Evaluation of Empirical Equations for Dam Breach Parameters and its Application in Indian Dam Failure Cases

Abstract

Our society gets huge benefits from the water storage dams, but the consequences are devastating if a dam fails. It causes extensive damage to the life and properties mostly due to short warning time. Important factors governing failure studies are the breaching parameters that help to quantify the risk associated with dam break floods. Many empirical equations have been developed for predicting the breaching parameters associated with peak outflow, and these equations are generally developed by regression analysis from the record of dam failure data. The present paper is focused to develop the empirical formulas for earthen embankments that can predict breach parameters and peak outflow based on past failures. The database of 157 past dam failure cases has been compiled with the inclusion of new 15 dam failure data from India. A multivariable linear and nonlinear regression method for both dimensional and non-dimensional form of breaching parameters and predictors is used to develop the relationship. The results obtained from the regression equations for breach parameters and peak outflow is compared with observed data and the uncertainties in the results are evaluated. The recently developed regression equations for breach parameter predictions along with the older equation for earthen dams are studied for Indian dam failures.