Hydraulics — BTEUP Civil 4th Semester Syllabus 2026-27

Hydraulics — What This Subject Is About

Water in a pipe, water in a canal, water pushing against a dam wall — all of it follows the same laws, and Hydraulics is the subject that teaches them. In the 4th semester it is one of the two 200-mark subjects, pairing a theory paper (4.1) with a lab (4.2). It starts with pressure and flow, moves through pipes and open channels, and ends with the pumps that move water where it is needed.

You will measure pressure with piezometers and manometers, use Bernoulli's theorem and the continuity equation, work out head loss in pipes with Darcy's Weisbach equation, find discharge in channels with Chezy's and Manning's equations, and compare centrifugal, reciprocating and submersible pumps. The lab has 10 practicals, including calibrating a venturimeter and an orifice and measuring velocity with a current meter and a Pitot tube.

Subject 4.1 (Theory) + 4.2 (Lab) • Total 200 Marks • 3 Credits • 4th Semester — Civil Engineering • Session 2026–27

What You Will Study

Unit 1 — Pressure Measurement and Hydrostatic Pressure (6 Periods, 20%)

Technical terms used in hydraulics — fluid, fluid mechanics, hydraulics, hydrostatics and hydrodynamics — ideal and real fluid, application of hydraulics; physical properties of fluid — density-specific volume, specific gravity, surface tension, capillarity, viscosity — Newton's law of viscosity; various types of pressure — atmospheric pressure, gauge pressure, absolute pressure, vacuum pressure; concept of pressure head and its unit, Pascal's law of fluid pressure and its uses; measurement of differential pressure by different methods; variation of pressure with depth, pressure diagram, hydrostatic pressure and centre of pressure on immersed surfaces and on tank walls; determination of total pressure and centre of pressure on sides and bottom of water tanks, sides and bottom of tanks containing two liquids, vertical and inclined surface in contact with liquid on either side.

Pressure — atmospheric, gauge, absolute and vacuum pressure, Pascal's law, and hydrostatic pressure on tank walls and immersed surfaces.

Unit 2 — Fluid Flow Parameters (4 Periods, 15%)

Types of flow — gravity and pressure flow, laminar, turbulent, uniform, non-uniform, steady, unsteady flow; stream line, stream tube, streak line, path line; Reynolds number; discharge and its unit, continuity equation of flow; energy of flowing liquid: potential, kinetic and pressure energy; Bernoulli's theorem: statement, assumptions, equation (without proof of theorem).

Flow itself — laminar and turbulent, steady and unsteady flow, Reynolds number, discharge, the continuity equation and Bernoulli's theorem.

Unit 3 — Flow through Pipes (8 Periods, 25%)

Major head loss in pipe: frictional loss and its computation by Darcy's Weisbach equation, use of Moody's diagram and nomograms; critical velocity and velocity distribution in a pipe for laminar flow; minor losses in pipe: loss at entrance, exit, sudden contraction, sudden enlargement and fittings; flow through pipes in series, pipes in parallel and Dupuit's equation for equivalent pipe; hydraulic gradient line and total energy line; water hammer in pipes: causes and remedial measures; discharge measuring device for pipe flow: venturimeter — construction and working; discharge measurement using orifice, hydraulic coefficients of orifice.

Flow through pipes — friction loss, minor losses, pipes in series and parallel, water hammer, and discharge measurement with a venturimeter and orifice.

Unit 4 — Flow through Open Channel (5 Periods, 20%)

Geometrical properties of channel section: wetted area, wetted perimeter, hydraulic radius for rectangular and trapezoidal channel section; determination of discharge by Chezy's equation and Manning's equation; conditions for most economical rectangular and trapezoidal channel section; discharge measuring devices: triangular and rectangular notches; velocity measurement devices: current meter, floats and Pitot tube; specific energy diagram, Froude's number, hydraulic jump.

Flow in open channels — the geometry of rectangular and trapezoidal sections, Chezy's and Manning's equations, notches, and the hydraulic jump.

Unit 5 — Hydraulic Pumps (5 Periods, 20%)

Concept of pump, types of pump — centrifugal, reciprocating, submersible; centrifugal pump: components and working; reciprocating pump: single acting and double acting, components and working; suction head, delivery head, static head, manometric head; power of centrifugal pump; selection and choice of pump; introduction of impulse and reaction turbine.

Pumps — centrifugal, reciprocating and submersible pumps, their components and working, and how to select the right pump.

Practical Work

• Use piezometer to measure pressure at a given point.
• Use U-tube differential manometer to measure pressure difference between two given points.
• Use Reynold's apparatus to determine type of flow.
• Use Bernoulli's apparatus to apply Bernoulli's theorem to get total energy line for a flow in a closed conduit of varying cross sections.
• Determine minor losses in pipe fittings due to sudden contraction and sudden enlargement.
• Calibrate venturimeter to find out the discharge in a pipe.

And more — the complete list of 10 practicals is inside the PDF.

Complete Syllabus

The full examination scheme, the complete practicals list and the reference books from the official syllabus. The unit-wise topics are in the “What You Will Study” section above.

Examination Scheme

Units at a Glance

Complete Practicals List

This is the complete list of practicals from the official syllabus.

• Use piezometer to measure pressure at a given point.
• Use U-tube differential manometer to measure pressure difference between two given points.
• Use Reynold's apparatus to determine type of flow.
• Use Bernoulli's apparatus to apply Bernoulli's theorem to get total energy line for a flow in a closed conduit of varying cross sections.
• Determine minor losses in pipe fittings due to sudden contraction and sudden enlargement.
• Calibrate venturimeter to find out the discharge in a pipe.
• Calibrate the orifice to find out the discharge through a tank.
• Use current meter to measure the velocity of flow of water in open channel.
• Use Pitot tube to measure the velocity of flow of water in open channel.
• Use rectangular and triangular notch to measure the discharge through open channel.

Reference Books

As listed in the syllabus:

• Modi, P. N. and Seth, S.M., Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics, Standard book house, Delhi.
• S.S. Rattan, Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Machines, Khanna Book Publishing Co., New Delhi.
• Ramamrutham, and Narayan, R., Hydraulics, Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Machines, Dhanpat Rai Publishing, New Company Delhi.
• Khurmi R S, Hydraulics, Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulic machines, S. Chand Publishers.
• Rajput, R K, Fluid Mechanics, S Chand, New Delhi.
• Ojha, C S P, Berndtsson, R, and Chandramoulli P. N., Fluid Mechanics and Machinery, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many marks is Hydraulics worth in the 4th semester?
200 marks in total and 3 credits. Hydraulics: 100 marks (internal Theory 40, external Theory 60 (3 hrs)); Hydraulics Lab.: 100 marks (internal Practical 60, external Practical 40 (3 hrs)).

Which units carry the most weightage in Hydraulics?
Flow through Pipes (25%, 8 periods) — the highest weightage in the subject. The complete unit-wise weightage table is in the Complete Syllabus section above.

What practical work is there in Hydraulics?
10 experiments, including Use piezometer to measure pressure at a given point.; Use U-tube differential manometer to measure pressure difference between two given points.; Use Reynold's apparatus to determine type of flow.. The complete list is in the Complete Syllabus section above.

Which books should I refer to for Hydraulics?
The syllabus lists 6 books, including Modi, P. N. and Seth, S.M., Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics, Standard book house, Delhi. and S.S. Rattan, Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Machines, Khanna Book Publishing Co., New Delhi., among others. The full list is in the Complete Syllabus section above.

Is Hydraulics a theory subject or a practical subject?
Both: Hydraulics is theory (L–P 2 – 0); Hydraulics Lab. is practical (L–P 0 – 2).

How can I download the Hydraulics syllabus PDF?
The PDF is free to download — use the download link in the Download section below. It is prepared by KAMALDNP Academy from the official BTEUP syllabus.

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Download the Hydraulics Syllabus PDF

Download the complete Hydraulics syllabus PDF below — prepared by KAMALDNP Academy, with the full topic list, practicals and reference books.

Download the Hydraulics Syllabus PDF

Source: BTEUP 2nd Year curriculum (IIMT mirror of the official curriculum), approved in C.D.C. meeting held on 16.07.2026. Topic lists follow the official syllabus; short explanations are the author's own plain-English summaries, not syllabus text. Please confirm with your own polytechnic for any local changes.