.
6
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Laboratory Workshop Reports
Goal:
Produce a Lab Report summarising the laboratory workshop experiment and outcomes.
Product: Practical / Laboratory Skills, and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Produce a Lab Report summarising the laboratory workshop experiment and outcomes. Submit the report for any 3 of the 5 laboratory classes 2 weeks after the Laboratory classes, which are held in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Description of the various forms of energy that are relevant to the flow of fluids, concepts of hydrostatics and pressure measurement, and Reynolds number.
1
2
Description of the principles of methods for the estimation of peak discharges from a catchment and groundwater flows.
2
3
Perform laboratory experiments to calculate friction losses and measure flows in hydraulic structures.
4
Generic Skills:
Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Recommended Anthony Ladson 2008 Hydrology: An Australian Introduction n/a Oxford University Press

Specific requirements

Nil

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: - The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% - The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale - You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: