Final Report Summary - HYDRALAB IV (HYDRALAB IV More than water; dealing with the complex interaction of water with environmental elements, sediment, structures and ice) Executive Summary:The issues society is dealing with at the moment, such as development of adaptive strategies to climate change and increasing environmental pressures as well as developing sustainable protective measures against various natural hazards (floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.), require a profound knowledge of the behaviour of water and its interaction with the environment. In HYDRALAB we bring together the most important experimental infrastructures in the European hydraulic research area. Experiments in our unique research infrastructures deal with complex questions regarding this interaction of water with environmental elements, sediment, structures and ice and goes beyond just hydraulic research: hence we have adopted the theme 'More than water'.The coordinated and integrated approach of HYDRALAB aims at structuring the access to unique and costly hydraulic and ice engineering research infrastructures in the European Research Area. The HYDRALAB network is unique in the hydraulic research community and has extensive experience in co-operating since its inception in 1997. It began by informing and coordinating the activities of partners in HYDRALAB I and II, and via enhanced collaboration in HYDRALAB III we have further integrated of our research services throughout Europe in HYDRALAB IV. Over this period our network has grown from 8 participants in 1997 to a total of 30 participants from 15 countries today.A fully integrated and balanced ensemble of Networking Activities (5), Joint Research Activities (4) and Transnational Access Activities (10) supports the integrated provision of infrastructure related services to the hydraulic research community at a European level, and harmonizes and optimizes the coherent use and development of the best infrastructures in our field of work. This allows the European scientific community to remain at the core of the knowledge triangle of research, education and innovation, both in Europe and abroad. HYDRALAB coordinates access to a unique portfolio of research infrastructures through our common User Selection Procedure in such a way that access is optimized at the European level. Access is open to users from different geographical origins and at different stages in their career and our user groups are enabled to conduct high quality research using unique facilities and world-class scientific expertise. Furthermore, access to our unique research infrastructures has been simplified by the development of tools for dissemination of important background information on both infrastructures and instruments and experimental results.Within the HYDRALAB community there is a clear necessity to implement a balanced methodological approach when using the various research tools available to hydraulic researchers, i.e. physical-modelling, theoretical analysis, numerical modelling and field tests. This balance is essential to optimize the use and application of unique and costly experimental research infrastructures. It is an important objective within HYDRALAB to determine how this methodology can be implemented for all the elements of the project.Finally, it is essential that valuable knowledge and experience in experimental hydraulic research is transferred to the next generation. HYDRALAB has been bringing well-educated and skilled early career researchers from across Europe to the top level of research found at our participating institutions by sharing years of hydraulic experimental experience with the next generation of researchers.Project Context and Objectives:The summary description of the project context and the main objectives are described in Chapter 2 of the enclosed document 'Final Report HYDRALAB IV 48 months.pdf'.Project Results:The main S&T results/foregrounds are described in Chapter 3 of the enclosed document 'Final Report HYDRALAB IV 48 months.pdf'.Potential Impact:The potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far) and the main dissemination activities and the exploitation of results are described in Chapter 4 of the enclosed document 'Final Report HYDRALAB IV 48 months.pdf'.List of Websites:www.hydralab.euContact through hydralab@deltares.nl Documenti correlati final1-final-report-hydralab-iv-48-months.pdf
