Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Simulation of Dam-Breach Outflow Hydrographs Using Water Level Variations

  • Published:
Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Most parametric models of earthen dam failure require a breach progression curve to establish an outflow hydrograph, but well-documented breach progression data obtained during dam failure are rarely available. As an alternative, the potential for developing outflow hydrographs from observed variations in reservoir water level is explored. The parameter retrieval process is based on minimizing the difference between the model solution and the water level observations. The retrieved optimal parameters are used to build an outflow hydrograph, which is then linked with a routing model to identify the flood-prone areas downstream. The suggested approach is tested in a case study of a small reservoir and is validated with the inundation area recorded in an on-site investigation. The disparity between the simulated and recorded inundation areas is approximately 7~8%, and the difference in water depth is small at 0.03~0.09 m. Overall, the suggested approach provides reasonable accuracy for the test site.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alcrudo F, Mullet J (2007) Description of the Tous dam break case study (Spain). J Hydraul Res 45:45–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez M, Puertas J, Peña E, Bermúdez M (2018) Two-dimensional dam-break flood analysis in data-scarce regions: the case study of Chipembe dam, Mozambique. Water 9(6):432. https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown RJ, Rogers DCA (1977) Simulation of the hydraulic events during and following the Teton Dam failure. Proc., Dam-Break Flood Routing Workshop. Water Resources Council, Bethesda, Md. 131–163

  • Costa JE, Schuster RL (1988) The formation and failure of natural dams. Geol Soc Am Bull 100:1054–1068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui P, Zhu YY, Han YS, Chen XQ, Zhuang JQ (2009) The 12 may Wenchuan earthquake-induced landslide lakes: distribution and preliminary risk evaluation. Landslides 6(3):209–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan QY, Gupta VK, Sorooshian S (1993) Shuffled complex evolution approach for effective and efficient global minimization. J Optimiz Theor Appl 76:501–521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan QY, Sorooshian S, Gupta VK (1994) Optimal use of the SCE-UA global optimization method for calibrating watershed models. J Hydrol 158:265–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FLO-2D Software, Inc. (2009) FLO-2D, Reference manual. FLO-2D Software Inc., Nutrioso, AZ, USA

  • Fread DL (1988) BREACH: An erosion model for earthen dam failures. National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD

  • Froehlich DC (2008) Embankment dam breach parameters and their uncertainties. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering-ASCE 134(12):1708–1721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Froehlich DC (2016) Predicting peak discharge from gradually breached embankment dam. J Hydrol Eng 21(11):04016041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallegos HA, Schubert JE, Sander BF (2012) Structural damage prediction in a high-velocity urban dam-break flood: a field-scale assessment of predictive skill. Journal of Engineering Mechanics-ASCE 138:1249–1262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia J, Slejko D, Alvarez L, Peruzza L, Rebez A (2003) Seismic hazard assessment for Cuba and the surrounding areas. Bulletin of Seismological Society of America 93:2563–2590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson GJ, Cook KR, Hunt SL (2005) Physical modeling of overtopping erosion and breach formation of cohesive embankments. Trans Am Soc Agric Eng 48:1783–1794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu FU, Wang G, Fu X, Duan J (2012) Physically based simulation of dam breach development for Tangjiashan quake dam, China. Environmental Earth Science 65:1081–1094

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macchione F (2008) Model for predicting floods due to earthen dam breaching. I: formulation and evaluation. J Hydraul Eng 134(12):1688–1696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed MAA (2002) Embankment breach formation and modeling methods. Ph.D. thesis. Open Univ, Milton Keynes, U.K

  • Morris MW (2009) Modelling Breach Initiation and Growth. FLOOD site Report T06–08-02

  • Morris MW (2011) Breaching of Earth Embankments and Dams. PhD Thesis, The Open University, England

  • Morris MW, Mohamed MAAM, Vaskinn KA (2007) Breach formation: field test and laboratory experiments. J Hydraul Res 45(Extra Issue:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nash JE, Sutcliffe JV (1970) River flow forecasting through conceptual models, I-A discussion of principles. J Hydrol 10:282–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neelz S, Pender G (2013) Bench marking the latest generation of 2D hydraulic modelling packages; report no. SC120002. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelder JA, Mead RAA (1965) Simplex method for function minimization. Comput J 7:308–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ngii.go.kr. (2009) National Geographic Information Institute – Map of Korea – www.ngii.go.kr www.ngii.go.kr/en/popup/map_korea.jsp (Oct. 2009)

  • Peng M, Zhang LM (2012) Analysis of human risks due to dam break floods-part 2: application to Tangjiashan landslid dam failure. Nat Hazards 64:1899–1923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce MW, Thornton CI, Abt SR (2010) Predicting peak outflow from breached embankment dams. J Hydrol Eng 15(5):338–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh VP (1996) Dam breach modeling technology. Kluwer Academic, Boston

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Soares-Frazão S, Canelas R, Cao Z, Cea L, Chaudhry HM, Die Moran A, Kadi KE, Ferreira R, Cadórniga IF, Gonzalez-Ramirez N (2012) Dam-break flows over mobile beds: experiment sand bench mark tests for numerical models. J Hydraul Res 50:364–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spada E, Sinagra M, Tucciarelli T, Biondi D (2017) Unsteady State Water Level Analysis for Discharge Hydrograph Estimation in Rivers with Torrential Regime: The Case Study of the February 2016 Flood Event in the Crati River, South Italy. ater(https://www.mdpi.com/2073-444/9/4/288/htm)

  • Verhulst PF (1845) Mathematical researches into the law of population growth increase. Nouveaux Mémoires de l’Académie Royale des Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Bruxelles 18:1–42 Retrieved Feb 18, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahl TL (2004) Uncertainty of predictions for embankment dam breach parameters. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering-ASCE 130(5):389–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wahl TL (2010) Dam Breach Modelling - An Overview of Analysis Methods. 2nd Joint Federal Interagency Conference, Las Vegas, NV

  • Walder JS, O’Connor JE (1997) Methods for predicting peak discharge of floods caused by failure of natural and constructed earth dams. Water Resour Res 33(10):12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waythomas CF, Walder JS, McGimsey RG, Neal CAA (1996) Catastrophic flood caused by drainage of a caldera lake at Aniackak volcano, Alalska, and implications for volcanic hazards assessment. Geological Society of American Bulletin 108(7):861–871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West M, Morris MW (2018) Hassan A guide to breach prediction, HR Wallingford, UK

  • Wu W (2013) Simplified physically based model of earthen embankment breaching. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering-ASCE 139(8):837–851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu W (2016) Inputs and Outputs of DL Breach – A Simplified Physically Based Dam/Levee Breach Model, Clarkson University, NY

  • Xu Y, Zhang LM (2009) Breaching parameter for earth and rock-fill dams. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering-ASCE 135(12):1957–1969

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Mr. D.H. Go for his kind assistance. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017-2017001809).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Daegu University, 201 Daegude-ro Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, South Korea

    Khil-Ha Lee

Authors
  1. Khil-Ha Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Khil-Ha Lee.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

None.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lee, KH. Simulation of Dam-Breach Outflow Hydrographs Using Water Level Variations. Water Resour Manage 33, 3781–3797 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-019-02341-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-019-02341-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation