Research & Publications
Advancing civil engineering knowledge through applied research, innovation and industry insight.
At Friends Civil Engineering, our work extends beyond project delivery into research that shapes the future of the industry. Led by Founder and Chartered Civil Engineer Dr Rodney Ronalds, our team actively contributes to the advancement of civil engineering and hydrology through published research papers, technical papers and conference presentations.
Dr Ronalds holds a First Class Honours Degree in Civil Engineering, a Master of Business Administration, and a PhD in Civil Engineering. As a registered engineer across State, National and International boards, he brings both academic depth and practical expertise to every piece of research produced.
With extensive experience across the full civil engineering lifecycle and leadership roles in both large and boutique consultancies, Rodney combines real-world problem solving with advanced theoretical knowledge. His research is grounded in practical application - focused on delivering solutions that work in the field, not just on paper.
As an active researcher, Rodney has authored numerous theory papers and regularly presents at national and international conferences. His work is recognised across development, legislative and educational sectors, reinforcing Friends Civil Engineering’s position as a trusted authority in the industry.
Below you’ll find a selection of published research papers authored by Dr Rodney Ronalds and members of the Friends Civil Engineering team.
Published Research Papers
2025 — Lifecycle Payback of Stormwater Pollutants in Small Hard-Lined Bioretention Basins (R Ronalds) — Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium (HWRS 2025)
2024 — On-site stormwater detention versus drainage infrastructure upgrades: A cost benefit analysis (R Ronalds, G Halcrow) — 2024 Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium (HWRS 2024)
2023 — Not again! A case study of heavy and recurring rainfall during a construction project (R Ronalds) — Hydrology & Water Resources Symposium (HWRS 2023)
2022 — Testing equations for predicting the impact of urbanisation and stormwater detention on regional catchment runoff (R Ronalds)
2020 — Let’s stop putting stormwater detention in stupid places (R Ronalds) — Stormwater Queensland Technical Event
2019 — The Impact of Urban Development and On-Site Stormwater Detention on Regional Hydrology (R Ronalds) — Stormwater Queensland Conference
2019 — Assessing the impact of urban development and on-site stormwater detention on regional hydrology using Monte Carlo simulated rainfall (R Ronalds, H Zhang) — Water Resources Management 33 (7), 2517-2536
2019 — On-site stormwater detention for Australian development projects: Does it meet frequent flow management objectives? (R Ronalds, A Rowlands, H Zhang) — Water Science and Engineering 12 (1), 1-10
2019 — Effects of local on-site stormwater detention systems on regional catchment hydrology (R Ronalds) — Griffith University
2017 — An alternative method for on-site stormwater detention design (R Ronalds, H Zhang) — Journal of Hydrology (New Zealand) 56 (2), 137-153
2017 — The performance of on-site stormwater detention systems in response to recent advances in hydrologic theory (R Ronalds, A Rowlands, H Zhang) — Hydraulics in Water Engineering Conference (13th: 2017: Sydney)
2016 — Fundamentals for on-site stormwater detention design: Optimising design outcomes and reducing risk of regional effect (R Ronalds, H Zhang) — Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium (37th: 2016: Queenstown, New Zealand)
2016 — Creation of a flood hydrograph generation tool (A Rowlands) — 21st Queensland Water Symposium