SANEAMENTO BÁSICO: OTIMIZANDO O ENSINO NA ENGENHARIA CIVIL COM PLANILHA ELETRÔNICA PARA DIMENSIONAR REDE DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE ÁGUA

Abstract

Teaching engineering goes beyond just introducingbasic theory and methodologies. For enhancing constructionand design net benefits, teaching techniques must exemplifyoptimisation within themselves. This example, in the field ofSanitation, presents an electronic spreadsheet that cannot“reason for the student” and does not structure computationswithout his/hers participation. It rather assists with, andaccelerates, flow calculation of grid-shaped (“closed”) watersupply networks by the Hardy-Cross method, while relyingupon student basic knowledge, creativity and decisioncapacity – for instance, when adjusting component tables torepresent street plans and network shapes or guessing pipediameters. The software does not produce automatically ageometrical and hydraulic network plant – rather, studentsmust analyse information and draw their own networkplants. The spreadsheet saved considerable computation timeduring design classes, by helping with repeated, “boring”parts of calculations. Computational results are velocities,flow rates, water pressure and partial and total system costs.Index Terms ⎯ Sanitation; Water Supply; Productivity inEngineering ; Optimized teaching; Hardy-Cross Spreadsheet.