BEng Civil Engineering

There is a compulsory field course for Civil Engineering students which incurs a subsidised fee* (approx. £100) that contributes to travel, accommodation and subsistence. You are expected to bring your own wet weather clothing and footwear.

The exact cost and dates of the trip are confirmed at the start of your second year.

* In accordance with current University policy, this fee is restricted to be not more than 1% of the annual tuition fee of the course

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For further information about scholarships and bursaries you can explore our undergraduate fees pages , visit scholarships and bursaries , and check the Department's funding pages .

Hydraulics is the branch of Civil Engineering dealing with fluids and fluid flow.  This unit introduces the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and applies them to calculating forces on hydraulic structures (dams, gates, walls, pipe bends and junctions) and calculating flows and energy losses in pipes and open channels (rivers, canals, etc.).

To introduce students to the basic principles and concepts used in the study of fluid mechanics, to enable students to solve simple physical problems connected with fluid flow connected with Civil Engineering (“Hydraulics”).

1. Properties of fluids: concept of a continuum. Density, viscosity, surface tension, compressibility. Calculating forces due to surface tension and viscosity.

2. Hydrostatics: Pressure, hydrostatic equation. Measurement of pressure, calculating hydrostatic forces on surfaces, centre of pressure.

3. Kinematics: calculating velocity and acceleration in fluid flows.

4. Energy and momentum: Conservation of energy and Bernoulli's equation, application to flow measurement and pressure calculations. Momentum principle and control volumes. Application to calculating forces on hydraulic systems. Open channel flow and hydraulic jumps, calculating flowrate and energy dissipation.

5. Pipeflow: inviscid, laminar and turbulent flow, Reynolds experiment. Head losses.  Calculating flowrate, forces and energy losses in pipe systems.

Marked coursework (problems and completed lab pro formas) will be returned with comments.  These will also be gone through in lectures, identifying common problems.  Lecturer available for individual questions.