Manuela Escarameia

Professional background:  MSc in Civil Engineering, MSc in Hydraulic Engineering, Chartered  Environmentalist, FEANI EurIng, Fellow of ICE.

When did you join HR Wallingford? I first joined HR Wallingford in 1991. In 2008 I had a short spell at water sector consultancy and re-joined HR Wallingford in 2008.

How do you apply your knowledge?  In my career, I have been lucky to work in many and varied areas of hydraulics and more recently in maritime and coastal engineering. I started working on physical modelling of dam appurtenances, followed by applied research on river scour and protection systems, and road, pavement and roof drainage mainly through collaborative research with industrial partners. This has led to the development of widely used Standards and industry guidance. Although I still give support to colleagues and to professionals in these areas, more recently I have been applying my knowledge to the development of building flood resilience methodologies and measures. Hydraulic design of seawater intakes and outfalls for power and desalination stations, as well as the management of maritime projects has also become an important part of my work.

What do you enjoy about your work?  I enjoy managing multidisciplinary teams in consultancy and research projects and interaction with clients. And mostly, the opportunity that my research has given me to disseminate knowledge through participation in panels and committees such as the ICE Water Management Editorial Panel, the CB/501/0-/03 BS committee on Flood Resilient Construction or the US ASTM WK35237 Flood Damage Resistant Materials Task Group.