The course aims to introduce the student to the fluvial environment and its interactions with the hydrographic basin and the landscape with the aim to show the complexity of Spatio-temporal evolution of river systems. In order to make decisional choices, environmentally compatible, the students will be provided with a plethora of tools concerning river modelling and interventions, river restoration and remediation. Field and laboratory activities are fundamental parts of the course (see example at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3xa5hiQH5c)

Knowledge of the river system as a vector for transporting water, solids and substances; Knowledge of the transfer mechanisms and the effects on the river, especially with regard to the space-time evolution of the river environment; Knowledge of the dynamics of interaction between the river and the surrounding environment regarding the transfer of water to and from the river, movement of solid substances and dissolved substances; Knowledge of the problems related to the design of hydraulic protection systems; Knowledge of issues of a territorial, social, economic nature, etc ... related to the use and exploitation of the river area. Knowledge of intervention design for river engineering and restoration

Hydraulics (or fluid mechanics), hydrology (or hydro-meteorological risk assessment)

1. Setting the scene (6h) Introduction. Geomorphological background. Identification of morphological units. Hydrological background. Open issues: the question of the formative discharge; sediment connectivity Current policies. National legislation and EU directives. 2. Hydrodynamic modelling of river systems (13.5 h, 9L + 1.5EA + 3EL) Shallow water approximation. 1D and 2D de Saint-Venant equations (3h) Steady flows in natural channels (1.5h) Bresse equation. Backwater curves in particular cases. Numerical integration (1.5h) Role of vegetation in composite geometry (1.5h) Unsteady flows, flood propagation, dam break solutions (3h) Laboratory of 2D hydro-informatics with HecRas2d (3.0h) 3. Sediment mechanics (9h, 6L+3EA) Characterization of sediments (proprieties, granulometry, sampling techniques). (1h) Initiation of transport: Shields theory, the effect of lateral and longitudinal slopes (1.5h) Bedload sediment transport: mechanism, formulations (2 h) Suspended sediment transport: mechanism, formulations (1.5h) Computation of the total sediment transport (3h) 4. Morphodynamics (14.0h, 8L+4.5EA+1.5EL) Principles: Exner equation, closures, physical consequences of the hyperbolic character (1.5h) Morphodynamic backwater curves. The response of width changes in bed elevation. (1.5h) Dunes: processes, predictive tools, form drag resistance, effects in river engineering (1h+1h) Bars: processes and predictive tools, the role of vegetation, effects on navigation (1.5h) Meanders: processes and theories. Free Matlab tools for prediction and analysis of meandering rivers (1.5h+1.5h) 1D unsteady models: Linear and nonlinear diffusive models, the case of scour propagation, effects of weirs (1.5+3h) 5. Erosion processes: bank erosion and bridge scouring (4h) Laboratory of 2D morphodynamics (1.5h) 6. Field data collection (4.5 h) Bathymetry, Stage and Discharge measurement Sediment transport Hydro-morphological characterization Riparian vegetation assessment Biological monitoring (fish, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, diatoms) 7. River engineering (12h, 7.5L+4.5EA) Hydromorphological relationships. Hydraulic channel design (Lane, Glover & Florey, Dey) (1.5h+1.5h) Interventions for bed regulation: Weirs, sills, rock chutes (3h+1.5h) Bank protection design: groynes, spur dykes, embankments, gabion box, levee design (3h+1.5h) 8. River restoration (15.0h, 10.5+4.5) Principles: Biotic and abiotic factors in fluvial ecology. What do we mean by RR? The river continuum concept and sediment spiralling. The role of the riparian zone. Fluvial connectivity. Re-activation of secondary channels. Effects of Sediment Replenishment downstream of dams. Meso-scale habitat assessment, modelling and restoration Environmental flow design; Hydropeaking: assessment and mitigation measures Weir removal (case studies) Fish migration, fish ladders and nature-like passages Notable case studies 9. Field trip Flow measurements Granulometric sampling Eco-Morphological assessement

The course is organized in (approximately) 50 hours of frontal teaching, 15 hours of classroom exercises, 12 hours in the geoinformatics laboratory, 3 hours of seminars. A field activity is planned on a river near Turin, in order to carry out liquid flow measurements, morphological characterization, and particle size evaluation.

Given the vast multidisciplinary nature of the subject matter, the course mainly refers to what is distributed and recommended during the lessons (including handouts, notes and slides from the teachers). However, some basic textbooks of river hydraulics are cited: - Fluvial hydraulics: flow and transport processes in channels of simple geometry / Walter H. Graf, M.S. - Fluvial Hydrodynamics Hydrodynamic and Sediment Transport Phenomena / Dey, Subhasish / Springer - River Mechanics / Pierre Julien - Cambridge University Press (2002) - Stream and Watershed Restoration / Roni & Beechie / Wilwey-Blackwell 2013 - Principi di idraulica fluviale / Aronne Armanini. - Castrolibero: Bios, c2005 - La sistemazione dei bacini idrografici / Vito Ferro – McGraw Hill, 2002 - Opere di sistemazione idraulico-forestale a basso impatto ambientale / Vito Ferro et al. - McGraw-Hill, 2004 - https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/floodplains-a-natural-system-to-preserve-and-restore Of particular interest is the e-book by Prof. Gary Parker (in English) which can be downloaded from the address: http://hydrolab.illinois.edu/people/parkerg/morphodynamics_e-book.htm

Slides;

Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula); Elaborato scritto prodotto in gruppo; Elaborato progettuale in gruppo;

Exam: Written test; Group essay; Group project;

... The purpose of the exam is to verify: i) learning of the fundamental processes and mechanisms that characterize river morphodynamics (1D and 2D), solid and suspended transport, river monitoring and assessment; ii) the ability to solve forecasting and design problems inherent to hydraulic adjustments and river restoration; iii) the ability to organize and present a technical report on the hydro-geomorphological analysis of a real river and the design of restoration actions. 50% of the grade is based on the evaluation of the workgroups (max 6 people), and 50% is based on the verification of the individual learning. The exam is divided into 2 separated and independent evaluations, each weighing 50% on the final grade, which concern one written test and the evaluation of the products of workgroups: 1) The written exam (overall 120 min) consists in answering two questions. The first one (30 min) is an open question about a theoretical topic exposed in the course. In this phase, the student must demonstrate the knowledge of the required topic in general terms (mnemonic knowledge of empirical formulas is not required). In this phase, it is not allowed to consult notes or texts. The grade obtained for this part weighs 25% on the final grade. The second question (90 min) is about a design problem concerning one of the technical topics covered in the course. In this phase, it is allowed to browse notes, handouts or texts. The grade obtained for this part weighs 25% of the final grade. 2) The evaluation of the group work is based on two steps: i) The assessment of the technical report that the group has prepared on a real case study, involving a natural river and that has presented orally after the end of the course, through a presentation that will involve each element of the group (25% of the final grade); ii) The report of solutions of the proposed 4 exercises that were exposed and discussed during the lectures and laboratory activities (25% of the final grade). The results of the written tests remain valid for the entire academic year. There is no particular deadline for the submission of group documents.

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.