Abstract
A computer model has been developed for simulation of breach erosion of earthfill dams (BEED). The model incorporates the processes of surface erosion and slope sloughing to simulate breach enlargement. Depletion of reservoir water is approximated by a volume continuity equation while broad-crested weir hydraulics is utilized to describe flow over and through the breach. Due to the implicit form of these equations, an iterative solution is proposed with convergence achieved within only a few iterations. The BEED model is written in both FORTRAN 77 and BASIC computer languages. Testing of the model using historical data of the failures of Teton and Huaccoto dams showed that timing, shape, and magnitude of the predicted outflow hydrograph were adequately simulated by this model. The same is true for the dimensions of the terminal breach. A sensitivity analysis indicated that internal friction angle and the relation for surface erosion were the major factors affecting the model results.
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Singh, V.P., Scarlatos, P.D., Collins, J.G. et al. Breach erosion of earthfill dams (BEED) model. Nat Hazards 1, 161–180 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00126613
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00126613