The State of the Practice and Future of Dam Breach Modeling: Download

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This course will survey dam breach analysis methods currently in use. Differences in methodology, analysis steps, assumptions, and results will be described. Specifically, the course will focus on hydrologic routing of dam breach flood waves, 1D hydraulic routing, and 2D hydraulic routing. Features of popular software will be summarized and the future of dam breach modeling will be discussed based on current trends.

Five Learning Objectives of This Course:

• An understanding of the history and evolution of dam breach modeling.

• What methods of dam breach modeling have been used in the past and why are they no longer being used?

• What are the current models being used for dam breach modeling?

• What are the differences in the current dam breach analysis methods?

• What does the future of dam breach modeling look like?

Amanda J. Hess, P.E., CFM

Vice President, Geotechnical, Dams and Hydraulics

GFT

Amanda Hess is a vice president and hydrology and hydraulic group manager at GFT Infrastructure, Inc. She holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering with a focus in water resources. Over her 25-year career, she has focused on design and application of hydrologic and hydraulic principles for dams. In that role, she has served as the lead hydrologic and hydraulic engineer for numerous spillway modification projects. She has provided supporting consulting services to several state dam safety departments on guidelines and regulations.

1.Reasons for Dam Breach Modeling
- a. Classify Hazard Potential
- b. Establish Inflow Design Flood
- c. Emergency Response Planning
- d. Risk Assessment/Risk Analysis
2. Factors Affecting Breach Inundation
- a. Volume of Stored Water
- b. Stored Energy (Head)
- c. Reservoir shape
- d. Downstream Terrain
- e. Breach Parameters
- f. Incipient failure condition
- g. Hydrologic loading
- h. Downstream obstructions
3. Results of Interest from Breach Modeling
- a. Maximum Inundation Extents
- b. Flow Depth
- c. Flow Velocity
- d. DV
- e. Flood Wave Arrival Time
- f. Time to Peak
- g. Duration of Flooding
- h. Flow Paths
- i. Downstream limits
4. History and Evolution of Dam Breach Hydrologic Routing
- a. Methodologies
- b. Data Requirements
- c. Software
- d. Results
5. 1D Hydraulic Routing
- a. Methodology
- b. Data Requirements
- c. Software
- d. Results
6. 2D Hydraulic Routing
- a. Methodology
- b. Data Requirements
- c. Software
- d. Results
7. Comparison of Methods
8. The Future of Dam Breach Modelling