Head:
Address:
Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT)
Institute for Water and Environment
- Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management -
Kaiserstrasse 12
76131 Karlsruhe
Phone: +49 (0)721 - 608-44418
Email: wasserbau∂iwu.kit.edu
Visiting address:
The challenges facing water managers and engineers nowadays are manifold, complex, and require cross disciplinary approaches. These challenges include the safety of hydraulic natural and built systems, ageing infrastructures, pollution, guarantee of energy and food security, sustainable development and safety of urban environment, ecological feedbacks and an uncertain future.
Our group develops research towards engineering solutions for the design, the planning and the implementation of sustainable water infrastructures prepared for global change. We investigate the mechanics of flowing water and its interaction with key elements of a river basin such as sediments, dissolved matter, gases, living organisms and people. More specifically, the group is committed to develop research on four main topics: sustainable and secure water for supply, food and energy; adaptive and multi-functional hydraulic systems; healthy rivers; and geophysical processes in rivers and lakes.
From 08.-10.07.2026 the Wasserbau-Symposium took place in Zurich. This conference was perfectly organized by ETH Zurich in collaboration with TU Munich and TU Graz and brought together over 200 participants from hydraulic engineering research and practice in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. IWU-WB was represented by Frank Seidel and Daniel Beetz who gave a talk on the overload behavior of bridges in extreme flood events. Additionally, Tim Jakobs and Peter Oberle presented a poster on the impact of flow-depth-dependent roughness coefficients in modeling pluvial flash floods. Versatile sessions, posters, a panel discussion, and visits to the hydraulic lab and the Platzspitz weir construction site were the basis for valuable technical exchange and fruitful discussions.
In his lecture 'It Takes a Nation of Processes to Forge a River' Mário Franca presented rivers as dynamic systems shaped by the interaction of hydrological, geomorphological, ecological, and human processes. Four research lines focusing on transport and transformation processes related to floodplain forests, wood, sediments, and landscape hazards were discussed, highlighting their implications for river management, restoration, and sustainability. Using examples from his own research, Mário Franca concluded by discussing how the gap between scientific knowledge and practical action can be bridged in the face of societal paralysis that often hinders implementation.
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Three postdoctoral researchers presented their work at the IAHR RiverFlow 2026 conference in Thessaloniki: Dr James Lofty on plastic transport, Dr Daniel Rebai on the shapes and sizes of plastic pollution, and Dr Luiz de Oliveira on river hydrodynamic processes. Representatives from IWU-WB also hosted a masterclass on plastic transport in rivers with Professor Mário Franca. The event provided a valuable opportunity to share research, exchange ideas and connect with the international river science community.
The overarching objective of the WiPaD research project (Widerstandsparametrisierung bei Dünnfilmabfluss), funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg, is to enhance the predictive accuracy of 2D hydrodynamic models for determining heavy rain hazard maps. Following extensive studies on grassland, WiPaD 2.0 now focuses on arable land. In coordination with the LUBW, summer wheat was initially planted on the two test plots. It was seeded both parallel to the slope on one plot and perpendicular to the slope on the other for comparative analysis. With the summer wheat now fully mature, field trials will begin shortly. The investigations are conducted in cooperation with the Agricultural Technology Center (LTZ) Augustenberg.
Sediment transport and river morphodynamics remain among the most complex challenges in civil engineering and Earth sciences. While efforts to control them have driven advances in erosion mitigation, flood protection, and navigation, they have also led to interventions that often suppress natural river dynamics. Yet, in the face of climate change, understanding and managing sediment processes remains both a practical necessity and a scientific challenge. In this talk, he will present a series of non-conventional approaches to controlling sediment dynamics that shape his broader vision for sustainable river engineering.
Link to the seminar PDF file
The guided walk along the Pfinz River on Sunday, May 17, met with an enthusiastic response from the public. At six different stations, Dr. Peter Oberle provided a highly engaging and vivid explanation of the background behind current river restoration projects, as well as their significance for both ecology and flood protection. The tour clearly demonstrated the immense amount of engineering expertise and scientific research that underpins the measures taken to enhance the river environment. The participants learned many interesting things about funnel groynes, fish shelters, flow resistance, and morphodynamics—as well as political frameworks and construction-related restrictions. The educational portion of the walk concluded at the Schnellermühle hydroelectric plant and its technical fish ladder. Special thanks go to Petra Schwab, member of the Municipal Council, for initiating this successful event format!
