Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical simulation of overtopping breach processes caused by failure of landslide dams

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Fluid Mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Based on the mechanism of landslide dam failure caused by overtopping, a simplified mathematical model for simulating dam breach overtopping flow processes was proposed in our previous work. The model is composed of five main modules including hydrodynamic, sediment transport and erosion, headward erosion, breach lateral evolution, and breach side slope stability. However, the breach lateral evolution module is still based on the assumption existing in most available models that breach lateral spreading is linearly related to the undercutting, i.e., the lateral erosion rate is twice as much as the vertical undercutting rate in the process of dam breaking. This assumption is obviously lack of theoretical basis. Through a theoretical analysis of sediment initial motion on the river channel slope, a lateral erosion formula was deduced in this paper. Then the lateral enlargement model was developed to update the breach evolution module in the previously established simulation model. To verify the effectiveness of the modification, A case study was conducted in the same overtopping failure event of Baige landslide dam, which was located at the border of Tibet Autonomous Region and Sichuan province in China, took place on November 3, 2018. A good model performance was achieved with predicted flood volume, peak discharge and occurrence time within 10% margin of error compared with field monitoring data. Furthermore, a comparing with the previous model was carried out and the results obtained by the modified model applying the new lateral enlargement formula proposed in this study indicate that the predicting accuracy of the model can be improved significantly for the simulation of landslide dam overtopping failure.

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
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig.13
Fig.14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Costa JE, Schuster RL (1988) The formation and failure of natural dams. Geol Soc Am Bull 100(7):1054–1068. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1988)100<1054:TFAFON>2.3.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. KongA FY, Deng HY, Tian SJ, Cun Y, JM (2010) Classification and typical case analysis of wenchuan earthquake-induced dammed lakes based on landslide formation mechanism. J Sichuan University 42(5):44–51. https://doi.org/10.15961/j.jsuese.2010.05.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Wang GQ, Liu F, Fu XD (2008) Simulation of dam breach development for emergency treatment of the Tangjiashan Quake Lake in China. Sci China 51:82–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-008-6019-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ren Q, Chen SS, Zhong QM, Cao W (2011) Formation mechanism and breaching failure risk of barrier dams. Adv Sci Technol Water Resour 31(5):30–34. https://doi.org/10.3880/j.issn.1006-7647.2011.05.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang GQ, Wang YQ, Liu L, Wang DY (2015) Reviewed on barrier dam and simulation on dam breach. Yellow River 37(9):1–7. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1000-1379.2015.09.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Feng ZY, Huang HY, Chen SC (2020) Analysis of the characteristics of seismic and acoustic signals produced by a dam failure and slope erosion test. Landslides 17(7):1605–1618. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01390-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cui P, Zhu YY, Han YS, Chen XQ, Liu HJ, Zhuang JQ (2009) The 12 may Wenchuan earthquake-induced landslide lakes: distribution and preliminary risk evaluation. Landslides 6(3):209–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-009-0160-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cui P, Chen XQ, Zhu YY, Su FH, Wei FQ, Han YS, Liu HJ, Zhuang JQ (2011) The Wenchuan earthquake (may 12, 2008), sichuan province, China and resulting geohazards. Nat Hazards 56(1):19–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-009-9392-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Wang SJ (2018) Study on dam break calculation and life loss assessment of landslide dam. Xi’an University of Technology, China

    Google Scholar 

  10. Cai YJ, Cheng HY, Wu SF, Yang QG, Wang L, Luan YS, Chen ZY (2020) Breaches of the Baige Barrier Lake. emergency response and dam breach flood. Sci China-Technol Sci 63:1164–1176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-019-1475-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chang DS, Zhang LM (2010) Simulation of the erosion process of landslide dams due to overtopping considering variations in soil erodibility along depth. Nat Hazard 10(4):933–946. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-10-933-2010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fread DL (1984) DAMBRK: the NWS dam break flood forecasting model. National weather service (NWS) report, NOAA, Silver Spring

  13. Fread DL (1988) BREACH: an erosion model for earthen dam failures. National weather service (NWS) report, MA NOAA, Silver Spring

  14. Fread DL (1998) BREACH: NWS FLDWAV model. National weather service (NWS) report, M-A NOAA, Silver Spring

  15. Singh VP, Quiroga CA (1988) Dimensionless analytical solutions for dam breach erosion. J Hydraul Res 26(2):179–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221688809499224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhong QM, Chen SS, Mei SA, Cao W (2017) Numerical simulation of landslide dam breaching due to overtopping. Landslides 15(6):1183–1192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-017-0935-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Chen ZY, Ma LQ, Yu S, Chen SJ, Zhou XB, Sun P, Li X (2015) Back analysis of the draini-ng process of the Tangjiashan barrier lake. J Hydraul Eng 141(4):05014011. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang LM, Xiao T, He J, Chen C (2019) Erosion-based analysis of breaching of Baige landslide dams on the Jinsha River, China, in 2018. Landslides 16:1965–1979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-019-01247-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhong QM, Chen SS, Fu ZZ, Shan YB (2020) New empirical model for breaching of earth-rock dams. Nat Hazard Rev 21(2):06020002. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhong QM, Chen SS, Fu ZZ, Shan YB (2020) Numerical modeling of breaching process of Baige dammed lake on Jinsha River. Adv Eng Sci 52(2):29–37. https://doi.org/10.15961/j.jsuese.201900830

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhong QM, Chen S, Wang L, Shan Y (2020) Back analysis of breaching process of Baige landslide dam. Landslides 17(7):1681–1692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01398-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Li YL, Chen AK, Wen LF, Bu P, Li KP (2020) Numerical simulation of non-cohesive homogeneous dam breaching due to overtopping considering the seepage effect. Eur J Environ Civ Eng. https://doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2020.1744481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Shen G, Sheng J, Xiang Y, Zhong Q, Yang D (2020) Numerical modeling of overtopping-induced breach of landslide dams. Nat Hazard Rev 21(2):04020002. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wu W (2013) Simplified Physically Based Model of Earthen Embankment Breaching. J Hydraul Eng 139(8):837–851. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Li JH, Huang E, Luo LH (2012) Experimental study on Influence factors for burst rate of Barrier Dams. Yellow River 34(8):8–11. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1000-1379.2012.08.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Liu BX, Zhu XH, Guo J, Jiang C, Ma HA, PEI YH, (2020) Experiments research on breach broadening process of landslide dam under different channel bed slope. J Eng Geol 28(6):1272–1280. https://doi.org/10.13544/j.cnki.jeg.2019-514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Jiang XG, Cui P, Wang ZY, Heng WH (2016) Experiments investigation on longitudinal breaching of natural dam. J Sichuan Univ Eng Sci Edit 48(4):38–44. https://doi.org/10.15961/j.jsuese.2016.04.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhao TL, Chen SS, Wang JJ, Zhong QM, Fu J (2019) Centrifugal model tests on the failure mechanism of barrier dam overtopping. KSCE J Civ Eng 23:1548–1559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-019-0375-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wang XH (2000) Development and application of a numerical model for bank erosion and sediment transport in alluvial rivers. Xi’an University of Technology, China

    Google Scholar 

  30. Smart GM (1984) Sediment transport formula for steep channels. J Hydraul Div Am Soc Civil Eng 110(HY3):267–276. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1984)110:3(267)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Jiang XG, Wu YW (2020) Erosion characteristics of outburst floods on channel beds under the conditions of different natural dam downstream slope angles. Landslides 17(8):1823–1834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01381-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Shao XJ, Wang XK (2013) Introduction to river mechanics, 2nd edn. Tsinghua University Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  33. Spangler MG (1951) Soil engineering. International Textbook Company, Scranton, Pennsylvania, pp 321–323

    Google Scholar 

  34. Cheng HY (2019) Hydrology emergency monitoring and forecast on"11·3"Baige barrier lake Jinsha River. Yangtze River 50(3):23–27. https://doi.org/10.16232/j.cnki.1001-4179.2019.03.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Cai YJ, Luan YS, Yang QG, Xu FX, Zhang SJ, Shi Y, Yi DLZ (2019) Study on Structural morphology and dam-break characteristics of Baige barrier dam on Jinsha River. Yangtze River 50(3):15–22. https://doi.org/10.16232/j.cnki.1001-4179.2019.03.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Chen ZY, Chen SS, Wang L, Zhong QM, Zhang Q, Jin SL (2020) Back analysis of the breach flood of the “11 03” Baige barrier lake at the Upper Jinsha River. Sci China Technol. https://doi.org/10.1360/SST-2019-0297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Xue RY, Zhang XH, Cai YJ, Wang M, Deng Q, Zhang H (2021) Numerical simulation of landslide dam overtopping failure considering headward erosion. J Hydrol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Osman AM, Thorne CR, Affiliate Member ASCE (1988) Riverbank stability analysis i: theory. J Hydraul Eng 114:134–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Standard for hydrological information and hydrological forecasting, GB/T 22482–2008, National standards of the people's Republic of China, 2008. ISBN155066135646

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2018YFC1505004) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51879174 and 51579162).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China

    Yujie Cai, Xinhua Zhang, Ruiying Xue, Ming Wang & Qing Deng

Authors
  1. Yujie Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xinhua Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ruiying Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ming Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Qing Deng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xinhua Zhang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper.

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

Cai, Y., Zhang, X., Xue, R. et al. Numerical simulation of overtopping breach processes caused by failure of landslide dams. Environ Fluid Mech 22, 839–863 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-022-09858-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-022-09858-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation