Robert Manning was a 19th century Irish hydraulic engineer known for establishing Manning's formula for calculating flow in open channels. He was born in France but grew up in Ireland. Throughout his career, he held several engineering roles with the Irish Public Works Department where he gained experience in hydraulics, flood control and drainage projects. In 1889, he presented his paper introducing what became known as the Manning formula to calculate uniform open channel flow, which is still widely used today. Manning made significant contributions to the field of fluid mechanics and hydraulics through his studies, publications, and establishment of the Manning formula before retiring in 1891.

2. Subject Related: Fluid Mechanics-I
Presented By: Mujahid Hussain
Regn. No. AUIC-14FL-BECE-0797
Presented To: Dr. Salik Javaid
ISLAMABAD CAMPUS
(DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING)

3. BIOGRAPHY OFAN ENGINEER
“MANNING, ROBERT”
TOPIC:-

4. (“MANNING, ROBERT”)
1816-1897

5. Field Specialization:
■ Accounts Expert
■ Hydraulic Engineer.
■ Creator of Manning’s Formula for Open Channel Flows.

6. An-Overview
■ Robert Manning was born in Normandy, France, in 1816, a year after the
“Battle of Waterloo”, in which his father had taken part.
“The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in
present day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the
Netherlands. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte
was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition.”
■ After the death of his father, his mother returned back all members to her
family home in Waterford, Ireland. From 1834-1845, where he taken over of
his uncle’s Estate Management and thought to become a lawyer. In 1846, he
joined Irish Public Works Department as an Assistant to look after the work of
improvement of rivers under the supervision of Samuel Roberts.

7. In 1848, he promoted as a District Engineer and became the Associate Member
of Institution of Civil Engineer Ireland. He initially learned the Hydraulics from
the book which was written by French Author, D’Aubuisson de Voisins, a
French Hydraulician. He worked on Flood Control and Drainage to use the
Hydraulic techniques. In 1869, he also worked on other Civil Engineering
fields like harbour and water supply system of Belfast City as he had controlled
the management of estates of Marquis of Downshire.
■ Then he rejoined the Irish Public Works Department in 1869 as 2nd Engineer and
later on promoted as Chief Engineer in 1974 and also became the Member of
Institution of Civil Engineer in Ireland and served as President in 1877-78. He
retired in 1891.

8. ■ Robert Manning established in 1885 the Manning’s formula which was
presented at a meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland on 4th
December 1889 and published in 1891. He died in 1897 in Dublin and was
buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Ireland.

9. Early Life and Education
■ Birth & Place:
Robert Manning was born in 22nd October, 1816 at Avincourt, Normandy,
France. Then shifted to Waterford, Ireland, after the death of his father in 1826.
■ Family Members:
Father: William Manning (French Army Officer) died in 1826
Brother: John Stephen (Elder Brother)
Wife: Susanne neé Gibson (1818-1894), 2nd Cousin R.Manning
Children: 4-Sons, 4-Daughters
William Manning (Engineer), Marry Ruth Manning (Artist)

10. Normandy (France) Waterford (Ireland)

11. ■ Education:
Robert completed his early education in Kilkenny and Waterford,
Ireland. Robert Manning did not receive any education or formal
training in Fluid Mechanics or Engineering before but at the age of
30 years, he got engineering training from intelligent and hard
working group of men.

12. Waterford, Ireland Kilkenny, Ireland

13. Career Experiences:
■ From 1834-1845, he was employed by his uncle John Stephens’s estates as a
Manager.
■ In January, 1846, he was appointed in Irish Public Works Department as
Assistant to the Samuel Roberts, who was the District Engineer, of the Rivers,
Glyde and Dee in country Louth. In April, 1846, he was appointed as Accountant
and Draughtsman on the works of Glyde and Dee rivers.
■ In October, 1846, then he was appointed as Assistant Engineer because now he
was able to take a responsibility of surveying, designing and estimating the
Arterial Drainage Schemes. This was the period of great famine in Ireland upto
1845-52.

14. Career Experiences:
■ In January, 1848, after the transfer of the Samuel Roberts, he was appointed as
District Engineer, on Glyde and Dee rivers in the Public Works Department until
June, 1855.
■ In December, 1854, Robert Manning applied for a job in East India Company and
received confirmation from them in January, 1855 but he refused to join due to his
domestic reasons.
■ Between 1855-1857, he was engaged on conducting survey of the estates of
Marquis of Downshire.
■ From 1859-1869, he was employed on the engineering projects of Marquis of
Downshire. The projects were included the construction of a Harbour on
Dundrum-Bay and designed the water supply system of the City of Belfast (Ireland).

15. River, Dee and Glyde Harbour, Dundrum

16. City, Belfast Harbour, Galingariff

17. Career Experiences:
■ During the 1860s, Manning carried out extensive scientific studies on aspects of
rainfall, river volumes and water runoff and expressed into new areas of theory
and practice.
■ During the execution of the projects in 1866, Robert Manning presented a paper in
the Institution of Civil Engineers in London on “Results of Observations on the
flow of water of the ground in the Woodburn District near Carrick-Fergus,
Ireland”. At the result, the paper was awarded Telford Gold-Medal and Man-by
Premium.
■ On the death of Marquis of Downshire, the appointment of Robert Manning was
not renewed by his Successor and he was to reported to his previous position in
Public Works Department in 1869.

18. Career Experiences:
■ In October, 1869, he was appointed as Assistant to Chief Engineer of Public
Works.
■ In April, 1874, he was promoted himself as Chief Engineer, until his retirement in
December, 1891.
■ As a Chief Engineer Board of the Works, he concerned with the maintenance
works of the five Royal Harbours in Ireland, the improvement and maintenance of
commercial Harbours and Fishery Piers, the maintenance of Inland Navigation and
also worked on Water supply, Sewerage System, Railways, Water ways and Water-
Mills etc.

19. Contributions to Fluid Mechanics:
■ His papers on the flow of water in open channels and pipes, delivered to the
Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland in 1889 and 1895 introduced what became
known as the “MANNING FORMULA” which became widely used in hydraulic
engineering.
■ The basic equations used to determine the uniform flowrate in open channels were
derived many years ago. Continual refinements have taken place to obtain better
values of the empirical coefficients involved. The result is a semi-empirical
equation that provides reasonable engineering results. A more refined analysis is
perhaps not warranted because of the complexity and uncertainty of the flow
geometry (i.e, channel shape and the irregular makeup of the wetted perimeter,
particularly for natural channels).

20. Manning’s Equation

21. Publications:
■ Manning, Robert, 1850, Observations on subjects connected with arterial drainage,
Transaction Institution Civil Engineers Ireland, 4(2): 90-104
■ Manning, R., 1866, On the results of a series of observations on the flow of water
off the ground in the Woodbury district near Carrick-fergus Ireland: with rain-gauge
registries in the same locality for a period of 12 months, ending 30th June 1865.
Minutes, Proc. Institution Civil Engineers 25: 458-479
■ Manning, R, 1891, On the flow of waters in open channels and pipes, Trans.
Institution of Civil Engineers, Ireland 20: 161-207; 24
■ Manning R. (1895). On the flow of water in open channels and pipes - Supplement
to a paper read on the 4th December 1889, published in the Transactions, 1891,
vol. XX, p. 161. Transactions of the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland, 24,
179-207.

22. Legacy:
■ Robert Manning was elected as Associate Member of the Institution of Civil
Engineers of Ireland in 1848.
■ He elected as a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers of London in 1858.
■ He became a Member of the Council of the Irish Institution in 1874.
■ He became a President of the Council of the Irish Institution from 1877-78.
■ He was awarded the Telford Gold-Medal on his paper on Flow of Water
Observation.

23. Death:
■ Robert Manning died at his house, 4 Upper Ely Place, Dublin, on 9th, December,
1897 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Ireland.