An Automated Screening Technique to Identify At-Risk Auxiliary Spillways: Modified Approach in WinDAM
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 8
Abstract
Dam operators often do not know whether an auxiliary spillway will fail until it is loaded, which can be infrequent. Such failures have the potential to result in overall dam failure, leading to loss of life and substantial property damage. The purpose of this paper is to develop a screening technique to identify potentially risky auxiliary spillways. The paper uses the National Inventory of Dams (NID) data and analyzes a sample of 400 earthen dams with auxiliary spillways. The main innovation of the paper is to employ code to create multiple input files and analyze them in the Windows Dam Analysis Modules (WinDAM) C software. This technique is more efficient than the current functionality of WinDAM C, which evaluates one dam at a time. The proposed method serves as a quick screening and decision-making tool for multiple embankments for extreme flooding events by identifying potentially risky auxiliary spillways that may require in-depth analysis. The results of this screening found 75% of spillways are likely to sustain heavy damage. Additionally, heavy damage was related to narrower spillway widths.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code used during the study were provided by a third party: National Inventory of Dams, USGS State Geologic Map Compilation, Soil Survey Geodatabase. Direct requests for these materials may be made to the provider, as indicated in the Acknowledgments.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the USACE for the National Inventory of Dams database and the USDA for developing WinDAM C software and for making the web soil survey geodatabase available.
References
Amini, A. B., V. Nourani, and H. Hakimzadeh. 2011. “Application of artificial intelligence tools to estimate peak outflow from earth dam breach.” Int. J. Earth Sci. Eng. 4 (6): 243–246.
Annandale, G. W. 1995. “Erodibility.” J. Hydraul. Res. 33 (4): 471–494. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221689509498656.
ASCE/EWRI Task Committee on Dam/Levee Breaching. 2011. “Earthen embankment breaching.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 137 (12): 1549–1564.
ASDSO (Association of State Dam Safety Officials). 2020. “Dam failures and incidents.” Accessed January 5, 2020. https://damsafety.org/dam-failures.
Begnudelli, L., and B. F. Sanders. 2007. “Simulation of the St. Francis dam-break flood.” J. Eng. Mech. 133 (11): 1200–1212. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2007)133:11(1200).
Coleman, S. E., D. P. Andrews, and M. G. Webby. 2002. “Overtopping breaching of non-cohesive homogeneous embankments.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 128 (9): 829–838. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2002)128:9(829).
Foster, M., R. Fell, and M. Spannagle. 2000. “The statistics of embankment dam failures and accidents.” Can. Geotech. J. 37 (5): 1000–1024. https://doi.org/10.1139/t00-030.
Froehlich, D. C. 1995. “Peak outflow from breached embankment dam.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 121 (1): 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(1995)121:1(90).
Froehlich, D. C. 2008. “Embankment dam breach parameters and their uncertainties.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 134 (12): 1708–1721. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2008)134:12(1708).
Froehlich, D. C. 2016. “Predicting peak discharge from gradually breached embankment dam.” J. Hydrol. Eng. 21 (11): 04016041. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001424.
Hanson, G. J., K. M. Robinson, and K. R. Cook. 2001. “Prediction of headcut migration using a deterministic approach.” Trans. ASAE 44 (3): 525. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.6112.
Hanson, G. J., and A. Simon. 2001. “Erodibility of cohesive streambeds in the loess area of the midwestern USA.” Hydrol. Processes 15 (1): 23–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.149.
Hooshyaripor, F., A. Tahershamsi, and S. Golian. 2014. “Application of copula method and neural networks for predicting peak outflow from breached embankments.” J. Hydro-environ Res. 8 (3): 292–303.
Kim, B., and B. F. Sanders. 2016. “Dam-break flood model uncertainty assessment: Case study of extreme flooding with multiple dam failures in Gangneung, South Korea.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 142 (5): 05016002. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001097.
Kirsten, H. A. D. 1982. “A classification system for excavating in natural materials.” Civ. Eng. Siviele Ingenieurswese 24 (7): 293–308.
Kirsten, H. A. D., J. S. Moore, L. H. Kirsten, and D. M. Temple. 2000. “Erodibility criterion for auxiliary spillways of dams.” Int. J. Sed. Res. 15 (1): 93–107.
Kuo, J. T., B. C. Yen, Y. C. Hsu, and H. F. Lin. 2007. “Risk analysis for dam overtopping-Feitsui Reservoir as a case study.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 133 (8): 955–963. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2007)133:8(955).
Moore, J. S. 1997. “Field procedures for the headcut erodibility index.” Trans. ASAE 40 (2): 325–336. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.21277.
Moore, J. S., D. M. Temple, and H. A. D. Kirsten. 1994. “Headcut advance threshold in earth spillways.” Bull. Assoc. Eng. Geol. (United States) 31 (2): 277–280.
Neilsen, M. L. 2013. “Global sensitivity analysis of dam erosion models. The steering committee of the World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Applied Computing (WorldComp).” In Proc. Int. Conf. on Scientific Computing (CSC), 155. Carlsbad, CA: Scientific Computing International.
Neilsen, M. L., and C. Cao. 2019. “Sensitivity analysis of internal erosion models for dam safety.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence. New York: IEEE.
Neilsen, M. L., G. J. Hanson, and D. M. Temple. 2012. “Uncertainty analysis of spillway erosion parameters.” The steering committee of the world congress in computer science, computer engineering and applied computing (WorldComp).” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Scientific Computing (CSC), 1. Carlsbad, CA: Scientific Computing International.
NID (National Inventory of Dams). 2018. “More than 90,000 dams nation-wide.” Accessed August 21, 2019. https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/ords/f?p=105:1.
Petaccia, G., and L. Natale. 2020. “1935 Sella Zerbino dam-break case revisited: A new hydrologic and hydraulic analysis.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 146 (8): 05020005. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001760.
Razavi, S. K., M. H. Bonab, and A. Dabaghian. 2020. “Investigation into the internal erosion and local settlement of Esfarayen Earth-Fill Dam.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 146 (4): 4020006. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002216.
Risher, P., and S. Gibson. 2016. “Applying mechanistic dam breach models to historic levee breaches.” In Vol. 7 of Proc., E3S Web of Conf., 03002. Les Ulis, France: EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20160703002.
Simon, A., N. Pollen-Bankhead, and R. E. Thomas. 2011. “Development and application of a deterministic bank stability and toe erosion model for stream restoration.” In Stream restoration in dynamic fluvial systems, 453–474. Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union.
Tejral, R. D., and S. L. Hunt. 2015. “Comparing process based breach models for earthen embankments subjected to internal erosion.” In Proc., Joint Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling Conf. Stillwater, OK: Hydraulic Engineering Research.
Temple, D., and J. Moore. 1997. “Headcut advance prediction for earth spillways.” Trans. ASAE 40 (3): 557–562. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.21314.
Temple, D. M., and G. J. Hanson. 2005. “Earth dam overtopping and breach outflow.” In Impacts of global climate change, 1–8. Anchorage, AL: Environmental and Water Resources Institute of ASCE.
USDA. 2011. “Erodibility parameter selection for soil material horizons (surface detachment coefficient and headcut erodibility index).” In Part 628 Dams-National Engineering Handbook, Appendix 52D. Washington, DC: USDA.
USDA. 2012. “Engineering classification of rock materials.” Chap. 4 in Part 631 dams-National engineering handbook. Washington, DC: USDA.
USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). 2019. “Web soil survey.” Accessed August 25, 2019. https://bit.ly/308w4Z7.
Villanueva, E., and J. L. Wibowo. 2008. Risk assessment of rock surface spillway erosion using parametric studies. Washington, DC: USACE.
Visser, K., G. Hanson, D. Temple, M. Lobrecht, M. Neilsen, T. Funderburk, and H. Moody. 2010. “WinDAM B earthen embankment overtopping analysis software.” In Proc., 2nd Joint Federal Interagency Conf. Washington, DC: USDA.
Visser, K., G. J. Hanson, D. Temple, and M. Neilsen. 2012. “Earthen embankment overtopping analysis using the WinDAM B software.” In Proc., Association of State Dam Safety Officials Annual Conf. Washington, DC: USDA.
Visser, K., R. D. Tejral, and M. L. Neilsen. 2015. “WinDAM C Earthen embankment internal erosion analysis software.” In Proc., 3rd Interagency Conf. on Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling. Stillwater, OK: Hydraulic Engineering Research.
Wibowo, J. L., D. E. Yule, E. Villanueva, and D. M. Temple. 2005. “Earth and rock surface spillway erosion risk assessment.” In Proc., Alaska Rocks 2005, 40th US Symp. on Rock Mechanics (USRMS). Alexandria, VA: American Rock Mechanics Association.
Wu, W. 2013. “Simplified physically based model of earthen embankment breaching.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 139 (8): 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000741.
Xu, Y., and L. M. Zhang. 2009. “Breaching parameters for earth and rockfill dams.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 135 (12): 1957–1970. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000162.
Zhang, L. 2016. Dam failure mechanisms and risk assessment. New York: Wiley.
Zhang, L. M., Y. Xu, and J. S. Jia. 2009. “Analysis of earth dam failures: A database approach.” Georisk 3 (3): 184–189.
Zhong, Q. M., S. S. Chen, and Z. Deng. 2017. “Numerical model for homogeneous cohesive dam breaching due to overtopping failure.” J. Mountain Sci. 14 (3): 571–580. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-016-3907-5.
Zhong, Q. M., S. S. Chen, Z. Deng, and S. A. Mei. 2019. “Prediction of overtopping-induced breach process of cohesive dams.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 145 (5): 4019012. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002035.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 8 • August 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 10, 2020
Accepted: Feb 7, 2021
Published online: Jun 9, 2021
Published in print: Aug 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Nov 9, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Sanjeeta N. Ghimire, Joseph W. Schulenberg, Impacts of Climate Change on the Environment, Increase in Reservoir Levels, and Safety Threats to Earthen Dams: Post Failure Case Study of Two Cascading Dams in Michigan, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 10.2478/cee-2022-0053, 18, 2, (551-564), (2022).