Hydraulic Engineering of Dams (PDF)

Robert Boes studied civil engineering in Germany and France, graduating from the Technical University of Munich in 1996. He then became a research engineer at ETH Zurich (Switzerland), obtaining a Doctorate in hydraulic engineering in 2000. After a postdoctoral research period at ETH Zurich, he joined in 2002 the Hydro Engineering Department of the Tyrolean Utility TIWAG in Innsbruck, Austria, where he was involved in various projects relating to hydropower schemes, hydraulics and flood protection and became head of the Dam Construction Group. In 2009, he was appointed Professor for Hydraulic Structures at ETH Zurich, where he directs the Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW). He is vice-president of the Swiss National Committee on Dams and a board member of the Swiss Association for Water Resources Management, and the Energy Science Council at ETH Zurich. He is work package leader "Hydropower" of the Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research - Supply of Electricity, and is involved with dam and flood protection projects in Switzerland and abroad. His research interests are mainly related to dam hydraulics and dam safety, reservoir sedimentation, impulse waves, hydropower & environment, sediment monitoring, hydro-abrasive wear of hydraulic structures and machinery, and flood protection.

Michael Pfister graduated in Civil Engineering from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, in 2002. He then joined the Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) at ETH Zurich. In 2007, he obtained a Doctorate in Sciences. In 2010, he joined the Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH) of EPFL, Switzerland, as a Research and Teaching Associate. There, he initiated research axes and advised PhD students, was a Lecturer and a project manager for hydropower-related model studies. The Haute école d'ingénierie et d'architecture Fribourg (HEIA-FR, HES-SO), Switzerland, appointed him in 2016 as Professor for Hydraulic Engineering. During his activities, Michael was responsible for research projects on high-speed two-phase flows, on Piano Key weirs, on urban drainage structures, and on wave dynamics. Physical modelling was the main approach for many of his research issues. He was active in consulting and supervised several applied physical model studies conducted for dam owners. Michael has published dozens of peer-reviewed journal papers and served as editor of several books in the above-mentioned topics. He is a member of various national and international committees and associations.