Drop structures in drainage systems

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Sewage collection and stormwater drainage systems are a vital component of our urban infrastructure. Current systems are challenged by a combination of urban growth, climate change, and aging. In order to confidently extend the useful life of our existing sewer systems and to minimize the cost of expansions and retrofits, research on the hydraulics of the system components is urgently needed. This project proposes to investigate the performance of various drop structures in our sewer systems. Drop structures are used to connect shallow sewers to deep sewers. Two key questions in the design of drop structures will be addressed: 1) how much energy is lost at drop structures, and 2) how much air is entrained by the falling flow. Three graduate students will conduct their thesis research on this topic: one PhD student will conduct laboratory experiments on scale models of drop structures, another PhD student will conduct corresponding numerical simulations using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package, and an MSc student will carry out field measurements of our existing drop structures. The proposed study is a collaborative research effort among three professors at the University of Alberta, and engineers at Stantec Consulting and the City of Edmonton. The results of the project will be generalized to provide a basis for improving current municipal servicing guidelines. This project is expected to generate a tremendous economic benefit, as it will help in optimizing the design and construction of sewer systems, as well as in minimizing the cost of expansions and retrofits.