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Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydraulics and Hydrodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2023) | Viewed by 60080

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesca Aureli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma (Italy)
Interests: GPU-parallelized numerical models; overland flows; numerical and physical modeling of dam break flows; assessment of flood hazard due to levee breach or dam-break; synthetic design hydrographs
Prof. Dr. Andrea Maranzoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma (Italy)
Interests: numerical and physical modeling of unsteady free surface flows; assessment of flood hazard due to levee breach or dam-break; mathematical modeling of mixed flows; analysis of seismic-induced flow motions; analysis of the performance of side weirs; analysis of spatially varied flows
Prof. Dr. Gabriella Petaccia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia
Interests: dam-break modeling; 1D and 2D flood propagation modeling; mapping of flooded areas; urban areas flooding; wood debris transport; overland flow modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dam-break modeling is still an important field of theoretical and applied research which is of great interest to hydraulic engineers. Indeed, floods potentially induced by the collapse of dams may have catastrophic consequences on downstream lands, both in terms of human and economic losses. Moreover, the vulnerability of older dams to hydrological extreme events is increasing due to structural deterioration or inadequate spillway capacity, as well as the exposure of the floodable areas as a result of urban development.

Robust and efficient numerical models are needed to accurately reproduce dam-break flows on real topography. The availability of real experience and knowledge based on historical events, together with physical models data and sensitivity analysis, allows such modeling tools to be validated and constantly improved, and used with confidence in flood hazard mapping. Flood hazard assessment is indeed a prerequisite to design prevention and mitigation measures aimed at reducing the number of people affected by water-related disasters, which is one of the goals of the 2030 European Commission Agenda related to the improvement of living conditions in urban areas. The availability of robust and reliable predictive models will also represent a strategic resource in defining future hydrologic scenarios due to climate change.

Therefore, the aims of this Special Issue are:

  • To present recent advances in theoretical analysis of dam-break flows;
  • To present recent advances in numerical modeling of dam-break flows on real topography;
  • To present laboratory experiments and new case studies useful to validate numerical models;
  • To show applications of dam-break numerical models to flood hazard assessment.

All original contributions addressing the previous issues are welcome, as well as discussions on open problems and review papers on the topic of dam-break modeling.

Prof. Dr. Francesca Aureli
Prof. Dr. Andrea Maranzoni
Prof. Dr. Gabriella Petaccia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Dam-break modeling
  • Mathemathical modeling
  • Shallow water equations
  • Numerical modeling
  • Experimental data
  • Case studies
  • Flood hazard mapping
  • Flood hazard mitigation
  • Urban flooding
  • Scenarios of future hydrologic extremes

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Published Papers (16 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review, Other

17 pages, 291 KiB  
Editorial
Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering
by Francesca Aureli, Andrea Maranzoni and Gabriella Petaccia
Water 2024, 16(8), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16081093 - 11 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2582
Abstract
Despite significant advancements being made in recent decades (e [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review, Other

23 pages, 7064 KiB  
Article
2D and 3D Numerical Simulation of Dam-Break Flooding: A Case Study of the Tuzluca Dam, Turkey
by Cagri Akgun, Salim Serkan Nas and Akin Uslu
Water 2023, 15(20), 3622; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15203622 - 16 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3705
Abstract
Unlike river floods, floods caused by dam breaks occur much more abruptly and at higher water velocities. The failure of a dam due to any reason can pose a significant threat to settlements in the downstream area due to the high volume of [...] Read more.
Unlike river floods, floods caused by dam breaks occur much more abruptly and at higher water velocities. The failure of a dam due to any reason can pose a significant threat to settlements in the downstream area due to the high volume of water in its reservoir. In this case study, 2D and 3D numerical failure simulations of Tuzluca Dam, to be built in the Igdir province of Turkey, was performed using the Flow3D Hydro software. The Shallow Water and Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations were used to simulate flood propagation. In the numerical models, RNG k-ε was chosen as the turbulence model. In the analyses carried out under different scenarios, it was observed that in both methods (2D and 3D), significant flood depths would occur in two downstream village settlements. Within the scope of the study, the mortality rates in different dam-break scenarios of the Tuzluca Dam were also investigated. It has been observed that the dam failure time and breach geometry have a significant impact on the flood propagation and the loss of life in settlements. Additionally, a dam-break experiment in literature dam-break experiment was numerically solved using the Flow3D Hydro software to validate the numerical model, and a satisfactory harmony was observed between the experimental results and the numerical models. Although the 3D analysis provided a more accurate representation of the experimental results, it took approximately 20 times longer to complete the dam failure simulation in the case study compared to the 2D model. As a result, it has been determined that for comprehensive studies such as those of dam failures, 2D analyses may be more practical, while for smaller-scale scenarios or situations requiring greater precision, 3D modelling is appropriate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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18 pages, 6971 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of a Dam-Breach Flood Alert in Mitigating Life Losses: A Spatiotemporal Sectorisation Analysis in a High-Density Urban Area in Brazil
by André Felipe Rocha Silva and Julian Cardoso Eleutério
Water 2023, 15(19), 3433; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193433 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1446
Abstract
The integration of early warning and evacuation systems (EWES) with estimations for mitigating the loss of life in flood risk assessments marks an advancement towards developing robust emergency action plans for dam breaks. Through the simulation of diverse EWES scenarios, the impact of [...] Read more.
The integration of early warning and evacuation systems (EWES) with estimations for mitigating the loss of life in flood risk assessments marks an advancement towards developing robust emergency action plans for dam breaks. Through the simulation of diverse EWES scenarios, the impact of these systems, coupled with community preparedness, on minimising the potential for loss of life could be calculated. This study was conducted in the theoretical context of a dam break located upstream from a densely populated urban region in Brazil. Hydrodynamic and agent-based models were utilised to estimate potential loss of life across various scenarios and simulations. The Monte Carlo approach, in combination with the LifeSim model, was applied to assess how factors such as warning issuance timing, evacuation strategies and community responses impact the model’s outcomes. Sensitivity analysis was performed considering the overall exposed area and specific areas at risk for different spatiotemporal EWES strategies. The results of simulations highlighted the EWES’ great potential for risk mitigation and displayed optimal times for warning issuance. The warning diffusion and the protective action initiation parameters proved crucial for improving EWES. The spatiotemporal sectorisation of the alert and evacuation was also an effective strategy to optimise EWES. This methodology should allow for further similar tests and incite EWES improvements based on consistent loss of life alleviation simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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19 pages, 15186 KiB  
Article
Non-Equilibrium Bedload Transport Model Applied to Erosive Overtopping Dambreach
by Sergio Martínez-Aranda, Javier Fernández-Pato and Pilar García-Navarro
Water 2023, 15(17), 3094; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15173094 - 29 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
Bedload sediment transport is an ubiquitous process in natural surface water flows (rivers, dams, coast, etc), but it also plays a key role in catastrophic events such as dyke erosion or dam breach collapse. The bedload transport mechanism can be under equilibrium state, [...] Read more.
Bedload sediment transport is an ubiquitous process in natural surface water flows (rivers, dams, coast, etc), but it also plays a key role in catastrophic events such as dyke erosion or dam breach collapse. The bedload transport mechanism can be under equilibrium state, where solid rate and flow carry capacity are balanced, or under non-equilibrium (non-capacity) conditions. Extremely transient surface flows, such as dam/dyke erosive collapses, are systems which always change in space and time, hence absolute equilibrium states in the coupled fluid/solid transport rarely exist. Intuitively, assuming non-equilibrium conditions in transient flows should allow to estimate correctly the bedload transport rates and the bed level evolution. To get insight into this topic, a 2D Finite Volume model for bedload transport based on the non-capacity approach is proposed in this work. This non-equilibrium model considers that the actual bedload sediment discharge can be delayed, spatial and temporally, from the instantaneous solid carry capacity of the flow. Furthermore, the actual solid rate and the adaptation length/time is governed by the temporal evolution of the bedload transport layer and the vertical exchange solid flux. The model is tested for the simulation of overtopping dyke erosion and dambreach opening cases. Numerical results seems to support that considering non-equilibrium conditions for the bedload transport improves the general agreement between the computed results and measured data in both benchmarking cases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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16 pages, 4601 KiB  
Article
Accurate Numerical Modeling for 1D Open-Channel Flow with Varying Topography
by Zijian Xue, Ling Zhou and Deyou Liu
Water 2023, 15(16), 2893; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15162893 - 10 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2021
Abstract
In this paper, an accurate numerical model is presented for one-dimensional open-channel flows with varying topographies; the model is specifically applied to rectangular channels with variable widths. A pressure term is introduced in the shallow water momentum equation to construct a new conservation [...] Read more.
In this paper, an accurate numerical model is presented for one-dimensional open-channel flows with varying topographies; the model is specifically applied to rectangular channels with variable widths. A pressure term is introduced in the shallow water momentum equation to construct a new conservation term, and the resulting non-conservation term is included in the source term to characterize the actual topography changes in the open-channel flow. Based on a Harten Lax and van Leer (HLL) Riemann solver for a homogeneous system, an upwind scheme is introduced into the model in which the flux is determined via randomly selecting a local Riemann solution state. This two-step random choice method enables the scheme to reach second-order accuracy in space. A Runge–Kutta scheme is introduced into the discretization of the source term of the system to achieve second-order accuracy. The proposed model is validated via a selection of steady and transient hydraulic problems with reference solutions. When compared with published experimental results, the predictions of the proposed model show a high degree of accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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32 pages, 36857 KiB  
Article
Probabilistic Analysis of Floods from Tailings Dam Failures: A Method to Analyze the Impact of Rheological Parameters on the HEC-RAS Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley Models
by Malena Melo and Julian Eleutério
Water 2023, 15(16), 2866; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15162866 - 8 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3551
Abstract
The difficulty in determining the rheological characteristics of tailings inside reservoirs as well as their intrinsic variability adds uncertainty to tailings dam failures in flood studies. Uncertainty propagation in non-Newtonian hydrodynamic models stands as a great scientific challenge. This article explores the sensibility [...] Read more.
The difficulty in determining the rheological characteristics of tailings inside reservoirs as well as their intrinsic variability adds uncertainty to tailings dam failures in flood studies. Uncertainty propagation in non-Newtonian hydrodynamic models stands as a great scientific challenge. This article explores the sensibility of tailings dam breach flood mapping to rheological parameters in Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) models. The developed approach was based on the probabilistic Latin Hypercube Sampling of rheological parameters. It was automated to propagate uncertainty throughout multiple hydrodynamic simulations using the HEC-RAS v.6.1 software. Rheological parameter ranges and distributions were based on a broad bibliographic review. Bingham models were revealed to be more sensitive than H-B in terms of simulated min-max area values: for Bingham, flood areas, maximum depths, and arrival times varied by 17.9%, 9.3%, and 8.2%, respectively; for H-B, variations were 25.7%, 5.1%, and 3.9%. However, Bingham was less sensitive in terms of hydrodynamically associated probability: high probability ratios were related to a small range of simulated areas in Bingham, while H-B presented great variability. Finally, for each model, the parameters that affect uncertainty the most were identified, reinforcing the importance of determining them properly. Furthermore, the identified parameter ranges for both models should be valuable for defining variable value boundaries for flood sensitivity tests on specific tailings materials for other case studies. The automated algorithm can be used or adapted for specific tests with other hydrodynamic simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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13 pages, 2632 KiB  
Article
Influence of Dam Breach Parameter Statistical Definition on Resulting Rupture Maximum Discharge
by Diego Bello, Hernán Alcayaga, Diego Caamaño and Alonso Pizarro
Water 2022, 14(11), 1776; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14111776 - 1 Jun 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3118
Abstract
However rare, dam breach occurrences are recently reported and associated with significant damage to life and property. The rupture of the structural dam wall generates severe flow rates that exceed spillway capacity consequently generating unprecedented flooding scenarios. The present research aims to assess [...] Read more.
However rare, dam breach occurrences are recently reported and associated with significant damage to life and property. The rupture of the structural dam wall generates severe flow rates that exceed spillway capacity consequently generating unprecedented flooding scenarios. The present research aims to assess the influence of the dam breach statistical configuration on the most relevant parameters to predict the rupture maximum discharge (RMD). McBreach© software was used to provide the necessary inputs for the operation of the HEC-RAS dam breach module. McBreach© automates the process of batch mode simulations providing a Monte Carlo approach to characterize the breach parameters stochastically. Thus, a sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the most influential breach parameters, followed by an uncertainty assessment regarding their statistical definition of the resultant RMD. Analysis showed that the overtopping failure mode discharges are most sensitive to the breach formation time (tf) parameter, followed by the final height breach (Inv) and the final width of the breach (B), which combined are responsible for 85% of the rupture’s maximum discharge. Further results indicated highly variable RMD magnitudes (up to 300%) depending on the breach parameter’s statistical definition (i.e., probability density function and associated statistical parameters). The latter significantly impacts the estimated flood risk associated with the breach, the flood zone delimitation, preparation of emergency action plans (EAP) and scaling of future dam projects. Consequently, there is a plausible need for additional investigations to reduce this uncertainty and, therefore, the risk associated with it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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30 pages, 10931 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Risk Analysis of Dam-Break Flooding in a Semi-Arid Montane Watershed: A Case Study of the Yabous Dam, Northeastern Algeria
by Aissam Gaagai, Hani Amir Aouissi, Andrey E. Krauklis, Juris Burlakovs, Ali Athamena, Ivar Zekker, Abderrahmane Boudoukha, Lahcen Benaabidate and Haroun Chenchouni
Water 2022, 14(5), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14050767 - 28 Feb 2022
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 6984
Abstract
The risk related to embankment dam breaches needs to be evaluated in order to prepare emergency action plans. The physical and hydrodynamic parameters of the flood wave generated from the dam failure event correspond to various breach parameters, such as width, slope, and [...] Read more.
The risk related to embankment dam breaches needs to be evaluated in order to prepare emergency action plans. The physical and hydrodynamic parameters of the flood wave generated from the dam failure event correspond to various breach parameters, such as width, slope, and formation time. This study aimed to simulate the dam breach failure scenario of the Yabous dam (northeast Algeria) and analyze its influence on the related areas (urban and natural environments) downstream of the dam. The simulation was completed using the sensitivity analysis method to assess the impact of breach parameters and flooding on the dam break scenario. The flood wave propagation associated with the dam break was simulated using the one-dimensional HEC-RAS hydraulic model. This study applied a sensitivity analysis of three breach parameters (slope, width, and formation time) on five sites selected downstream of the embankment dam. The simulation showed that the maximum flow of the flood wave recorded at the level of the breach was 8768 m3/s, which gradually attenuated along the river course to reach 1972.7 m3/s at about 8.5 km downstream the dam. This study established the map of flood risk areas that illustrated zones threatened by the flooding wave triggered by the dam failure due to extreme rainfall events. The sensitivity analysis showed that flood wave flow, height, and width revealed positive and similar changes for the increases in adjustments (±25% and ±50%) of breach width and slope in the five sites. However, flood wave parameters of breach formation time showed significant trends that changed in the opposite direction compared to breach slope and width. Meanwhile, the adjustments (±25% and ±50%) of the flood hydrograph did not significantly influence the flood parameters downstream of the dam. In the present study, the HEC-RAS 1-D modeling demonstrated effectiveness in simulating the propagation of flood waves downstream of the dam in the event of dam failure and highlighted the impact of the breach parameters and the flood hydrographical pattern on flood wave parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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22 pages, 8633 KiB  
Article
A New Dam-Break Outflow-Rate Concept and Its Installation to a Hydro-Morphodynamics Simulation Model Based on FDM (An Example on Amagase Dam of Japan)
by Sayed Masihullah Ahmadi and Yoshimichi Yamamoto
Water 2021, 13(13), 1759; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131759 - 25 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3860
Abstract
Dams are constructed to benefit humans; however, dam-break disasters are unpredictable and inevitable leading to economic and human life losses. The sequential catastrophe of a dam break directly depends on its outflow hydrograph and the extent of population centers that are located downstream [...] Read more.
Dams are constructed to benefit humans; however, dam-break disasters are unpredictable and inevitable leading to economic and human life losses. The sequential catastrophe of a dam break directly depends on its outflow hydrograph and the extent of population centers that are located downstream of an affected dam. The population density of the cities located in the vicinity of dams has increased in recent times and since a dam break hydrograph relies on many uncertainties and complexities in devising a dam-break outflow hydrograph, more researches for the accurate estimation of a dam-break flood propagation, extent and topography change becomes valuable; therefore, in this paper, the authors propose a novel and simplified dam-break outflow rate equation that is applicable for sudden-partial dam breaks. The proposed equation is extensively affected by a dam-break shape. Therefore, the inference of a dam-break shape on a dam-break outflow rate is investigated in the current study by executing hydraulic experiments in a long, dry bed, frictionless and rectangular water channel connected to a finite water tank to acquire a mean break-shape factor. The proposed equation is further validated by regenerating the Malpasset dam-break hydrograph and comparing it to the existing methods and also by installing it on an existing 2D hydro-morphodynamics flood simulation model. Finally, Amagase Dam’s (arch-reaction dam in Japan) break simulation is executed as a case study. The results of the simulations revealed that the greater the height of a dam-break section, the more devastating its flood consequences would be. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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21 pages, 6048 KiB  
Article
Vertically Averaged and Moment Equations for Dam-Break Wave Modeling: Shallow Water Hypotheses
by Francisco N. Cantero-Chinchilla, Rafael J. Bergillos, Pedro Gamero, Oscar Castro-Orgaz, Luis Cea and Willi H. Hager
Water 2020, 12(11), 3232; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113232 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4045
Abstract
The dam-break wave modeling technology relies upon the so-called shallow water equations (SWE), i.e., mass and momentum vertically averaged equations by implementing the shallow water hypotheses, namely (i) horizontal velocity component independent of the vertical coordinate, (ii) vertical velocity component is null, (iii) [...] Read more.
The dam-break wave modeling technology relies upon the so-called shallow water equations (SWE), i.e., mass and momentum vertically averaged equations by implementing the shallow water hypotheses, namely (i) horizontal velocity component independent of the vertical coordinate, (ii) vertical velocity component is null, (iii) pressure distribution is hydrostatic, (iv) turbulence is neglected. While this model often yields a satisfactory answer from an engineering standpoint, flows with vertical length scales not negligible cannot be modeled with accuracy, including the undular surge generated after a dam break for relatively high tailwater levels. These flows are modeled by the Serre–Green–Naghdi equations (SGNE), which fail to mimic wave breaking for low tailwater levels, however. Neither SWE nor SGNE produce a fully satisfactory answer for modeling dam break waves, therefore. A higher-order model using vertically averaged and moment equations (VAM) is used in this work to simulate dam break waves, thereby showing good results for arbitrary values of the tailwater level. The model contains four perturbation parameters implemented to overcome the shallow water hypotheses; two for the velocity components and two for fluid pressure. The role of each parameter in relaxing the limitations of the SWE is systematically investigated, depicting a complex and necessary interplay between the dynamic component of fluid pressure and the modeling of the velocity profile in producing accurate solutions for both non-hydrostatic and broken waves in dam break flows. The results highlight how the shallow water hypotheses can be relaxed in the vertically averaged modeling of dam break waves, producing an outcome of both theoretical and practical interest in the field. The results generated are tested with available experimental data, resulting in acceptable agreement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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22 pages, 6714 KiB  
Article
Dam Break Modeling in a Cascade of Small Earthen Dams: Case Study of the Čižina River in the Czech Republic
by Jaromír Říha, Stanislav Kotaška and Lubomír Petrula
Water 2020, 12(8), 2309; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12082309 - 17 Aug 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5358
Abstract
Failures of small dams can pose a serious threat to people and property even if the size of the schemes is relatively low. In many cases, small dams are situated in a cascade along streams, meaning that the failure of the uppermost dam [...] Read more.
Failures of small dams can pose a serious threat to people and property even if the size of the schemes is relatively low. In many cases, small dams are situated in a cascade along streams, meaning that the failure of the uppermost dam may cause the dams downstream to fail. In this paper, a cascade of three small reservoirs, Lichnov II (14.6 m high), Lichnov III (10 m high), and Pocheň (8.5 m high), is the subject of the dam break analyses carried out via various methods such as empirical formulae, analogy, and hydraulic modeling. The dam-break flood routing was simulated using a shallow water flow hydraulic model. The simulations confirm that the attenuation effect of the peak discharge is governed by the flood volume, slope, and morphology of the floodplain and increases with the distance from the breached dam following an approximately exponential trend. When estimating peak discharge, empirical formulae derived for a single dam break should be applied carefully as they may underestimate the peak outflow by up to 10% in the case of a dam cascade. The attenuation volume of small reservoirs is small when compared to the flood volume, meaning that the attenuation of the peak discharge usually varies between 5–10%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research, Other

26 pages, 2131 KiB  
Review
Three-Dimensional Numerical Modelling of Real-Field Dam-Break Flows: Review and Recent Advances
by Andrea Maranzoni and Massimo Tomirotti
Water 2023, 15(17), 3130; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15173130 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3301
Abstract
Numerical modelling is a valuable and effective tool for predicting the dynamics of the inundation caused by the failure of a dam or dyke, thereby assisting in mapping the areas potentially subject to flooding and evaluating the associated flood hazard. This paper systematically [...] Read more.
Numerical modelling is a valuable and effective tool for predicting the dynamics of the inundation caused by the failure of a dam or dyke, thereby assisting in mapping the areas potentially subject to flooding and evaluating the associated flood hazard. This paper systematically reviews literature studies adopting three-dimensional hydrodynamic models for the simulation of large-scale dam-break flooding on irregular real-world topography. Governing equations and numerical methods are analysed, as well as recent advances in numerical techniques, modelling accuracy, and computational efficiency. The dam-break case studies used for model validation are highlighted. The advantages and limitations of the three-dimensional dam-break models are compared with those of the commonly used two-dimensional depth-averaged ones. This review mainly aims at informing researchers and modellers interested in numerical modelling of dam-break flow over real-world topography on recent advances and developments in three-dimensional hydrodynamic models so that they can better direct their future research. Practitioners can find in this review an overview of available three-dimensional codes (research, commercial, freeware, and open-source) and indications for choosing the most suitable numerical method for the application of interest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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51 pages, 1590 KiB  
Review
Review of Experimental Investigations of Dam-Break Flows over Fixed Bottom
by Francesca Aureli, Andrea Maranzoni, Gabriella Petaccia and Sandra Soares-Frazão
Water 2023, 15(6), 1229; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15061229 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3776
Abstract
Laboratory experiments of dam-break flows are extensively used in investigations of geophysical flows involving flood waves, to provide insight into relevant aspects of the physics of the process and collect experimental data for validating numerical models. A dam-break flow is a typical example [...] Read more.
Laboratory experiments of dam-break flows are extensively used in investigations of geophysical flows involving flood waves, to provide insight into relevant aspects of the physics of the process and collect experimental data for validating numerical models. A dam-break flow is a typical example of a highly unsteady free surface flow with high reproducibility. Indeed, dam-break experiments can be repeated several times under the same test conditions obtaining large amounts of different types of data (possibly using various measuring techniques) that can be combined in a single rich dataset. Moreover, laboratory tests on dam-break flows are widely considered a valuable benchmark for the validation of numerical models, since field data from historical events are scarce, sparse, and highly uncertain. However, no systematic review of laboratory investigations of dam-break flows and existing related datasets are available in the literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the test conditions considered, the measuring techniques used, and the experimental data collected. This review article aims to fill this gap, focusing on laboratory tests in schematic and idealized setups with a fixed, non-erodible bed. In particular, this review aims to help researchers and modelers to: (a) select the most appropriate laboratory tests for validating their numerical models; (b) facilitate access to databases by indicating relevant bibliographic references; (c) identify specific challenging aspects worthy of further experimental research; and (d) support the development of new or improved technologies for the mitigation of the impact of dam-break flood waves. The references reviewed are organized into tables according to the purposes of the laboratory investigation, and comprehensive information is provided on test conditions, datasets, and data accessibility. Finally, suggestions for future experimental research on dam-break flows are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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21 pages, 399 KiB  
Review
Review of Historical Dam-Break Events and Laboratory Tests on Real Topography for the Validation of Numerical Models
by Francesca Aureli, Andrea Maranzoni and Gabriella Petaccia
Water 2021, 13(14), 1968; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13141968 - 17 Jul 2021
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6980
Abstract
Dam break inundation mapping is essential for risk management and mitigation, emergency action planning, and potential consequences assessment. To quantify flood hazard associated with dam failures, flooding variables must be predicted by efficient and robust numerical models capable to effectively cope with the [...] Read more.
Dam break inundation mapping is essential for risk management and mitigation, emergency action planning, and potential consequences assessment. To quantify flood hazard associated with dam failures, flooding variables must be predicted by efficient and robust numerical models capable to effectively cope with the computational difficulties posed by complex flows on real topographies. Validation against real-field data of historical dam-breaks is extremely useful to verify models’ capabilities and accuracy. However, such catastrophic events are rather infrequent, and available data on the breaching mechanism and downstream flooding are usually inaccurate and incomplete. Nevertheless, in some cases, real-field data collected after the event (mainly breach size, maximum water depths and flood wave arrival times at selected locations, water marks, and extent of flooded areas) are adequate to set up valuable and significant test cases, provided that all other data required to perform numerical simulations are available (mainly topographic data of the floodable area and input parameters defining the dam-break scenario). This paper provides a review of the historical dam-break events for which real-field datasets useful for validation purposes can be retrieved in the literature. The resulting real-field test cases are divided into well-documented test cases, for which extensive and complete data are already available, and cases with partial or inaccurate datasets. Type and quality of the available data are specified for each case. Finally, validation data provided by dam-break studies on physical models reproducing real topographies are presented and discussed. This review aims at helping dam-break modelers: (a) to select the most suitable real-field test cases for validating their numerical models, (b) to facilitate data access by indicating relevant bibliographic references, and (c) to identify test cases of potential interest worthy of further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)

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4 pages, 208 KiB  
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Reply to AlQasimi, E.; Mahdi, T.-F. Comment on “Aureli et al. Review of Historical Dam-Break Events and Laboratory Tests on Real Topography for the Validation of Numerical Models. Water 2021, 13, 1968”
by Francesca Aureli, Andrea Maranzoni and Gabriella Petaccia
Water 2022, 14(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14020267 - 17 Jan 2022
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Abstract
This is the reply to the comments by AlQasimi and Mahdi (2022) on the classification attributed to the Lake Ha! Ha! real-field test case by Aureli et al. (2021) in their review of historical dam-break events useful for the validation of dam-break numerical [...] Read more.
This is the reply to the comments by AlQasimi and Mahdi (2022) on the classification attributed to the Lake Ha! Ha! real-field test case by Aureli et al. (2021) in their review of historical dam-break events useful for the validation of dam-break numerical models. While admitting that this test case is affected by the data shortcomings reported by the Discussers, in the authors’ opinion, it should remain included in the group of well-documented test cases due to the large and complete dataset available in digital format. This conclusion is also supported by the fact that the Lake Ha! Ha! case was chosen as a benchmark in the framework of the 2001–2004 IMPACT (Investigation of Extreme Flood Processes and Uncertainty) European project and was then widely used in the literature for the validation of one-dimensional and two-dimensional geomorphic flood models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
3 pages, 187 KiB  
Comment
Comment on Aureli et al. Review of Historical Dam-Break Events and Laboratory Tests on Real Topography for the Validation of Numerical Models. Water 2021, 13, 1968
by Eman AlQasimi and Tew-Fik Mahdi
Water 2022, 14(2), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14020264 - 17 Jan 2022
Viewed by 1621
Abstract
This discussion points out that the available data of the Lake Ha! Ha! Dam failure, classified as useful for models’ validation purposes by Aureli et al. (2021), present serious shortcomings that should move the Lake Ha! Ha! Dam from Aureli et al.’s well-documented [...] Read more.
This discussion points out that the available data of the Lake Ha! Ha! Dam failure, classified as useful for models’ validation purposes by Aureli et al. (2021), present serious shortcomings that should move the Lake Ha! Ha! Dam from Aureli et al.’s well-documented test cases to cases with partial or inaccurate datasets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dam-Break Modeling for Flood Hazard Mitigation: Theory, Numerical Models, and Applications in Hydraulic Engineering)
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