New Hypothesis for the Final Equilibrium Stage of a River Levee Breach due to Overflow

Abstract

Breaching of earthen embankments is a complex process that often results in disastrous inundations of the hinterland. The process has been studied during the last decades by means of physical and numerical modeling with particular reference to the dam case, while for river levees only few specific studies have been conducted. Moreover, the understanding and prediction of the breach final configuration are still scarce and not yet deeply addressed, despite their importance for mitigating flood risk in the protected areas. The paper attempts to examine the existence of a final equilibrium stage in the river-breach system under specified conditions based on a significant data set from new laboratory experiments. Using these data, together with those of previous studies, a new hypothesis for the final equilibrium of the river-breach system is proposed which is supported by new flow formulae and field data.