Dam Body Sediment Movement on Rough Bed Downstream Due to Earthfill Dam Break

Abstract

This study investigated movement of flow and sediment due to earthfill dam failure induced by piping and overtopping, using 12.8 m laboratory flume. Dam (60 cm high, 202 cm base width) was built in three zones with two sediment sizes, and downstream channel included a rough bed of cubic blocks. Water levels were monitored with sensors, and final sediment profiles were mapped via laser scanning. Results showed that dam body eventually collapses (in 265 s after the piping, and in 100 s after the overtopping start) while flood flow carries a great portion of its sediment away. Sediment spreading occurred all over downstream area with significant variation in non-uniform thickness (15 cm to 1 cm). In the residential area, the sediment depth variation ranged from 12 cm to 6 cm. The blocks were submerged under muddy flow in both modes of failures. Higher flow levels (22 cm) were observed over smooth bed than rough bed (15 cm), in overtopping break. This was almost the opposite in the piping failure mode (13 cm in smooth, and 15 cm in rough bed case). These findings highlights the dominant role of failure mechanism and bed roughness in sediment transport and flood dynamics. © 2025 Indian Society for Hydraulics.