Hydraulic Engineering

in Inland and Coastal Areas

Waterways engineering faces many challenges: adapting the economic capacity of inland waterways and seaports, including their fairways, to future needs; developing river engineering concepts; and maintaining or restoring the ecological connectivity of rivers. Our focal topics range from the optimisation of waterways engineering structures through to assistance systems for efficient ship handling, and from the impact of river control structures like groynes to optimised waterways maintenance strategies, e.g. by means of sediment management. Our field of research is inland waterways with a total length of 7,350 km and coastal waterways covering an area of 23,000 km2.

A comprehensive understanding of systems is necessary to develop holistic solutions in line with the numerous functions federal waterways are expected to fulfil. A variety of scientific methods and techniques are employed here, which are continuously adapted and developed according to state-of-the-art science. This enables the implementation of practical solutions and increases the quality of forecasts of hydraulic and morphological developments or ship dynamics.

In our investigations we use the following methods:

  • numerical simulations
  • hydraulic modelling
  • field measurements
  • ship handling simulation
  • control system simulations
  • design software

The statements provided in BAW expert opinions need to be highly reliable. This calls for a high-capacity infrastructure and extensive quality assurance of the employed methods and findings.

Our examinations and research findings provide important decision-making inputs and valid data for the waterways engineering tasks of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) and the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV). In addition, project-related measurement data and the results of numerical modelling are documented and made publicly accessible in line with the BAW's open data strategy (BAW Datenrepository). To this end, BAW data are merged with other data sources to supply comprehensive information on special topics across authorities to the public (cf. MDI-DE geoportal).