Accurate predictions of breach characteristics are necessary to reliably estimate the outflow hydrograph and the resulting inundation close to fluvial dikes. Laboratory experiments on the breaching of fluvial sand dikes were performed, considering a flow parallel to the dike axis. The breach was triggered by overtopping the dike crest. A detailed monitoring of the transient evolution of the breach geometry was conducted, providing key insights into the gradual and complex processes involved in fluvial dike failure. The breach develops in two phases: (1) the breach becomes gradually wider and deeper eroding on the downstream side along the main channel and (2) breach widening controlled by side slope failures, continuing in the downstream direction only. Increasing the inflow discharge in the main channel, the breach formation time decreases significantly and the erosion occurs preferentially on the downstream side. The downstream boundary condition has a strong influence on the breach geometry and the resulting outflow hydrograph.

This paper reports on the numerical modelling of flash flood propagation in urban areas after an excessive rainfall event or dam/dyke break wave. A two-dimensional (2-D) depth-averaged shallow-water model is used, with a refined grid of quadrilaterals and triangles for representing the urban area topography. The 2-D shallow-water equations are solved using the explicit second-order scheme that is adapted from MUSCL approach. Four applications are described to demonstrate the potential benefits and limits of 2-D modelling: (i) laboratory experimental dam-break wave in the presence of an isolated building; (ii) flash flood over a physical model of the urbanized Toce river valley in Italy; (iii) flash flood in October 1988 at the city of Nîmes (France) and (iv) dam-break flood in October 1982 at the town of Sumacárcel (Spain). Computed flow depths and velocities compare well with recorded data, although for the experimental study on dam-break wave some discrepancies are observed around buildings, where the flow is strongly 3-D in character. The numerical simulations show that the flow depths and flood wave celerity are significantly affected by the presence of buildings in comparison with the original floodplain. Further, this study confirms the importance of topography and roughness coefficient for flood propagation simulation.

[1] A one-dimensional numerical model for simulating unsteady flow and sediment transport in open channels is presented and tested. The flow hydrodynamics is represented by the shallow water equations, and the bed morphodynamics is represented by the Exner equation and an additional equation describing the nonequilibrium sediment transport. Sediment size distribution is represented by the median grain diameter and the standard deviation, instead of the usual modeling with multiple particle size classes. Various methods for computing bed elevation changes at a cross section due to erosion or deposition of sediment are proposed and tested, including an innovative approach that relates the spatial pattern of erosion and deposition rates to boundary shear stress distribution, which is calculated by the Merged Perpendicular Method. An explicit finite difference scheme is employed for solving the water and sediment governing equations. The pertinence of the model is examined for two hypothetical cases. The model is then tested on one set of laboratory experiments on bed degradation under steady flow, showing excellent model data fit, and indicating that incorporating a nonequilibrium sediment transport equation into the model structure is an important element in reproducing the bed degradation process. Finally, the model is applied to simulate the morphological changes taking place in the Ha!Ha! River (Quebec) after the failure of the Ha!Ha! Dyke on July 1996. Relevant results can be obtained in terms of changes in longitudinal bed profile and cross-sectional geometry as well as water levels, although some discrepancies are obtained between the simulated and surveyed cross-sectional geometries, mainly because bank failure and channel widening are not modeled.

The flow and sediment transport processes near steep streambanks, which are commonly found in meandering, braided, and anastomosing stream systems, exhibit complex patterns that produce intricate interactions between bed and bank morphologic adjustment. Increasingly, multi-dimensional computer models of riverine morphodynamics are used to aid in the study of these processes. A number of depth-averaged two-dimensional models are available to simulate morphologic adjustment of both bed and banks. Unfortunately, these models use overly simplified conceptual models of riverbank erosion, are limited by inflexible structured mesh systems, or are unable to accurately account for the flow and sediment transport adjacent to streambanks of arbitrary geometry. A new, nonlinear model is introduced that resolves these limitations.

This paper reports a numerical study on dam-break waves over movable beds. A one-dimensional (1-D) model is built upon the Saint-Venant equations for shallow water waves, the Exner equation of sediment mass conservation and a spatial lag equation for nonequilibrium sediment transport. The set of governing equations is solved using an explicit finite difference scheme. The model is tested in various idealized experimental cases, with fairly good agreement between the numerical predictions and measurements. Discrepancies are observed at the earlier stage of the dam-break wave and around the dam location due to no vertical velocity component being taken into account. Sensitivity tests confirm that the friction coefficient is an important parameter for the evaluation of sediment transport processes operating during a dam-break wave. The influence of the non-equilibrium adaptation length (or the lag distance) is negligible on the wavefront celerity and weak on the free surface and bed profiles, which indicates that one may ignore the spatial lag effect in dam-break wave studies. Finally, the simulation of the Lake Ha!Ha! dyke-break flood event shows that the model can provide relevant results if a convenient formula for computing the sediment transport capacity and an appropriate median grain diameter of riverbed material are selected.