Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dam break flood wave under different reservoir’s capacities and lengths

  • Published:
Sādhanā Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dam failure has been the subject of many hydraulic engineering studies due to its complicated physics with many uncertainties involved and the potential to cause many losses of lives and economical losses. A primary source of uncertainties in many dam failure analyses refers to prediction of the reservoir’s outflow hydrograph, which is studied in the present investigation. This paper presents an experimental study on instantaneous dam failure flood under different reservoir’s capacities and lengths in which the side slopes change within a range of 30°–90°. Thus, several outflow hydrographs are calculated and compared. The results reveal the role of the side slopes on dam break flood wave, such that lower side slope creates more catastrophic outflow. The reservoir capacity and length are also recognized to be important factors, such that they do affect peak discharge and time to peak of the outflow hydrograph. Finally, the paper presents two simple relations for peak discharge and maximum water level estimation at any downstream location.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xu F, Yang X and Zhou J 2015 Experimental study of the impact factors of natural dam failure introduced by a landslide surge. Environ. Earth Sci. 74(5): 4075–4087

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Singh V 1996 Dam breach modelling technology. Dordrecht: Kluwer

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Wahl T L 2004 Uncertainty of predictions of embankment dam breach parameters. J. Hydraul. Eng. 130(5): 389–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Thornton C I, Pierce M W and Abt S R 2011 Enhanced predictions for peak outflow from breached embankment dams. J. Hydrol. Eng. 16(1): 81–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bazin H 1865 Recherches Expérimentales relatives aux remous et à la propagation des ondes [Experimental research on the hydraulic jump and on wave propagation]. Deuxième partie des Recherches hydrauliques de Darcy et Bazin, p 148

  6. Ritter A 1892 Die Fortpflanzung der Wasserwellen [The propagation of water waves]. Z. Ver. Dtsch. Ing. 36(33): 947–954

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dressler R F 1952 Hydraulic resistance effect upon the dam-break functions. J. Res. Natl. Bur. Stand. 49(3): 217–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Su S T and Barnes A H 1970 Geometric and frictional effects on sudden releases. J. Hydraul. Div. 96(11): 2185–2200

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pilotti M, Tomirotti M, Valerio G and Bacchi B 2010 Simplified method for the characterization of the hydrograph following a sudden partial dam break. J. Hydraul. Eng. 136(10): 693–704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Feizi Khankandi A, Tahershamsi A and Soares-Frazão S 2012 Experimental investigation of reservoir geometry effect on dam-break flow. J. Hydraul. Res. 50(4): 376–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hooshyaripor F and Tahershamsi A 2015 Effect of reservoir side slopes on dam-break flood waves. Eng. Appl. Comput. Fluid Mech. 9(1): 458–468

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ponce V M 1982 Documented cases of earth dam breaches. In: SDSU Civil Engineering Series. San Diego, CA: San Diego State University

  13. Lauber G and Hager W H 1998 Experiments to dambreak wave: horizontal channel. J. Hydraul. Res. 36(3): 291–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Taher-shamsi A, Ponce V M and Shetty A V 2003 Embankment dam breaching: geometry and peak outflow characteristics. Dam Eng. 14(2): 73–82

    Google Scholar 

  15. Leal J G A B, Ferreira R M L and Cardoso A H 2009 Maximum level and time to peak of dam-break waves on mobile horizontal bed. J. Hydraul. Eng. 135(11): 995–999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Vischer D L and Hager W H 1998 Dam hydraulics. Chichester: Wiley

    Google Scholar 

  17. SonTec 2007 User guide of Horizon ADV/YSI MicroADV. Available from http://www.sontek.com

  18. Oertel M and Bung D B 2012 Initial stage of two-dimensional dam-break waves: laboratory versus VOF. J. Hydraul. Res. 50(1): 89–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Escande L, Nougaro J, Castex L and Barthet H 1961 Influence de Quelques Paramètres sur une Onde de Crue Subite à l’Aval d’un Barrage (The influence of certain parameters on a sudden flood wave downstream from a dam). J. Houille Blanche 5: 565–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhao W, Chen X, You Y and Chen J 2015 Dam-break characteristics of landslide dams with different types of open channel discharge sections. Environ. Earth Sci. 74(6): 5331–5340

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Farhad Hooshyaripor

  2. Faculty of Civil and Environment Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Farhad Hooshyaripor & Ahmad Tahershamsi

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Islamshar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr, Iran

    Sahand Razi

Authors
  1. Farhad Hooshyaripor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ahmad Tahershamsi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sahand Razi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmad Tahershamsi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hooshyaripor, F., Tahershamsi, A. & Razi, S. Dam break flood wave under different reservoir’s capacities and lengths. Sādhanā 42, 1557–1569 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-017-0693-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-017-0693-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation