RÖSSERT

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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2.7.1920 Elbersberg/D - 19.2.2005 Coburg/D

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Robert Rössert graduated as a civil engineer from the Munich Technical University in 1949. He then joined Siemens Company as a hydraulic engineer until 1958, where he was particularly active in dam engineering. In 1959, Rössert was appointed hydraulics professor at Coburg Engineering College where he stayed until retirement in 1983.

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Rössert is particularly known for three popular textbooks. His Hydraulik saw in total ten reeditions and gives a basic account on hydraulics in civil engineering applications. This book is subdivided into the following chapters: (1) Physical properties of water, (2) Hydrostatics, (3) Hydrodynamics, and (4) Groundwater flow. The popularity of this work is founded in the simple approach to the main engineering problems. For the general practicing engineer, questions in hydraulic engineering are often too complicated given that the mathematical background required for the thorough understanding of a problem may not be available. Rössert attacked each problem directly without recourse to background information. Weirs for instance are treated over ten pages, with some sentences explaining the essentials of weir flow, the presentation of the general weir discharge equation along with discharge coefficients for the various weir shapes applied in engineering practice. The effect of weir submergence is essentially treated with a diagram. Although such an approach may appear more like a collection of formulae, Rössert's books were a great success, also because of the low cost. The Hydraulik book was extended with an Examples book in which particular problems were solved. An engineer not being familiar with hydraulic standard problems was then able to see through a certain example and find his solution accordingly. This approach is certainly not in the sense of hydraulic experts although it is practiced throughout the world. The third book published in 1969 reviews the main facts in water resources and knowledge in surface waters.

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_{Rössert, R. (1964). Hydraulik im Wasserbau. Oldenbourg: München.}

_{Rössert, R. (1969). Grundlagen der Wasserwirtschaft und Gewässerkunde. Oldenbourg: München, 3rd edition in 1984.}

_{Rössert, R. (1979). Beispiele zur Hydraulik im Wasserbau. Oldenbourg: München, 6th edition in 2000.}

_{Weber, H. (2005). Robert Rössert. Personal communication. P}