Dr William Bennett

Lecturer in Engineering

Civil Engineering

w.g.bennett@swansea.ac.uk

Academic Office - A_122
First Floor
Engineering Central
Bay Campus

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7229-5747

ResearchGate

ResearcherID

About

Dr William Bennett is a lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Swansea University. He completed an MEng in Civil Engineering at Swansea University, followed by a PhD in Civil Engineering investigating climate change impacts on coastal flooding and erosion. His research encompasses modelling hydrodynamic and morphological processes in coastal contexts, including interactions with nature, changes in land use, and flood risk management. William teaches engineering students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is passionate about embedding and developing skills through the degree programmes.

Areas Of Expertise

Computational modelling
Coastal and flood risk management
Climate change impacts on the coastal environment
Coastal and estuarine hydrodynamics and morphodynamics
Nature-based coastal engineering

Publications

Research Highlights

Bennett, W., Horrillo-Caraballo, J., Fairchild, T., van Veelen, T., & Karunarathna, H. (2023). Saltmarsh vegetation alters tidal hydrodynamics of small estuaries. Applied Ocean Research, 138, 103678
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2023.103678, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63957
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2023.103678
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Xuan, Y., Kusuma, M., Farid, M., Kuntoro, A., Rahayu, H., Kombaitan, B., Septiadi, D., Kesuma, T., Haigh, R., & Amaratunga, D. (2023). Modelling compound flooding: a case study from Jakarta, Indonesia. Natural Hazards, 118(1), 277-305.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06001-1, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63955
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06001-1
Bertelli, C., Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Reeve, D., Unsworth, R., & Bull, J. (2023). High-resolution wave data for improving marine habitat suitability models. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1004829, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62254
Fairchild, T., Bennett, W., Smith, G., Day, B., Skov, M., Möller, I., Beaumont, N., Karunarathna, H., & Griffin, J. (2021). Coastal wetlands mitigate storm flooding and associated costs in estuaries. Environmental Research Letters, 16(7), 074034
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac0c45, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57175
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Reeve, D., & Mori, N. (2019). Computational modelling of morphodynamic response of a macro-tidal beach to future climate variabilities. Marine Geology, 415, 105960
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2019.105960, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa50806
Bennett, W., van Veelen, T., Fairchild, T., Griffin, J., & Karunarathna, H. (2020). Computational Modelling of the Impacts of Saltmarsh Management Interventions on Hydrodynamics of a Small Macro-Tidal Estuary. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(5), 373
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8050373, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54650
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., & Mori, N. (2016). Climate Change Impacts on Future Wave Climate around the UK. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 4(4), 78
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse4040078, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31326
Bennett, W. & Karunarathna, H. (2019). Coastal flood alleviation through management interventions under changing climate conditions. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdrbe-07-2019-0042, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52961
Veelen, T., Karunarathna, H., Bennett, W., Fairchild, T., & Reeve, D. (2019). Sensitivity of estuary hydrodynamics to vegetation parameterisation. In 4th IMA International Conference On Flood Risk
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62023
van Veelen, T., Karunarathna, H., Fairchild, T., Bennett, W., Griffin, J., & Reeve, D. (2018). Improving predictive modelling of coastal protection by salt marshes. Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 1(36), 95
https://doi.org/10.9753/icce.v36.risk.95, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62020

All Research

Journal Articles

Bennett, W., Horrillo-Caraballo, J., Fairchild, T., van Veelen, T., & Karunarathna, H. (2023). Saltmarsh vegetation alters tidal hydrodynamics of small estuaries. Applied Ocean Research, 138, 103678
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2023.103678, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63957
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2023.103678
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Xuan, Y., Kusuma, M., Farid, M., Kuntoro, A., Rahayu, H., Kombaitan, B., Septiadi, D., Kesuma, T., Haigh, R., & Amaratunga, D. (2023). Modelling compound flooding: a case study from Jakarta, Indonesia. Natural Hazards, 118(1), 277-305.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06001-1, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63955
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06001-1
Bertelli, C., Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Reeve, D., Unsworth, R., & Bull, J. (2023). High-resolution wave data for improving marine habitat suitability models. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1004829, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62254
Bertelli, C., Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Reeve, D., Unsworth, R., & Bull, J. (2023). High-resolution wave data for improving marine habitat suitability models. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1004829, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67876
Fairchild, T., Bennett, W., Smith, G., Day, B., Skov, M., Möller, I., Beaumont, N., Karunarathna, H., & Griffin, J. (2021). Coastal wetlands mitigate storm flooding and associated costs in estuaries. Environmental Research Letters, 16(7), 074034
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac0c45, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57175
van Veelen, T., Karunarathna, H., Bennett, W., Fairchild, T., & Reeve, D. (2020). Nature-Based Coastal Protection: Wave Damping by Flexible Salt Marsh Vegetation. Coastal Engineering Proceedings(36v), 9
https://doi.org/10.9753/icce.v36v.management.9, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62017
Bennett, W., van Veelen, T., Fairchild, T., Griffin, J., & Karunarathna, H. (2020). Computational Modelling of the Impacts of Saltmarsh Management Interventions on Hydrodynamics of a Small Macro-Tidal Estuary. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(5), 373
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8050373, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54650
Bennett, W. & Karunarathna, H. (2019). Coastal flood alleviation through management interventions under changing climate conditions. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdrbe-07-2019-0042, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52961
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., Reeve, D., & Mori, N. (2019). Computational modelling of morphodynamic response of a macro-tidal beach to future climate variabilities. Marine Geology, 415, 105960
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2019.105960, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa50806
van Veelen, T., Karunarathna, H., Fairchild, T., Bennett, W., Griffin, J., & Reeve, D. (2018). Improving predictive modelling of coastal protection by salt marshes. Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 1(36), 95
https://doi.org/10.9753/icce.v36.risk.95, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62020
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., & Mori, N. (2016). Climate Change Impacts on Future Wave Climate around the UK. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 4(4), 78
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse4040078, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31326

Conference Contributions

Bennett, W., van Veelen, T., Fairchild, T., Griffin, J., & Karunarathna, H. (2020). Computational Modelling of the Impact of Salt Marsh Management Interventions on Coastal Flooding. In Proceedings of the 22nd IAHR-APD Congress 2020, 7-9th September, Sapporo, JapanInternational Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57475
https://www.iahr.org/library/infor?pid=7517
Veelen, T., Karunarathna, H., Bennett, W., Fairchild, T., & Reeve, D. (2019). Sensitivity of estuary hydrodynamics to vegetation parameterisation. In 4th IMA International Conference On Flood Risk
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62023
Bennett, W., Karunarathna, H., & Reeve, D. (2017). Morphological Impacts due to Storms on a Macro-Tidal Beach. In Coastal Dynamics 2017
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62018

Supervision

Untitled (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Dominic Reeve

Other supervisor: Prof Harshinie Karunarathna

Taught Modules

EG-000 Fundamentals of Engineering Design

This module provides the essential skills required for future design modules and project tasks by providing a firm grounding for teamwork and emphasizing the need for professional standards and strong communication skills within engineering.
EG-121 Surveying and Introductory Highways Design

This module introduces construction and geometric design of highways, such as the hierarchy of roads, design speed selection and the horizontal and vertical alignment of such roads. The module also covers most aspects of land surveying, from basic methods to those involving modern technologies, with a particular focus on how that relates to road design and construction. Aspects of sustainability in highway design and health and safety consideration in surveying activities will be covered. This module includes a field trip to be held in May 2025.
EG-133 Engineering for People Hackathon

Engineering is more than understanding technical design, it is often the social, environmental and economic context underpinning engineering solutions that determine success or failure, This has never been more relevant since the world is currently planning a radical transition to a low carbon economy while facing increased risks due to climate crisis which will bring with it unprecedented change to the world. Engineers will be at the forefront of this, and need to be equipped to tackle open-ended, unstructured and complex problems in collaboration with others. The module will allow students to explore these issues within their chosen discipline with the following structure: Each week there will be one or two 1-hour lectures, introducing engineering thinking and contemporary issues in global engineering design. Most activity will then take place in group-work sessions (2 hours per week), where groups of around 6 students will work in a facilitated way to identify and investigate a societal challenge (e.g. access to water / off-grid energy / sustainable transport) and then consider how Engineering design solutions could help to solve this.
EG-154 Conceptual Design and Analysis Practice

This 30 credit module spans TB1 and TB2 and addresses the topic of Conceptual Design and Analysis in the context of Civil Engineering. Teaching will combine conventional lecture sessions, computer lab work, example classes and practical design, build and test, groupwork and presentation. The module brings together the principals and practice of graphical communication (hand sketching, engineering drawing and computer modelling), civil engineering concept development, structural analysis, an understanding of the use of key civil engineering materials (eg Steel, Concrete, Timber, Masonry) and the preliminary sizing of structural elements in accordance with Eurocodes as part of the Conceptual Design development process. We link to learning from modules Engineering Mechanics and Strength of Materials, reinforcing understanding of structural analysis and building skills in sketching internal force diagrams without going through step-by-step calculations. The axial force in truss structures, as well as the shear force and bending moment diagrams in continuous beams and frames, are the principal structural analysis skills developed here. We also develop further engineering knowledge of key skills, such as the analysis of statically determinate structures in Civil Engineering.
EG-328 Superstructure Design

This module develops on existing knowledge of design, promoting the use of industry standard analysis packages and design approaches for the superstructure and substructure, as well as methods of sustainability assessment and approaches to net zero carbon.

Dr William Bennett

Email address

LinkedIn Account

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Conference Contributions

Supervision

Untitled (current)

Taught Modules

EG-000 Fundamentals of Engineering Design

EG-121 Surveying and Introductory Highways Design

EG-133 Engineering for People Hackathon

EG-154 Conceptual Design and Analysis Practice

EG-328 Superstructure Design