About us

Fields of activities (click to enlarge)

The Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) conducts research and teaching in the fields of hydraulic engineering, river engineering and glaciology. Studies in the areas of hydraulic structures for energy production, irrigation and water supply, protection against natural hazards (flood protection, debris flow, glacial risks, impulse waves) and renaturation of watercourses are complemented by research and services in the areas of dynamics of polar ice streams and glaciers, as well as processes relating to glaciers and climate change.

Our fields of activities are illustrated by the adjacent drawing.

It is our ambition to be one of the world’s leading institutes in our scope of activities.

Members of the VAW staff assume teaching responsibilities mainly in civil and environmental engineering programs of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG) but contribute also to teaching in the Department of Earth Sciences (D-ERDW) of ETH Zürich as well as in different Masters of Advanced Studies (MAS).

Teaching activities of VAW correspond well with the mentioned research foci, concentrating on hydraulic engineering aspects in the Bachelor and Master programs of D-BAUG.

Besides research and teaching, services are offered to public administrations on federal and cantonal levels, as well as to private companies, mainly the Power Industry and Consulting Engineers. These services include expert advice and hydraulic and hybrid model testing as well as numerical simulations of hydraulic structures and systems.