Detailed Programme

Full day – departs Lyon 8:00, return Lyon 19:00, includes lunch

Visit and presentation of Artelia’s 10,000 m2 Hydraulics Laboratory

Laboratoire Dauphinois d’Hydraulique was created in Grenoble in 1917 to support the industrial development of hydroelectricity in the French Alps. Since the first river physical scale model with rigid bottom which was implemented in 1923, continuous progress was made and experience accumulated to model with increasing accuracy water and sediment transport processes thanks to physical scale models.

ARTELIA inherited of this tradition and operates presently a 10,000m2 laboratory to perform its consulting engineering activities: in this facility, about 25 physical scale models are constructed every year to carry out engineering studies: design of harbor protection structures, barrages and hydropower production equipment, canal locks, pumping stations, bridges and flood culverts in river valleys, etc.

Long term sediment transport processes and morphological evolution of coastal inlets and rivers is also a specialty of the laboratory which has been applied to prestigious sites such as the Mont Saint-Michel Bay, the Loire river estuary or the Seine river estuary to design the extension of Le Havre harbor. Environmental integration of development projects is a constant preoccupation to which physical scale models contribute deeply.

It is important for engineers, project managers and owner/operators to understand the type of problems for which a physical scale model is a useful and, sometimes, unique tool. The field of scale model use is wide:

• Hydraulic structures studies and river engineering
• High dams and run-of-river dams
• High lift height and complex lock
• Storm water hydraulic structures
• Pumping stations
• Coastal and harbour engineering
• Sediment transport studies, both aiming at forecasting morphological evolution of natural sites under various constraints and at studying the stability of man-made equipment, for a wide variety of water bodies: torrents, rivers, dam reservoirs, estuaries, deltas, coastal shorelines, lakes, etc.
• Environmental studies, with the specific case of gravity-driven flows (thermal and salinity plumes)
• Navigation training (Ship handling training using manned models)

Visit and presentation of the hydraulic structures and Flood Protection Schemes of the River Isère by AD Isère

The Isère Amont project (winner of the PREVIRISQ INNONDATIONS 2016 prize) has been commissioned by the Symbhi (Syndicat Mixte des Bassins Hydrauliques de l’Isere) and is managed by Egis Geotechnique, Egis Eau and Hydretudes. It is based on making available for inundation enlarged flood plains all along the 50 km long Isere valley. It delivers protection of all the urbanized areas from a bicentennal flood, from Pontcharra to Grenoble, at a total works cost of 135 million euros. The first construction phase for the downstream 10 km of river near Grenoble (52 million euros) will be finished in 2016. The final phase for the other part of the valley (83 million euros)commences in November 2015 and is due for completion in 2021-2022.

The key measure of the project is enlarged flood plain. Flows in excess of the 30-year return period flood are stored in 16 enlarged floodable areas - named “CIC” or “champ d’inondation controlee”- having a total area of 3 500 ha and a potential volume of 25 Hm3. These areas are optimised to store between 1 and 2 meters of water depth of the bicentennal flood. They enable regulation of extreme flows in the Isère high flow, which vary from 1900 m3/s in Pontcharra to 1 200 m3/s in Grenoble.

Flood water enters the enlarged floodable areas either over spillways or through removable floodgates. The subsequent draining of these areas is achieved by use of agricultural drainage channels. This operation is the largest project in France of this type currently in progress.

During the visit, tour will be provided around the first construction phase of this project. This tour will offer an opportunity to view examples of different works (levees, spillways, floodgates) as well as a overall vision of the expanding flood plain system in its context.