Hydraulic Laboratory - Inffeldgasse 26

Graz University of Technology

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Open for Collaboration

Short Description

In 2009, an additional laboratory of the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management was commissioned at Inffeldgasse. The facility consists of a three-sided, roofed hall with a floor area of 2,500 m² (25 × 100 m). The clear height beneath the crane girder is 4 m.

Due to its large dimensions, the laboratory is particularly well suited for large-scale physical models of rivers and river reaches. In addition to experiments with fixed beds, tests with movable beds can also be conducted. This allows sediment transport processes and the resulting morphological changes to be investigated and quantified under controlled conditions.

Water is supplied to the models by four variable-speed pumps with a combined maximum discharge of 1,000 l/s. The water is drawn from an underground reservoir and conveyed to the models through pipes with a diameter of 400 mm. After passing through the models, the water is returned to the underground reservoir via covered return channels and a sediment trap, making it available for subsequent experiments.

The facility also hosts a station of the TU Graz MINKT Laboratory. A mobile water circulation system allows children and young people to explore fundamental principles of fluid flow and hydraulics through hands-on experiments. Students can conduct experiments themselves, for example by generating waves, enabling them to directly experience and understand fundamental hydraulic and fluid-mechanical phenomena.

Contact Person

Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Haun, Ph.D.

Research Services

Investigation of hydraulic and hydraulic engineering issues, particularly in the fields of high- and low-head hydropower, flood protection measures, and river engineering.

Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure

The research infrastructure enables the experimental investigation of complex hydraulic and water engineering problems using physical model studies. The methodological expertise covers the design, construction, and operation of scaled hydraulic models, as well as the measurement and analysis of flow, pressure, and discharge conditions. The Institute has many years of research experience, particularly in the fields of high- and low-pressure hydraulic systems, hydropower, flood protection, and river engineering. The infrastructure supports both fundamental scientific research and application-oriented model studies for the analysis and optimization of hydraulic structures and engineering measures.

In addition to laboratory-based experimental investigations, the Institute has extensive mobile measurement equipment for collecting hydraulic and morphological data in the field. This enables flow velocities, water levels, discharges, and other relevant hydraulic and morphological parameters to be measured directly in rivers and at hydraulic structures. The field data are used both to analyze real-world conditions and as a basis for the design, calibration, and validation of physical and numerical models. The combination of field measurements, experimental model studies, and specialized expertise enables a comprehensive investigation of a broad range of hydraulic and water engineering problems.