Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Civil Engineering School
Key concepts from introductory courses in hydrology are applied to urban environments to derive information to inform the design of water cycle infrastructure. Catchment processes including precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration and runoff are examined in the context of sustainable urban design. Techniques for statistical analysis of hydrologic data to support hydrologic design are introduced. Principles for the design of infrastructure to address common water quality issues for urban environments as well as water harvesting to offset potable water supply are also examined. Various modelling tools are used to explore different water sensitive design scenarios.
Urban hydrology is an important component of modern civil and environmental engineering practice. Urban hydrology applications to water sensitive urban design form a key part of the current shift towards the design and construction of more sustainable urban centres. This course aims to provide students with specialist knowledge and skills in urban hydrology so that they are able to effectively contribute to urban water projects.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students are assumed to have a knowledge of introductory engineering mathematics and statistics as well as introductory fluid mechanics.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
MATH1051 and MATH1052 and (STAT2201 or CIVL2530) and CIVL2131 and CIVL2135.
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
([CIVL3140 and CIVL3141] or CIVL3155) and (CIVL6121 or CIVL4145)
Restrictions
Minimum of 30 students, or at Head of School's discretion.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with specialist knowledge and skills in urban hydrology so that they are able to effectively contribute to urban water projects.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Describe and explain the key components of the hydrological cycle and how they relate to each other in different urban settings.
LO2.
Analyse components of urban stormwater drainage in terms of their water and mass balances and their drainage performance for a range of hydrological scenarios.
LO3.
Apply contemporary concepts of water sensitive urban design to develop solutions to various urban water and waterway management objectives.
LO4.
Select, interpret and use information on the magnitude of hydrological events for design of civil and environmental engineering infrastructure.
LO5.
Explain and defend the approach to, the conclusions from, and the limitations of an urban stormwater hydrological analysis.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Quizzes
|
20% |
Worth 10% 26/03/2025 10:00 am Worth 10% 7/05/2025 10:00 am |
| Project | Project Report | 30% |
11/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final exam
|
50% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Quizzes
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Worth 10% 26/03/2025 10:00 am
Worth 10% 7/05/2025 10:00 am
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
The online quiz 1 tests basic understanding of lecture and tutorial material from weeks 1-4 and is to be completed during the week 5 tutorial session.
The online quiz 2 tests basic understanding of lecture and tutorial material from weeks 5-9 and is to be completed during the week 10 tutorial session.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
The quiz will be undertaken and submitted online using Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Project Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
11/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
An individual written report on the design of an urban water system that addresses a specific project brief. A briefing document for this assessment item will be available via the course Blackboard site.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Electronic copy of report to be uploaded via link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students need to achieve a grade of 3 or higher in the final exam in order for a pass grade to be awarded for the course.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - specified written materials permitted |
| Materials | An unannotated bilingual dictionary is permitted. |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate an understanding of fundamental principles of urban hydrology and their application to engineering practice. Negligible knowledge and application ability of core material, including during the exam. Achieves an aggregated overall grade of less than 2. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 45 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate an understanding of fundamental principles of urban hydrology and their application to engineering practice. Insufficient knowledge and application skills in core material, particularly during the exam. Achieves an aggregated overall grade of less than 3. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Does not satisfy all basic requirements for a Pass, particularly during the exam. Superficial knowledge and insufficient application ability of core material. Inadequately argued support for choices made and interpretation. Achieves an aggregated overall grade of less than 4. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Achieves a minimum of a grade 3 on the final exam. Sound knowledge of core material and ability to apply in standard contexts, particularly during the exam. See additional information on exam criteria below. Satisfactory support for choices made and interpretation. Achieves an aggregated overall grade greater than or equal to 4. Students demonstrate adequate ability to perform hydrologic calculations, produce diagrams, explain solutions and convey such calculations and solutions clearly in a conventional format with appropriate units, notation and justification of assumptions. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Achieves a minimum of a grade 4 on the final exam. Comprehensive knowledge and application ability with respect to core material, particularly during the exam. See additional information on exam criteria below. Well argued support for choices made and interpretation. Achieves an aggregated overall grade greater than or equal to 5. Students demonstrate substantial ability to perform hydrologic calculations, derive algebraic solutions, produce diagrams, explain solutions and convey such calculations and solutions clearly in a conventional format with appropriate units, notation and justification of assumptions. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Achieves a minimum of a grade 5 on the final exam. Comprehensive understanding and some ability to apply the theory to new problems, particularly during the exam. Well argued support for choices made and interpretation. Achieves an aggregated overall grade greater than or equal to 6. Students demonstrate high ability to perform hydrologic calculations, explain solutions and convey such calculations and solutions clearly in a conventional format with appropriate units, notation and justification of assumptions. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Achieves a minimum of a grade 6 on the final exam. Comprehensive knowledge and in depth understanding is demonstrated together with strong ability to apply the theory to new types of problems, particularly during the exam. Demonstrated high level innovation and insight in problem-solving with well argued support for choices made and interpretation as appropriate. Achieves an aggregated overall grade greater than or equal to 6.5. Student demonstrates an excellent ability to perform hydrologic calculations, produce diagrams, explain solutions and convey such calculations and solutions clearly in a conventional format with appropriate units, notation and justification of assumptions. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Where a student has been granted supplementary assessment and the form of assessment is a written examination held during the University's designated deferred and supplementary examination period the final grade awarded will be based on the results of the supplementary examination only, and a passing grade for the course will be awarded only if the student receives a passing grade or mark on the supplementary examination/s. The pass mark for the supplementary exam will be 50%.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Lecture |
Lecture Series The course is based on a 12-week series of lectures. Lectures expand on material presented in the pre-reading material and provide background information for the tutorial questions. Lectures usually include a brief overview of the theory and key concepts, sometimes with worked examples similar to problems given in tutorials and exams. The lectures also provide an important overview of the course and additional discussion of assessment. The University's video capture system will be used to record lectures if it is available in the allocated teaching space and to make the videos available to students. It should be noted that this system can fail from time-to-time so students should not rely on the video recordings as their primary means of accessing the lecture material. Lecture video recordings are automatically made available via the course Blackboard site. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Weekly tutorial session Problem-based learning in tutorial class with guidance from course staff. Each tutorial session will focus on a different set of tutorial modules that relate to the material covered in lectures during the current and preceding weeks. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 7 |
Workshop |
Workshop sessions Weekly workshop session that will be primarily used to assist students to progressively complete their project report. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 12 |
Excursion |
UQ wetland tour During scheduled lecture time, a 1- hour guided tour will be undertaken of the UQ constructed wetland, where wetland design principles learned in the lectures will be seen as applied in practice and explanation of the design and operation challenges provided. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: