Abstract
This chapter describes the application of the Saint–Venant equations for unsteady open channel flows to the dam break wave problem. Considering an ideal dam break surging over a dry river bed, the method of characteristics is applied to solve completely the wave profile. The dam break is idealized by a vertical wall that is suddenly removed. After the removal of the wall, a negative wave propagates upstream and a dam break wave moves downstream. The instantaneous dam break creates a negative wave propagating upstream into a fluid at rest with known water depth. The propagation of a dam break wave over still water with an initial depth is possibly a more practical application. Considering a horizontal, rectangular channel, the water surface is horizontal upstream of the leading edge of the negative wave. Between the leading edge of the negative wave and the point, the free-surface profile is a parabola. The chapter also describes the flow resistance effect on dam break wave on horizontal channel.
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