Capability | Hydrotec & Engineering Consultants

River and Coastal Engineering

River and coastal engineering play a vital role in the civil and water resources sectors. Its applications significantly influence human life, ecosystems, and socio-economic development, shaping regional and national policy decisions.

Until the 1990s, engineering projects in river and coastal areas relied primarily on physical models and analytical solutions. While these methods provide for accurate assessments of certain geometric complexities, they are often time-consuming and expensive. With the advent of personal computers, mathematical modelling gained popularity, particularly in the early 21st century. This led to the development of commercial modelling tools for Windows-based systems, enabling the quick and efficient analysis of river and coastal flow processes, even over large spatial and temporal scales.

Despite these advancements, the fundamental principles of fluid dynamics remain essential for creating sustainable, efficient, and eco-friendly engineering designs.

Hydrotec & Engineering Consultants utilise industry-standard modelling software for various flood risk assessments and drainage strategies. Our services include:

- Fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flood risk assessments

- Drainage strategy development

- Flood mitigation and alleviation

- Project appraisal studies

- Flood forecasting and mapping

- Surface water management plans

- Analysis of wave overtopping and morphology

We generally utilise the following software:

River and Coastal modelling:

1D-2D Flood Modeller,
Estry-TuFlow
EurOtop

Hydrology:

FEH (Flood Estimation Handbook)
ReFH2.3 (Revitalised Flood Hydrograph)

Flood risk assessment Policies:

NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework)
TAN15 (Technical Advice Note 15) and
SPP (Scottish Planning Policy)

Morphology: MIKE 21

GIS software:

MapInfo
ArcGIS
QGIS
LiDAR
OS Master Map

These tools and services ensure comprehensive management of flood risks and associated challenges.

Water Quality Modelling

Water quality in our ecosystems is crucial for maintaining good environmental conditions and preserving aquatic species from extinction due to pollution. Humans and aquatic life are closely interconnected; when one system is not properly maintained, it can have a negative impact on the other.

Modern urbanisation and industrialisation, along with the use of pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture, contribute significantly to pollution in our ecosystems. These pollutants can enter and contaminate surface water and groundwater systems in various ways. Without proper regulations and mitigation efforts, the entire ecosystem can suffer from numerous adverse impacts, including economic, social, ecological, and biological consequences.

Water quality modelling is an important method for assessing and quantifying various water quality constituents. This information is vital for better management of our aquatic and ecological systems.

Hydrotec & Engineering Consultants have significant experience in water quality modelling from inception to project delivery. We utilise industry-standard tools such as MIKE 11, DuFlow, and Flood Modeller.

Urban Drainage

Assessing flood risk in urban drainage systems, including both wastewater and surface water, has become a standard practice in planning developments and upgrading existing drainage networks. Utilising computer models with GIS applications can efficiently and accurately evaluate the drainage capacity of complex and extensive urban systems. These drainage network models incorporate a variety of hydraulic, hydrological, land-use, and numerical parameters, all of which can significantly influence the simulation outputs. In some cases, specific user-defined parameters have such a strong impact that the fundamental governing equations for water flow and mass balance may become less effective. Consequently, the results of a model are highly dependent on how the drainage network systems are represented.

Hydrotec & Engineering Consultants utilise the advanced InfoWorks ICM model to evaluate the drainage capacity and flood risk of urban drainage systems. Our services include developing new models as well as extending existing ones to assess drainage capacity and provide sustainable solutions for urban drainage systems.

Structural Design and Geotechnical Engineering

Hydrotec and Engineering Consultants offer specialised consultancy services for the structural engineering design of buildings, including concrete, steel, and masonry, as well as assessing the existing conditions of structures. We also provide assessment and design services in geotechnical engineering.

Research and Development

Hydrotec and Engineering Consultants specialise in research and development, particularly in numerical modelling related to hydraulics, sediment transport, and surface water quality. Our main goal is to enhance the understanding of flow physics. To achieve this, we utilise a range of tools, including open-source codes, primarily FORTRAN and MATLAB programming, as well as advanced computational software like Delft 3D.