Cofunded by the European Union

Institution/Coordinating Institution : 
Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (BOKU)
Other partners : 
Federal Office for Water Management (Austria) - Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Hydrometric Testing (Austria)
Country : 
Austria
Current Status : 
Active
Location : 
Institut für Wasserwirtschaft, Hydrologie und konstruktiven Wasserbau Wien
RI Type : 
Single Site RI (Geographically localised central facility)
Level of Access : 
Other
(Austrian RI database)
Cost of Access : 
Other
(Defined after contact)
Keywords : 
Ultrasonic Cross-correlation - Pressure Sensor - Sidelooking Doppler Probes - Turbidity Probe - Flow - Water Level Height - Channel - Large-scale - Large Water Volume - Danube - Water - Flowing Water - River - Free-flowing Channel - Sediment
Water4All Keywords : 
Water Infrastructures
Domains and thematic area : 
Sustainable Water Management
Services provided : 
Access monitoring sites - Multi-scale analysis - Other
(setups and flow test)
Equipment : 
Hydraulic laboratory - Observation networks and tools - Numerical modelling - Physical modelling - Other
(Test setups and flow tests in the field of water management and hydrology Hydraulic engineering model tests on a large scale (up to 1:1))

The channel is 120 m long and runs mostly underground. The channel is not covered over a length of 30 m and can be used for research purposes. The channel is 5 m wide and a maximum water depth of 3 m can be set. The unique thing about this outdoor channel is the large amount of water that is available. Due to the difference in water level between the Danube and the Danube Canal, flows of up to 10 m³/s are possible without pumps. The flow and water level can be adjusted using three spindle-operated gates. Devices for measuring flow (ultrasonic cross-correlation), flow velocity ("side-looking Doppler probes"), water depths (pressure sensor) and turbidity (scattered light sensor) are already installed in the channel. The size of the research channel makes it possible to carry out tests on a 1:1 scale. This means that conditions that only occur in the field during flood events can be simulated and monitored with the level of detail of a laboratory test.

The research channel was built in 2014 as part of the EU project SEDDON (SEDiment Research and Management on the Danube) on the Brigittenau Sporn in Vienna, on the so-called Nussdorf lock island, between the Danube and the Danube Canal. It also represents the supply line for the future new hydraulic engineering laboratory of the BOKU, which is part of "Activity 1" of the Danube Region Strategy Flagship Project DREAM (Danube River REsearch And Management).

Research Infrastructures

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The Water4All Partnership - Water Security for the Planet - is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

It is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (a key funding programme for research and innovation). The Partnership duration is for seven years from 2022.

The Water4All objective is to enable water security at a large scale and in the long term. Its goal is also to tackle water issues in a holistic frame. 

All forms of life on earth need water. All human activities operate with this resource. Water is part of our everyday life. It is also integrated within urban and countryside landscapes. It is one of the most valuable elements we share with plants and animals.

These simple facts must be kept in mind to understand the Water4All ambition.

This resource is weakened in many places due to climate changes, and human habits. We know that we can improve the way we use water. Everyone has a role to play and especially the scientific research community.

Scientific research is the heart of the Partnership as It is a powerful tool to improve knowledge on preserving, restoring, and managing this essential resource. 

International cooperation is also needed as water has no borders on Earth and runs from one country to another.

Water4All brings together a broad and cohesive group of 90 partners from 33 countries in the European Union and beyond. This consortium gathers partners from the whole water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) chain.