Excursions and field work are essential elements of the course. During excursions special phenomenon are presented and explained which are typical and of general importance, technical installations are visited which are exemplary or original, through invitations of manufacturers the participants get to know modern instruments, etc. At all sites, there are many opportunities to discuss problems, developments and solutions with experts. By the participation in field work the participants of the course shall train their ability to use investigation techniques and to solve practical tasks alone or as a team.
The topics of some of the excursions are described in the following.
The hydrotechnical excursion Well Construction deals with materials and techniques which are essential for the construction of wells. The participants visit
Hagusta
, Renchen, manufacturer of
bridge-slot screens, plastic covered screens and casings, gravel-packed screens, well
equipment, and tools for well construction,
Fa. Stükerjürgen
Rietberg, manufacturer of plastic screens and casings, wedge wire screens, well equipment,
and tools,
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, BGR
, Hannover, lectures
concerning various investigations like groundwater exploration and water protection carried
out in developing countries,
Fa. Preussag
, Peine, manufacturer of plastic screens and casings, well equipment,
tools, drilling mud additives, and hand pumps,
Fa. Celler Brunnenbau
, Celle, manufacturer of drilling rigs and world-wide working
drilling company, information on rigs, drilling techniques, and well constructions for water
extraction and environmental rehabilitation measures,
Fa. Ritz
Schwäbisch-Gmünd, manufacturer of submersible pumps.
The hydrogeological excursion Water Supply and Hydrogeology in Bayern (Bavaria) deals with meteorological, hydrogeological, and hydrochemical instruments, waterworks and water supply, tracer techniques in hydrogeology, and German water administration. Destinations are
Fa. Seba Hydrometrie
, Kaufbeuren, manufacturer of hydrological and meteorological
instruments and equipment,
Fa. WTW, Weilheim
, manufacturer of physico- and hydrochemical measurement and
analysis instruments,
Catchment areas Valley of Loisach and Valley of Mangfall
for the drinking water
supply for the town of München,
BRG Brunnen-Regenerierungs-GmbH
, München, presentation of a well tv
camera and of videos of well inspections using tv cameras,
GSF - Research Center
for Environment and Health
, Institute for Hydrology, Neuherberg, lectures on tracer
techniques in hydrology and a presentation in a test field,
Bayerisches Landesamt fⁿr
Wasserwirtschaft
, München, organisation and administrative tasks of a
governmental institution, visit of water laboratories,
German Museum,
München
, especially the departments for geology, hydraulic engineering, and
mining.
Besides these main topics some cultural high-lights will be visited like the rococo style Wies
church and the religious related village of Oberammergau; moreover, there will be an
opportunity to pass by the picturesque castle of Hohenschwanstein at the foot of the Alp
mountains
The hydrogeological excursion Waterworks, Water Purification and Waste Deposits covers techniques for water extraction and treatment, measures for the protection of groundwater against pollution from waste deposits, and the field of hydrological measurements. The following sites are to be visited
Waterwork Eschollbrücken
, extraction of shallow groundwater,
Waterwork Eich
, extraction of bank filtrate and it's treatment,
Waterwork
Schierstein
, treatment of surface water and infiltration into shallow aquifers (artificial
recharge), groundwater extraction and final treatment,
Waterwork Wiesbaden
groundwater extraction by galleries,
Water plant Biebesheim
, treatment of
surface water and infiltration in shallow aquifers by different techniques,
Waste
deposit "Flotzgrün"
, Ludwigshafen, high-tech-sealings and waste water collecting
systems,
Waste deposit "Eiterköpfe"
, high-tech-sealings and observation tunnels within a
basalt pipe,
Federal Institute of Hydrology
, Koblenz, measuring techniques in hydrology.
Because of the fact that several phenomena characteristic for arid and semi-arid areas can not
be shown and explained in Europe an
Excursion to Tunisia
, North Africa, has been introduced
in the course program. The excursion program contains
the
dams
of Nebhana and Sidi Saad: the task of the dams, the geological situations,
the constructional consequences of the run-off behaviour of the feeding rivers, the
sedimentation within the reservoir, special technical solutions, etc.,
irrigation
schemes with single and giant sprinklers,
erosion
processes and damages as well
as measures against erosion,
the
hydrogeological situation
and the
water
supply
in semi arid and arid regions,
the use of
thermal water,
the hydrogeological situation of coastal and inland
salt lakes
the hydrogeological
situation of the
oases
of Gabès, Douz, Tozeur and Tamerza,
the
artificially
established oasis
Régime Maatoug and it s special irrigation system,
water
harvesting
schemes in flat and mountainous regions,
caves
excavated into
loess,
and small scale
land use
in the mountains.
Some of the introductions and explanations are given by Tunisian experts.
Besides, some Roman remnants in Carthage, Tunis, Gabès, and Sbeitla are visited as well as Kairouan, one of the holy towns of Islam.
For the travel two VW-busses are
available and the ferry boat between Genua (Italy) and Tunis. Accomodation in hotels.
Field work for the course includes the following:
Levelling of the
groundwater table in a river valley, 2 days;
Water sampling for hydrochemical analyses, 1
day;
Discharge measurements in creeks, 2 days;
Surveying of a hillside, 3 days;
Measurements for soil mechanics and rock mechanics, 3 days;
Geophysical
measurements for hydrogeological problems, 5 days.