POTENTIAL MSC/MRES TOPICS
PREDICTING FUTURE CHANGE IN COASTAL WARD DEMOGRAPHICS IN ENGLAND
AND WALES
Objective:
Review historical census data for coastal local authorities over the past 50 years, re-calibrate that data to local
coastal "wards" or "parishes" around the English and Welsh coast to determine social change in coastal areas
over the past 50years. From this work, the project shall be designed to assist Agency and Defra to predict future
problems that may arise that are linked to future land use policy or changing use of the marine environment.
Evidence Based Scenarios can then be used to test the demographic change findings on climate change/flood
risk/regional economic change that may be apparent in 2030.
ASSESSING THE ACCURACY OF RADAR AND RAINGAUGE MEASUREMENTS IN
HEAVY RAINFALL DURING FLOOD EVENTS
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Keywords – meteorology, floods, weather radar, statistical analysis, data validation, GIS
Project Proposed by – Atkins Warrington – one of the UK’s leading groups for research and applications in
the areas of hydrometeorology, flood forecasting and flood warning.
Floods have the potential to cause major damage and disruption to property, business premises and transport
routes, and also present a risk to life in extreme events. Often, the first warning of impending flooding is from
observations of heavy rainfall made using weather radar or telemetered raingauges. Rainfall measurements
may also be used as inputs to flood forecasting models to extend the accuracy and lead times of flood warnings.
For flood forecasting applications, although the use of raingauge data with models is well established, there has
been less take up of weather radar based rainfall measurements due to uncertainties about the accuracy of data
for real time use. However, these impressions are often based on informal assessments rather than detailed
analyses and, where quantitative analyses have been performed, the measures used have often not always
been appropriate to the intended application. The aim of this project would be to review and evaluate the
statistical and other measures used by meteorologists and hydrologists in assessing the accuracy of weather
radar rainfall data, and to apply a selection of these measures to a number of case studies in England and
Wales to determine the techniques most appropriate to flood forecasting applications. The study would involve
a literature review, statistical analyses of time series data, spatial (GIS) analysis of recent weather radar data,
and modelling work using a rainfall runoff forecasting model.
INVESTIGATION OF ALGAL BLOOMS IN PRESTON DOCK BASIN
Preston Dock basin in Preston, Lancashire is the largest single dock basin in England. The water within the dock
regularly suffers from blooms of blue-green algae during the summer months each year. The state of the water
quality in the dock severely affects the domestic, recreational and commercial development around the dock.
The main aim of the project is to investigate the key factors affecting the growth of algae in the dock basin,
establish the most likely cause of the annual bloom development, and subsequently develop a sustainable
management solution to prevent reoccurrence of the algal bloom in the dock.
TECHNIQUES FOR MODELLING THE INFLUENCE OF HYDROPOWER AND WATER
SUPPLY RESERVOIRS IN REAL TIME
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Keywords – flood forecasting, hydrology, hydraulic modelling
Project Proposed by – Atkins Warrington – one of the UK’s leading groups for research and applications in
the areas of hydrometeorology, flood forecasting and flood warning.
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Flood forecasting models are increasingly used to extend the accuracy and lead time of warnings issued during
flood events. Such models typically include rainfall runoff models (relating rainfall to flows), routing models
(relating flows upstream to flows downstream), and – in some cases – real time hydraulic models (which aim to
model tidal, confluence and other complicating influences).
In upland areas of the UK, one additional
complication in developing a forecasting model is often the influence of water supply or hydropower schemes,
since storage, spillway flows, and gate operations can strongly affect the timing and magnitude of flooding at
locations further downstream. Whilst the obvious choice for modelling such schemes is a real time
hydrodynamic model, often this may not be possible on the grounds of cost, run time or data availability, and
simpler techniques must be sought. The aim of this project would be to review the data needs and
approximations for the various approaches which are used for modelling such schemes, then to perform an
intercomparison study for several case studies using both simple and more complex modelling approaches. The
objective would be to attempt to develop some indicative guidance on when a simpler approach is sufficient, and
when a more sophisticated approach is required. The study would involve a literature review, evaluation of a
number of hydrological and hydraulic modelling techniques, including recently developed techniques for runoff
estimation in ungauged catchments, and development of some ‘rules of thumb’ to assist practitioners in the
selection of appropriate modelling approaches.
HIGHWAY DRAINAGE OUTFALL INVESTIGATION
This project concerns the discharge of contaminated surface water and the discharge in case of accidental
spillage on the motorways and trunk roads network into the surrounding watercourses. The objectives of the
study are to propose a methodology for feasibility and pre-design of SuDS* type of mitigating adverse impacts of
these two types of discharges on the surrounding environment.
*SuDS: sustainable urban drainage system
UK BATHING WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE STUDY
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Keywords – Bathing Water Quality, Statistical Analysis, and Strategy
The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for monitoring the bathing water qualities in England and Wales to
ensure the compliance with the EU Bathing Water Directive. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
(SEPA) is the equivalent body responsible for monitoring the bathing water qualities in Scotland. At present
about 96% and 55% of the identified bathing waters in the UK meet the current EU mandatory and guideline
standards (76/160/EEC) respectively, based upon 20 weekly samples during the bathing season. It has been
recognised that the current monitoring and sampling practice may not be adequate to safeguard the bathing
water quality and a new EU Bathing Water Directive has been proposed. As a result of the previous research
work, large amount of data are already available for the project including 5 years (1997-2001) bathing water
quality sampling data for some 450 beaches in England and Wales and majority of data from SEPA. The student
will review the EU policy on Bathing Water Quality, analyse the water quality compliance (Total Coliform, Faecal
Coliform, and Faecal Streptococci) for the UK bathing waters and produce a statistical report on the
improvement of the UK bathing water qualities. Further investigations may also be carried out on the coastal
water quality monitoring and sampling strategy for safeguarding the bathing water quality, taking into account the
proposed New EU bathing water directive.
EVALUATION OF AN ANALYTICAL WIND-INDUCED FLOW MODEL
Wind-induced flow is very important in enclosed or semi-enclosed water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs and
dock basins. An analytical wind-induced flow model can be developed once the shear stress distribution
(typically linear for laminar flow) or the vertical eddy viscosity distribution (typically parabolic for turbulent flow)
has been assumed. The main aim of the study is to evaluate such analytical wind-induced flow models and to
validate the model with published laboratory/field data.
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ABOUT ATKINS
Introduction
Atkins is one of the world’s leading providers of professional, technology based consultancy and support services. In recent
years, it has expanded from its historical base in traditional engineering, management consultancy and property services into
related technological consultancy and the operation and management of client facilities. With over 15,000 staff in 175
countries, Atkins has enormous expertise, providing both breadth and depth of knowledge in an extremely diverse range of
disciplines. Our clients are varied and include governments, utilities, local and regional authorities, funding agencies and
commercial and industrial enterprises. We help our clients to realise their objectives by developing and delivering practical
solutions, adding value to their businesses through the application of our experience, innovative thinking and state-of-the-art
technology.
The Atkins Group encompasses a rarely encountered range of skills and specialisms, from acoustics to market surveys, from
nuclear engineering to zoology. We offer these skills over the full spectrum of client requirements, from one expert for one
day to the planning, implementation and long term management of very large projects. The multi-discipline nature of the
company, with each technological division able to pursue work independently of the others, fosters a high level of expertise
within each division, which may be made available to other parts of the company as well as to our clients where needed to
enhance and strengthen the project teams. This strategy promotes efficiency, as individual technology divisions need not
carry expertise which they do not frequently require, and allow Atkins to rely principally on in-house specialists.
Its success story dates back over six decades, during which the Group has grown from its historical base in traditional
engineering and management consultancy, into a multi-disciplined, international business, offering a unique portfolio of
services. Over the last 10 years, we have expanded rapidly, principally through the absorption of privatised businesses
engaged in facilities management, property services, highways and railway engineering. Our strategy remains that of
maintaining and developing a broad base of technological disciplines and skills across its core business and diversifying into
related areas of infrastructure maintenance and operations and facilities management.
Atkins Water & Environment
Supporting the water and water-related environmental sector with consistently exceptional services, Atkins Water &
Environment is a leading provider of engineering consultancy service - managing assets, operating services, delivering
schemes, programming investment, benchmarking services, balancing risks, developing effective technologies, flood
management, and water supply or wastewater. The Water & Environment Unit of Atkins is at the leading-edge of
innovative solutions, having gained an informed insight into the complexities that govern the business and the demands it
places on the key players involved.
Be it through our quality consulting, engineering and support services to the water sector, or our expertise in forging
enduring partnerships with water companies, utilities, regulators, industry and commerce, our skills in delivering capital
projects and supporting business operations are held in the highest regard throughout the world.
With substantial resources at its disposal, Atkins has acquired an international reputation for its ability to undertake large
and complex projects throughout the world; clients benefit from in-depth sectoral knowledge and technical competence.
However, at the other end of the scale, we are frequently requested to supply the services of individuals and small teams to
provide short and long-term specialist advice.
We are involved in all aspects of the water-environment industry, and provide consultancy services relating to the whole
water cycle including:
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the search for and exploitation of resources;
the audit of distribution systems to detect leakage and losses, and implementation of remedial actions and
procedures, including the design of telemetry systems for the capture of water supply system information; and,
Provision of management advice in respect to institutional strengthening of the water sector.
Production of water and sewage master plans and proposals for water and sewage sludge disposal strategies,
Design and construction supervision of water procurement works, including dams, well fields and river intakes,
Design and construction supervision of water treatment and transmission systems,
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Design and construction supervision of sewerage and sewage treatment plants for urban rainwater run-off and
domestic and industrial wastes,
Assessment of water resources, including groundwater modelling, yield modelling and surface water flow
modelling
Assessment of water distribution and sewerage networks to establish capacities and future expenditure and to
examine water quality, principally through the use of computer modelling,
Planning, design and construction supervision of irrigation, river defence and flood defence works including flood
modelling and GIS
Modelling of groundwater and surface water sources, from both resource and water quality view points,
Forecasting of water demands and assessment of the effects of demand management techniques to control rising
demands in areas of water scarcity,
Protection from pollution of groundwater and surface water sources,
Appraisal of treatment processes and treatment plants and evaluation of remedial works to ensure that quality
requirements - whether water or effluent - are met,
Audit of distribution systems to detect leakage and losses and implementation of remedial actions and procedures,
including the design of telemetry systems for the capture of water supply system information,
Condition assessment of complete water company assets for the production of business planning and expenditure
forecasts.
We are involved in all aspects of the water-environment industry, and provide consultancy services relating to the whole
water cycle.
Rivers and Coastal Engineering Team in Warrington
Atkins Water has a number of Business Units and a UK staff of over 450. The Business Units include Rivers and Coastal
Engineering, Water Resources, Network Distributions, Collections Systems, Infrastructure, Performance Analysis, and
Research and Development. With Offices in Warrington, Leeds, Peterborough, Bracknell, Epsom, Taunton, Bristol and
Swansea, the Rivers and Coastal Engineering Business Unit has a technical staff of approximately 120. The Warrington
Office is the largest with over 30 technical staff. Work undertaken in the office includes flood risk modelling and mapping,
development of flood forecasting models, hydrometeorological studies, catchment strategies, coastal zone management, and
for hydraulic structures such as flood defences - pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, detailed design, and site supervision.
All the work is supported by GIS work etc.
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