Training Module 3 - Modelling

M3: Modelling Team (June 2004)

Introduction to Modelling
The kick-off workshop was held on 24 March 2004 in the Board Room of Guyana Sea Defences at Water Street in Georgetown. The highly interactive workshop addressed the following issues:

1. What is modelling?
2. Why modelling?
3. What processes to model, focussing on the tasks of Guyana Sea Defences?
4. Working method and approach for trainee team
5. Planning

Training will be provided both in the field of understanding the basic coastal engineering processes and secondly the modelling of these. Through a series of lectures and exercises the team will be prepared in the first 3 months for working together with the main modelling work under our project that will be carried out by the Consultant’s experts in this field.

See also the site of Modelling.

Team
The team is organised as follows:

• Team Leader: Mr. Alain Lee

• Deputy Team Leader: Mrs. Shanomae Eastman

• Core Team Members: Ms. Sharon Hermanstein, Ms. Bhaleka Seulall,
  Mr. Omar Bispat, Mr. Frederick Flatts

Modelling exercises
In the process of understanding the basic coastal engineering processes and secondly the modelling of these a set of key concepts was discussed that are relevant to modelling:

• Simulation or representation of  real-world processes
• Using modelling as a tool for analysing and understanding of these processes
• Information that is required as a starting point for this

-In preparation for the kick-off workshop the team worked on the first of a series of modelling exercises:
- Modelling Exercise 1: the drum that empties.

According to Alain Lee, the Team Leader, challenged this exercise modelling participants to intensely analyse and fully understand the exercise, not only to do that, but to make a model for their exercise using software.

The first exercise was followed by two more modelling exercises which increased in complexity and challenged participants to use their analytical skills:
- Modelling exercise 2: what happens if a lagoon is connected to the sea through a small canal.
- Modelling exercise 3: what happens to the waterlevels if two lagoons are connected to the sea by canals.

Exam
On 20 May Alain Lee, Shanomae Eastman and Bhaleka Seulall took the challenge and tested their skills in modelling during an exam made by Frank Wiersma. For the ones who missed it, the exam is given below:
- Modelling Exam 20 May 2004

Reports of the meetings
The reports of the meetings are presented below:
- Kick-off Workshop 30 March 2004
- Third Workshop 28 April 2004
- Fourth Workshop 12 May 2004
- Fifth Workshop 20 May 2004

Work Plan
The Work Plan has been finished at the end of July 2004.
- Workplan Module 3, Modelling (pdf, 331 kB)

Lectures and Hands-on-Training
Aiming at Modules 1 (Survey), 3 (Modelling) and 4 (Sea Defence Structures) a set of lectures have been given by Mr. Chris Persaud (SRKN'gineering) providing an introduction in hydraulics.
See website for more information on lecture of Mr. Chris Persaud. 

Mr. Reimer de Graaf has given a lecture at the University of Guyana at 1 th of October 2004 about modelling tools, for example DELFT 3D. A lot of persons attended the lecture.
See website for more information on lecture of Mr. Reimer de Graaff.

Mr. Reimer de Graaff has given several times Hands-on Training to the Modelling Team at Guyana Sea Defences on the model DELFT3D.
See website for more information on the Hands-on Training of Mr. Reimer de Graaff.

An impression of the Kick-off Workshop: