Climate change impact assessment is crucial for strategic planning in many areas, including water management, agriculture and forestry. Water planning has a long tradition in the Czech Republic, who has implemented the requirements of the Water Framework Directive since 2000. Following the expected impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime, adaptation measures in the water sector are being prepared as part of strategic plans. This contribution studies the uncertainty propagation of climate scenarios in hydrological data, which are then used to assess the reliability of water resources and to design appropriate adaptation measures. The results are being discussed for a case study in the deficit area of Rakovnický stream and Blšanska river basins, which are among the driest areas in the Czech Republic. Research of the impact of climate change on the reliability of water resources has been prepared using ensembles of selected regional climate models. This approach has allowed a probabilistic assessment of the impact on the hydrology regime and the reliability of water supply from reservoirs for various time horizons of climate change. In view of the relatively large variance of potential impacts on water resources, options for further strategic planning in the water management area are being discussed.

As part of the research focusing on the safety of vessels during the lockage in navigation locks, two different 1D numerical modeling approaches were tested. These approaches are used to determine the force effects on vessels during the direct filling process of the navigation lock. These numerical models were verified using data measured on a physical model. Using the selected 1D model, a parametric study focusing on the impact of the basic parameters of the navigation lock including the lifting velocity of the gates on the maximum hawser forces was performed. The research has shown that with a suitable design of the upper gate, the direct filling system may also be used for medium-head navigation locks with a normal lift of up to 5 m.

The basic parameter for the calculation of the lock filling time is the determination of the forces on the vessels during the filling of the navigation lock. The time required to fill the lock determines the method of filling the lock. The forces on vessels during filling (emptying) directly determine the capacity of the waterway. In the first phase of the lock design, the forces on the vessels during locking are calculated analytically. Most approaches to calculate the forces on vessels are concerned only with finding the maximum value of the forces on vessels. This research deals with the analytical determination of the maximum forces on vessels during the lock filling period. Data from the physical model and the 1D model are used to calculate the maximum forces on the vessels. This simple method can be used to design a new lock. This simple method can be used to design a new lock and to increase the capacity of existing historic locks on the Elbe-Vltava Waterway (Czech Republic) without any structural modifications.

The Elbe-Vltava Waterway (EVW) consists of continuously navigable sections of the Vltava and Elbe rivers in the Czech Republic comprising a total length of over 300 km. Most of the length of this waterway was obtained by building a system of interconnected weir basins using the canalization method. Detailed plans for making this waterway navigable started in the early 19th century, and the construction of the structures was enabled by the Austro-Hungarian Water Act of 1869. So, most locks along this waterway constitute a part of industrial heritage. Among its main structures are weirs, hydroelectric power stations and locks designed by pre-eminent Czech architects of the 19th and early-20th centuries. Many of them are excellent examples of modernist industrial architecture. Since the beginning of construction of the weir system along the EVW, bridge construction also came into focus in order to provide transportation access to both banks of the Elbe and Vltava rivers in this historically heavily urbanised area of Bohemia. This article deals with the historical development of bridge constructions over the EVW, systematically categorising them as road, railway and pedestrian bridges. Focus is on the basic technical aspects of the bridge design and technical solution, but also on their historical value and the need for a sensitive approach to their modernisation. The goal of the research is to complete the current web application www.lvvc.cz devoted to the EVW structures with the architectonically and technically most interesting bridges, including their histories. The system has been designed as an expert system, making the archived historical documents, maps, plans and photographs available for use by government institutions as well as by the general public for education and for the protection of this technical cultural heritage. The research was conducted as part of project no. DG18P02OVV004 entitled “Documentation and presentation of technical cultural heritage along the Elbe-Vltava Waterway” within a support programme for applied research and experimental development of national and cultural identity, funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

The paper describes experiments aimed at setting parameters for an efficient design of new types and shapes of energy dissipators on chutes of dam spillways. During major rainfall events, large water inflows into the reservoir induce a rise in the reservoir level, and a spillway system must be installed to spill safely the flood waters. Two key challenges during the spillway design are conveyance and energy dissipation. Energy dissipation on dam spillways can be achieved by a range of dissipator designs. One type of spillway is a block ramp. Block ramps are hydraulic structures which are often used in practical applications to assure a correct balance between hydraulic functioning and the environmental impact. One of the main peculiarities of this approach is the capacity to dissipate a larger energy amount than other traditional structures. Thus, significant efforts were spent by the scientific community around the world in order to optimize their energy dissipation efficiency. The use of fibre concrete for the design of reinforced block ramps can improve their resistance significantly. The presented experiments describe the boundary condition for the design of new fibre concrete dissipators based on the measurements performed on reinforced block ramps.