TOEBES

NETHERLANDS (see also List of Individuals)

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30.1.1927 Ginneken-Bavel/NL - 29.9.1981 Lafayette IN/USA

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Gerrit H. Toebes graduated as a civil engineer from the Delft Technical University in 1951 and there also gained the PhD title in 1959. He then moved to the United States becoming eventually professor of hydraulics at Purdue University, Lafayette IN. He taught fluid mechanics, hydraulics, water resources engineering and systems analysis. Toebes was a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE and of the Intl. Association of Hydraulic Research IAHR. He also was a consultant in flow induced vibrations, reservoir systems operation, and engineering economic analysis. Toebes was further a consultant for the Tennessee Valley Authority TVA, for UNESCO and for public agencies in the Netherlands. He was a visiting professor to the Technical University of Delft. The Gerrit H. Toebes Memorial Award was established in 1983 to his memory. The award is presented to a student having demonstrated leadership in hydraulics and systems engineering.

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Toebes was in his later years an expert in river engineering and constantly added to this branch both by laboratory and field experimentation. He for instance investigated in 1969 with co-authors the erodability of sand-clay mixtures by a set-up similar to plunge pool scour. These mixtures are known to include scale effects because of the combined issues of fluid viscosity and gravity as expressed by the Reynolds and the Froude numbers. Also in 1969, Toebes analyzed again with co-authors the statistical behavior of meanders in the fluvial environment. Meanders are known to appear for specific site conditions including river slope and granulometry.

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_{Anonymous (1981). Prof. Ir. G.H. Toebes, PhD. De Ingenieur 93(47): 27.}

_{Anonymous (1985). Toebes, Gerrit H. Who's who in engineering: 663. AAES: Washington.}

_{Bhasin, R.N., Lovell, C.W., Toebes, G.H. (1969). Erodability of sand-clay mixtures as evaluated by a water jet. Report School of Engineering. Purdue University: Lafayette IN.}

_{Chang, T.P., Toebes, G.H. (1969). Statistical analysis of meandering river geometry. Report}

_{Water Resources Research Center. Purdue University: Lafayette IN.}

_{Toebes, G.H., ed. (1969). Natural resource systems models in decision making. Water Resources Research Centre: Lafayette IN.}

_{Toebes, G.H., Shepherd, A.A., eds. (1981). National Workshop on Reservoirs systems operations.}

_{University of Colorado: Bolder. ASCE: New York. P}

_{Toebes, G. (2007). Gerrit H. Toebes. Personal communication. P}