A group of students from the Civil Engineering program of the Hydraulics course visited the facilities of the Tona River Reservoir of the Metropolitan Aqueduct of Bucaramanga (amb), located in the course of the Tona River (hydrological confluence of the Tona and Suratá rivers).
In the Hydraulics course, students apply knowledge from basic sciences to civil engineering to understand the movement of water from one point to another. In class the theoretical foundations are discussed, in the laboratory the phenomena studied are observed in a real way and in this technical visit the importance and impact of each calculation performed when analyzing the behavior of fluids at free surface is dimensioned, conceptualized and given a tangible meaning. In itself, the field trip, as a learning strategy, is a way to relate the student’s work with that of an engineer and to confront theory with practice. Finally, these types of field trips seek to inspire and motivate students by showing them the impact of their work on society, and help them visualize their role as future engineers.
The reservoir consists of a 103-meter-high dam that stores a volume of 17.6 million cubic meters of water. The project also includes a treatment plant with a capacity of 1,200 liters per second, a 3.8-kilometer adduction line and a 15-kilometer pipeline with a diameter of 1.2 meters and a length of 15 kilometers to the reservoir, which will be connected to a water treatment plant.
This reservoir is planned as a drinking water reserve for consumption in the area of influence of the Bucaramanga Aqueduct until 2050 to supply Bucaramanga, Floridablanca and Girón.
During the visit, the students were guided by engineer Milton Quintero del amb, who shared historical, constructive, technical and operational details associated with the Tona River Regulation Reservoir and the Rafael Ardila Duarte drinking water treatment plant. The students were able to identify various containment and stability works, as well as hydraulic works such as intake structures, canals, overflow spillways (morning glory type), settling basins, filters, among others. They also observed the 106-meter high concrete face and rockfill dam, among many other aspects.
With this type of field trip, students go out into the field to see the profession in action. It is a way of linking the classroom with professional practice. Technical field trips allow an early approach to the engineer’s work, and promote the understanding of the environment, as well as the identification of dynamics, problems and needs of their territory. In addition, they are a learning experience in a different environment, where all the senses are involved, which allows abstract concepts to be better understood by seeing them in action, stimulates creativity and innovation to overcome problems and propose solutions, strengthens critical thinking and the ability to think critically.
