The General and the Specific in the Formation of a Break Wave and the Current Beyond Its Front for Various Cases of Dam Failure

The case of a dam for an irrigation reservoir is used as an example to illustrate the different modes of failure of a water resources system. The types of failure to which a dam can be subjected are described in the first section of the paper, in terms of a framework of general reliability analysis. Two applications are considered: the case of operational failure, illustrated by means of an irrigation reservoir for arid countries, and the case of dam failure due to overtopping. Conceptual models are given which permit the inclusion of reliability and other figures of merit into both operation and safety analysis.

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Seismic signal characteristics and interpretation of the 2020 “6.17” Danba landslide dam failure hazard chain process

Landslides ◽

10.1007/s10346-021-01657-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Yan ◽

Yifei Cui ◽

Dingzhu Liu ◽

Hui Tang ◽

Yongjian Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Landslide Dam ◽

Seismic Signal ◽

Dam Failure ◽

Chain Process ◽

Signal Characteristics

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Electromagnetic profiling of Owena Dam, Southwestern Nigeria, using very-low-frequency radio fields

Materials and Geoenvironment ◽

10.1515/rmzmag-2016-0021 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 237-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cyril Okpoli ◽

Raphael Tijani

Keyword(s):

Low Frequency ◽

Soil Mass ◽

Internal Erosion ◽

Dam Failure ◽

Real Component ◽

Southwestern Nigeria ◽

Very Low Frequency ◽

Embankment Dams ◽

Fractured Zones ◽

Basement Structures

AbstractVery low frequency (VLF) was used to assess variations in overburden composition, bedrock lithology and the concealed basement structures within the bedrock of Owena Dam in Igbara-Oke of the Precambrian Basement Complex of Southwestern Nigeria. Five VLF-electromagnetic (EM) traverses were occupied at 5 m intervals. The VLF normal and filtered real component anomalies identify major geological interfaces suspected to be faults/fractured zones. The points of crossover between the real and imaginary components delineate the fractured zones, which were identified as areas of possible seepage (piping and sloughing). The internal erosion (permeability) of soil mass eventually leads to the formation of an open conduit in the soil, which may lead to failure of the embankment/dam. The fractured zones are suspected to be present at all traverses. In total, 21 fractured zones were identified along the dam embankment, with the deepest occurrence at Traverse 5. These seepage zones cause heterogeneity in the subsurface composition, which could lead to dam failure. The result of the study suggests that VLF is an adequate method of monitoring seepages in embankment dams.

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Experimental and Numerical Investigation of 3D Dam-Break Wave Propagation in an Enclosed Domain with Dry and Wet Bottom

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11125638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 5638

Author(s):

Selahattin Kocaman ◽

Stefania Evangelista ◽

Hasan Guzel ◽

Kaan Dal ◽

Ada Yilmaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wave Propagation ◽

Numerical Models ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Dam Break ◽

Dam Failure ◽

Navier Stokes ◽

Negative Wave ◽

Through Flow ◽

Instantaneous Removal ◽

Surface Patterns

Dam-break flood waves represent a severe threat to people and properties located in downstream regions. Although dam failure has been among the main subjects investigated in academia, little effort has been made toward investigating wave propagation under the influence of tailwater depth. This work presents three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of laboratory experiments of dam-breaks with tailwater performed at the Laboratory of Hydraulics of Iskenderun Technical University, Turkey. The dam-break wave was generated by the instantaneous removal of a sluice gate positioned at the center of a transversal wall forming the reservoir. Specifically, in order to understand the influence of tailwater level on wave propagation, three tests were conducted under the conditions of dry and wet downstream bottom with two different tailwater depths, respectively. The present research analyzes the propagation of the positive and negative wave originated by the dam-break, as well as the wave reflection against the channel’s downstream closed boundary. Digital image processing was used to track water surface patterns, and ultrasonic sensors were positioned at five different locations along the channel in order to obtain water stage hydrographs. Laboratory measurements were compared against the numerical results obtained through FLOW-3D commercial software, solving the 3D Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) with the k-ε turbulence model for closure, and Shallow Water Equations (SWEs). The comparison achieved a reasonable agreement with both numerical models, although the RANS showed in general, as expected, a better performance.

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Risk and Impact Assessment of Dams in the Contiguous United States Using the 2018 National Inventory of Dams Database

Water ◽

10.3390/w13081066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 1066

Author(s):

Junho Song ◽

Madden Sciubba ◽

Jonghun Kam

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Storage Capacity ◽

The United States ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽

Dam Failure ◽

Environmental Damage ◽

Hazard Potential ◽

Significant Potential ◽

National Inventory

Aging water infrastructure in the United States (U.S.) is a growing concern. In the U.S., over 90,000 dams were registered in the 2018 National Inventory of Dams (NID) database, and their average age was 57 years old. Here, we aim to assess spatiotemporal patterns of the growth of artificial water storage of the existing dams and their hazard potential and potential economic benefit. In this study, we use more than 70,000 NID-registered dams to assess the cumulative hazard potential of dam failure in terms of the total number and the cumulative maximum storage of dams over the 12 National Weather Service River Forecast Center (RFC) regions. In addition, we also estimate potential economic benefits of the existing dams based on their cumulative storage capacity. Results show that the ratios of the cumulative storage capacity to the long-term averaged precipitation range from 8% (Mid-Atlantic) to 50% (Colorado), indicating the significant anthropogenic contribution to the land surface water budget. We also find that the cumulative storage capacity of the dams with high (probable loss of human life is if the dam fails) and significant (potential economic loss and environmental damage with no probable casualty) hazard potential ranges from 50% (North Central) to 98% (Missouri and Colorado) of the total storage capacity within the corresponding region. Surprisingly, 43% of the dams with either high or significant potential hazards have no Emergency Action Plan. Potential economic benefits from the existing dams range from $0.7 billion (Mid Atlantic) to $15.4 billion (West Gulf). Spatiotemporal patterns of hazard potential and economic benefits from the NID-registered dams indicate a need for the development of region-specific preparation, emergency, and recovery plans for dam failure. This study provides an insight about how big data, such as the NID database, can provide actionable information for community resilience toward a safer and more sustainable environment.

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Organic substrate availability and enzyme activity affect microbial-controlled carbon dynamics in areas disturbed by a mining dam failure

Applied Soil Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104169 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 169 ◽

pp. 104169

Author(s):

Éder Rodrigues Batista ◽

Aline de Jesus Franco ◽

Ana Paula Valadares da Silva ◽

Jessyca Adriana Gomes Florêncio da Silva ◽

Davi Santos Tavares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Carbon Dynamics ◽

Organic Substrate ◽

Dam Failure ◽

Substrate Availability ◽

Mining Dam

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Drained instability of sand in plane strain

Canadian Geotechnical Journal ◽

10.1139/t09-111 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 400-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Dariusz Wanatowski ◽

Jian Chu ◽

Wai Lay Loke

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Plane Strain ◽

Case Studies ◽

Static Loading ◽

State Parameter ◽

Dam Failure ◽

Triaxial Tests ◽

Granular Soil ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Dense Sand

Flowslide or failure of loose granular soil slopes is often explained using liquefaction or instability data obtained from undrained triaxial tests. However, under static loading conditions, the assumption of an undrained condition is not realistic for sand, particularly clean sand. Case studies have indicated that instability of granular soil can occur under essentially drained conditions (e.g., the Wachusett Dam failure in 1907). Laboratory studies on Changi sand by Chu et al. in 2003 have shown that sand can become unstable under completely drained conditions. However, these studies were carried out under axisymmetric conditions and thus, cannot be applied directly to the analysis of slope failures. In this paper, experimental data obtained from plane-strain tests are presented to study the instability behaviour of loose and dense sand under plane-strain conditions. Based on these test data, the conditions for the occurrence of drained instability in plane strain are established. Using the modified state parameter, the conditions for instability under both axisymmetric and plane-strain conditions can be unified. A framework for interpreting the instability conditions of sandy slopes developed under axisymmetric conditions also extends into plane-strain conditions.

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