DURAND

FRANCE (see also List of Individuals)

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20.5.1922 Lyon/F - 13.11.1990 Saint-Ismier/F

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Robert Durand graduated as an engineer from Ecole Centrale in Paris in 1945 and then moved as a hydraulic engineer to Grenoble, where he joined the National Hydraulic Laboratory and in 1955 the newly founded SOGREAH. Durand directed the nuclear branch of NEYRPIC in Grenoble from the 1960s until retirement in 1987.

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Durand presented some outstanding papers relating to sediment transportat in rivers and in pipes. He counts among the pioneers who introduced the sediment transport in conduits by applying sediment transportation in rivers. This topic is important in relation to deposition of solids in pipes because of the clogging danger and also relating to dredging of sediments. Durand also conducted a notable research work with Georges Cohen de Lara (1924-) on the settling velocity of sand in an infinite fluid. From the mid 1950s, Durand turned towards applications in hydroelectricity and thus did no more add directly to hydraulic research. He was particularly involved in the design of the large hydropower project Donzère-Mondragon on Rhone River, a multi-purpose scheme serving for power generation, irrigation and navigation besides flood retention of one of the largest European rivers. Durand was a Member of the International Association of Hydraulic Research IAHR and attended several of its bi-annual congresses.

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_{Anonymous (1949). 3 IAHR Congress, Grenoble. La Houille Blanche 4(9/10): 645-646. P Anonymous (1986). Robert Durand. Personnalités de France: 222. Roissard: Grenoble. P Durand, M. (2004). Robert Durand. Personal communication. P}

_{Durand, R. (1951). Some observations on the transportation of gravel in pipes. 4 IAHR Congress Bombay (35): 655-666.}

_{Durand, R. (1951). Différentes définitions techniques de la forme des galets. La Houille Blanche 6(A): 253-262.}

_{Durand, R. (1951). Transport hydraulique de graviers et galets en conduite. La Houille Blanche}

_{6(B): 609-619.}

_{Durand, R. (1953). Basic relationships of the transportation of solids in pipes - Experimental research. 5 IAHR Congress Minnesota: 89-103.}

_{Durand, R., Cohen de Lara, G. (1953). Vitesse de chute des grains de sable dans les fluides en milieu infini. La Houille Blanche 8(5): 254-259.}

_{Durand, R. (1955). La drague refouleuse CNR 2. Donzère-Mondragon: 205-212. LHB: Grenoble.}

_{Faddick, R.R. (1970). Light-plate-shaped particles and the Durand equation. Hydrotransport}

_{1(J4): 65-76.}