Structural measures, technical interventions and construction in the area of groundwater, surface water and the coast are all referred to as hydraulic engineering. The basic principles of hydraulic engineering are taught in this chapter.

Open-channel flow involves, amongst other things, the management of watercourses for the purpose of navigability, damming of lakes for power generation and/or storage of drinking water and flood protection measures.
Experimental flumes are used in teaching and research to demonstrate and study the main phenomena of open-channel flow at the laboratory scale. The GUNT experimental flumes demonstrate flow conditions in open channels with a rectangular cross-section. There are a variety of models that are used in the experimental flumes that cover topics such as control structures, change in cross-section, discharge measurement and waves.

Seepage flows and groundwater flows are water movements in a permeable subsoil (sand, gravel, etc.) This includes the seepage and retention of precipitation. In hydraulic engineering it is the seepage through earth dams or the seepage under barrages in particular that are of importance.