New Achievements in Understanding of Embankment Dam Failure

Dams provide many benefits for our society, but floods resulting from the failure of constructed dams have also produced some of the most devastating disasters in the last two centuries. When dams fail, property damage is certain, but loss of life can vary dramatically depending on the inundation area, size of the population at risk and the amount of warning time available. Appropriate simulation of embankment dam breach events and the resulting floods with detailed information about the water levels and velocities at downstream locations are crucial for characterizing and reducing threats due to potential dam failures. The goal of the presented paper is to review the state-of-the-art dam breach analysis tools, surge parameters and procedures for predicting the influence of flood waters on structures and human subjects. According to the literature survey that include results given in the previously documented dam failure case studies, prior laboratory testing and the existing physically-based models, the entire breach erosion process can be divided in five stages. Current breach prediction methods are based on relations between hydraulic energy dissipation rate and dike erodibility. The depth averaged shallow water equations are useful and reliable for flood modeling. The CFD simulation of this flow is a non-trivial technique and some new software packages are developed. Accuracy, stability and reliability of new codes are tested with various types of examples, real life case of flood wave propagation and experimental data obtained by the physical modeling. Flood waves have a potential to cause heavy damage. Flood can be dangerous for an individual due to the depth and velocity of water. It is defined how human subject can cope with different flow conditions. As a result we know when the velocity and/or depth of flood flow pose a life threatening hazard. Some projects are achieved to develop a procedure for predicting the interaction of flood waters and structures in the flood plain. As a result of the achieved researches it is possible to distinguish inundation, area with partial damage and area with total destruction of structures in flooded area.