Engineering and Design. Hydrologic Engineering Requirements for Reservoirs

Williams, Otis

doi:10.21236/ada402460

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…This can be mainly attributed to the interdisciplinary processes involved, such as: hydraulics, soil mechanics and sediment transport. The complexity is not just regarding each of these separate aspects but their mutual interactions as well (Williams, 1997). Three main approaches were followed in modeling dam breaching: (1) physical modeling, (2) statistical parameter estimation, and (3) numerical modeling.…”

Section: Embankment Failure Modeling Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of embankment dams breaching using large scale physical modeling and statistical methods

et al. 2018

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Understanding the failure mechanisms of embankment dams due to overtopping is essential for the design of flood mitigation, flood mapping, and flood warning systems. The breach process in embankment dams can be characterized using breach parameters such as breach opening dimensions, time of breach formation, and peak breach outflow. The main objective of this study is to derive new set of statistical equations to predict the target breach parameters. A database of 126 events of embankment failure was collected and then multiple nonlinear regression analysis is used to derive the new set of equations and the uncertainty in the computed parameters was quantified. Finally, five large-scale overtopping failure tests were conducted on cohesive and non-cohesive soils embankments. The derived breach parameters equations showed good agreement with the results of the physical models for non-cohesive soil embankments, while the failure of cohesive soil embankments varied significantly with soil properties; indicating that breach parameters in cohesive soil embankment should be computed based on not only embankment dimensions but soil properties as well.

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Section: Embankment Failure Modeling Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of embankment dams breaching using large scale physical modeling and statistical methods

et al. 2018

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“…Three historical storms were used in the design of the Buffalo Bayou Flood Control Project: the 1899 storm near Hearn, TX, the 1921 storm and the 1935 storm in the Houston region. The design storm selected for sizing AD/BA dams, the probable maximum storm (used to establish the Spillway Design Flood or SDF), was based on the 1899 storm (as well as rainfall intensities from the 1921 storm), with its average rainfall amounting to about 30 inches (76 cm) in 72 h. The SDF is defined by the USACE as flood resultant from the probable maximum precipitation (PMP), or the worst possible combination of meteorological events (Williams, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Upstream Addicks–Barker reservoir damages during Hurricane Harvey: A case study of urban hydrology and policy failure in Houston, TX

Furrh

Bedient

2023

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Addicks and Barker reservoirs were built in the 1940s to protect downtown Houston from flooding and have generally worked very well until 2017 when Hurricane Harvey devastated much of Houston and surroundings with up to 40 inches (102 cm) of rainfall causing flooding of 154,000 homes in over 22 watersheds in Houston/Harris County alone. However, the story of how Addicks and Barker flooded upstream residential areas from a hydrologic standpoint is a harsh lesson in flood infrastructure policy and funding. This failure to protect both downstream properties in Buffalo Bayou and upstream areas behind the dams ended up with tens of thousands of flooded homes and properties, with many having flood waters for over 10 days. This paper explores the main causes for the flooding and addresses the hydrologic issues upstream in both reservoirs. The main causes of flooding were not just related to a massive rainfall event, but also explosive urban expansion of land use upstream of reservoirs, altered and updated reservoir design issues, and lack of governmental action in the years leading up to the disaster. Potential long‐term solutions to the flooding and design problems are addressed in this article as well.

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