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Comparison of specific sediment transport rates obtained from empirical formulae and dam breaching experiments

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Abstract

Sediment transport rate determination plays an essential role in mathematical models of embankment dam breaching. The sediment transport formulae commonly used today were mostly determined under considerably different conditions than those existing during the breaching of embankment dams, i.e. in connection with relatively mild longitudinal slopes. However, due to the scarceness of sediment transport relations for sediment transport rates on steep slopes, these traditional formulae are frequently used in dam breach modelling. This paper contains a description of a physical model of a 0.86 m high sandy dike constructed and breached at an outdoor laboratory operated by the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic. The dike shape and material were the same for all experiments. The used material was homogeneous non-cohesive medium-uniform sand. The results of the experimental breaching of the sandy dike were discussed and compared with sediment transport rates obtained from various empirical formulae. The comparison shows differences between experimental and calculated sediment transport rates which in all analysed cases indicate overestimation of the breaching rate calculated by empirical formulae.

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Abbreviations

A :

Area of water surface in the upstream tank (m2)

b :

Average breach width (m)

C :

Friction coefficient (–)

c :

Sediment concentration (–)

c b :

Bed load concentration (–)

D :

Mean particle diameter (m)

D i :

The grain diameter corresponding to i % passing (m)

d :

Water depth (m)

Fr:

Froude number (–)

g :

Gravitational acceleration (m/s2)

h :

Water level in the upstream tank (m)

I d :

Compaction index (–)

k :

Roughness factor (k = 3D 90 for θ < 1; k = 3θD 90 for θ ≥ 1) (–)

k r :

Roughness coefficient of bed-forms such as ripples (–)

k s :

Manning–Strickler coefficient of roughness related to sand-grain surface (–)

n :

Porosity of the dike material (–)

q b :

Specific bed load (m2/s)

Q b :

Breach discharge (m3/s)

Q in :

Inflow to the upstream tank (m3/s)

q s :

Specific suspended load (m2/s)

q t :

Specific total load (m2/s)

t :

Time (s)

u :

Depth-averaged flow velocity (m/s)

V :

Volume of transported sediments (m3)

w w :

Volume of water (m3)

w s :

Sediment fall velocity (m/s)

β :

Inclination angle of bed slope (o)

Δ:

Relative density (–)

φ :

Angle of internal friction (o)

κ :

Von Karman constant (–)

μ :

Ripple factor (μ = 1 for a plane bed, μ = 0 for ripples and dunes) (–)

υ :

Kinematic viscosity (m2/s)

θ :

Shields’ particle mobility parameter (Shields’ number) (–)

θ cr :

Critical value of θ for incipient motion (–)

ρ w :

Water density (kg/m3)

ρ s :

Sediment density (kg/m3)

τ :

Shear stress caused by water flow (N/m2)

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Acknowledgments

This study is the result of projects entitled The utilization of probabilistic methods for safety surveillance of dams with respect to their safety during global climate change, project code TA04020670, and Advanced Materials, Structures and Technologies, project code LO1408 AdMaS UP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Water Structures, Brno University of Technology, Veveri 331/95, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Zakaraya Alhasan, Jan Jandora & Jaromir Riha

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  1. Zakaraya Alhasan
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Correspondence to Zakaraya Alhasan.

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Alhasan, Z., Jandora, J. & Riha, J. Comparison of specific sediment transport rates obtained from empirical formulae and dam breaching experiments. Environ Fluid Mech 16, 997–1019 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-016-9463-2

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