A Laboratory Investigation on Functional Parameters of Earthen Dam Breach

Abstract

Embankment dams are constructed for retention of water for irrigation and for protecting people, land, and property from flooding. Failure of any embankment poses risk to people and property nearby. Breaching of embankments has drawn considerable attention as it provides useful information for development of early warning systems in the evacuation plans of people at risk. Many theoretical, laboratory and field studies have been carried out to study and understand the failure phenomenon. The breaches are often modeled in the shape of a trapezoid that is defined by its final height, base width or average width, and side slopes, along with time needed for the opening to form completely. Laboratory experiments were planned and conducted to obtain detailed experimental data on the breaching of homogeneous noncohesive and cohesive embankments due to overtopping. Five embankments, one constructed with pure sand, four with different sand-silt-clay mixtures were tested. The height of the embankment model was 20 cm, length of crest was 15 cm and the outer and inner slope was 1:1 (vertical: horizontal). The dam material is mainly eroded due to the transport capacity of the overtopping water. The tests confirmed that headcut erosion plays a very important role in the process of breach growth in embankments constructed with cohesive materials. Erosion usually initiates at locations close to the toe of the embankment when overflowed. Comparison of the testing durations between the ten tests indicated that the cohesive portion in the sand-silt-clay soil mixtures strongly slowed down the erosion process. Further, the higher the clay proportion in the soil mixtures was, the lower erosion rate was induced.

Authors and Affiliations

Sanjeev Kumar,

Keywords

Related Articles

Sustainable Urban Revitalization within a Historical Urban Neighborhood-A useful Approach to Complete

The historically important urban neighborhoods are practically a significant entity, a rich reservoir of social and economical milieu and cultural inheritance. Though, it faces many problems due to the rapid growth of po...

Study of Concrete Beams by Replacing Coarse Aggregates with Rubber Waste

India has done a major leap on developing the infrastructures such as express highways, power projects and industrial structures, dams etc. to meet the requirements of globalization. For the construction of civil enginee...

Intelligent Systems to Enhance Last Mile Connectivity for Upcoming Smart Cities in India

Due to exorbitant migration in urban areas in the last few decades, increasing vehicle ownerships, traffic congestion and rising extreme air pollution have resulted more and more cities in India to opt for various mass r...

‘Smart Cities’ for ‘Smart Planet’

Frankly, I wish I was there in person with you though out this conference. I know you would make it a meaningful meet, with action plans to follow. I am grateful to Shri Yogendra Dutt and the International Development Ce...

Urban Planning Strategies for Social and Religious Conventions:Approach for Smart and Temporary Services

India is a country rich in culture and beliefs, we believe in the Idea that communal meetings and gatherings help in enriching our culture and keeping the essence alive, may it be a small wedding function, a kirtan eveni...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP272791
  • DOI -
  • Views 125
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Sanjeev Kumar, (2017). A Laboratory Investigation on Functional Parameters of Earthen Dam Breach. JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH IN CONSTRUCTION AND URBAN ARCHITECTURE, 2(3), 1-6. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-272791