Research project

REAL: River, Estuary and Coastal resilient infrastructure testing flume

Project overview

The aim of this project is to develop REAL, a novel experimental facility that will revolutionise research in submerged infrastructure by enabling comprehensive multi-phenomena testing.

Creation of this unique facility will require the purchase of equipment comprising a large tilting flume, systems for water pumping and storage, wave generation and absorption, sediment feeding, recirculation and separation and instruments for detailed measurement of water velocities.

These systems will be fully integrated and automated to reproduce scenarios representative of real-world conditions at unprecedented levels of realism.

The research enabled by the facility will pave the way to novel approaches to the design and construction of future infrastructure systems that are both resilient and cost effective.

More information on REAL: River, Estuary and Coastal resilient infrastructure testing flume

Staff

Lead researchers

Professor William Powrie

Professor of Geotechnical Engineering
Research interests
  • Railway track and trackbed behaviour and performance
  • Geotechnical transportation infrastructure (earthworks, retaining walls, tunnels)
  • Groundwater and groundwater control
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Other researchers

Dr Gerald Muller

Associate Professor
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Dr Gustavo De Almeida

Associate Professor
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Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs