Author(s): Ricardo Jonatas; Silvia Amaral; Francisco Gouveia; Rui Aleixo; Teresa Viseu; Rui Ferreira
Linked Author(s): Silvia Amaral, Rui Aleixo, Maria Teresa Viseu
Keywords: Fluvial dike Breach evolution Embankment water content Hydraulic conditions Erosion patterns
Abstract: The safety and reliability of flood protection such as fluvial dikes are critical for reducing the risks of flooding to human settlements and infrastructure. Dike’s simple structure nature exposes them to failures like overtopping or piping, which can be severe by the increasing of extreme climatic events. Within this context, a laboratory experiments programe was conducted to assess the influence of the embankment water content and upstream hydraulic condition on the breaching of homogeneous fluvial dikes. Experiments were conducted at the LNEC facility using a silty sand dike built to Standard Proctor Test specifications. Two test sets analyzed breach progression: one varying ω% (-2.4% to +2.1% relative to optimum) and the other adjusting Froude numbers (Fr = 0.1–0.4). This dual approach enables a comprehensive analysis of how these factors influence the dike breach evolution. Results reveal the role of water content and hydraulic conditions on the erosion progression and patterns, providing valuable data to enhance the knowledge on hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes of fluvial dike breaches and will later be applied in mathematical models to improve safety strategies during overtopping events.
Year: 2025