The influence of materials on the breaching process of natural dams

Abstract

In this study, a series of natural dam overtopping laboratory tests are reported. In these tests, the effect of seven different sediment mixtures on the breaching process was investigated. According to the test results, three stages of the breaching process of natural dams made of different materials were observed. Backward erosion was the primary cause for the incising slopes. The effects of backward erosion became stronger with the larger fines contents of the materials. With an increase in the median diameter (d 50) of particles, the breaching time became longer. However, the peak discharge became smaller. With an increase in the fines contents (p), the median diameter of the particles and the void ratio were changed, which resulted in a decrease in the breaching time and an increase in the peak discharge. The breaching time and peak discharge were more sensitive to the median diameter than to the fines contents. The relation between breach width and depth was found to follow a logistic function $$ W\kern0.5em =\kern0.5em \frac{\zeta }{1\kern0.5em +\kern0.5em {e}^{\left(-k\left(D\kern0.5em -\kern0.5em {D}_0\right)\right)}} $$ . The parameters ζ, k, and D 0 are defined by a linear relationship with the median diameter and fines content. A breach of the side slope occurred as a tensile failure when the fines contents of the materials were large; otherwise, shear failure occurred. Furthermore, when the materials had fewer fines contents, the volume of the collapsed breach side slope became larger.