FLO-2D Levee and Dam Breach

Submergence and Decay

Background
Levee and dam breach failure occur through two user defined mechanisms in FLO-2D, breach erosion
and prescribed failure rates. The prescribed breach method using assigned vertical and horizontal
failure rates is discussed herein. The parameters associated with a prescribed breach failure are:

Water Surface Elevation (or depth below crest) (ft or m)

Cumulative Duration of Inundation at Specified Elevation Prior to Breach Initiation (hr)

Maximum Breach Width (ft or m)

Vertical Rate of Failure (ft/hr or m/hr)

Horizontal Rate of Failure (ft/hr or m/hr)

Base Elevation for Vertical Breach Cessation (ft or m)

These parameters are defined in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Prescribed Breach Failure Definitions

Typical levee breach growth rates range from 1 to 10 ft/hr vertical and 10 to 50 ft/hr horizontal. These
could be higher for a dam breach. Breach discharge is computed based on a broadcrested weir equation
using the headwater depth on the breach.

Breach Submergence
Levee and dam overtopping can occur with or without breach failure (Figure 2). Embankment
overtopping or breach failure can be subject to tailwater submergence. The water surface conditions
can be one of three scenarios:
1

Figure 2. Levee Overtopping is Predicted with the Broadcrested Weir Equation

Both water surfaces are lower than the crest.

One water surface is above the crest and one below.
Both water surfaces are higher than the crest.

Flow can occur in either direction over the embankment or through the breach. If both water surface
elevations are less than the crest, then there is no overtopping discharge. If a breach has occurred, then
all three water surface scenarios are possible. In any case, if water is being exchanged over or through
the levee, as the tailwater approaches the headwater, a subfactor is computed to modify the weir
discharge equation as shown in Figure 3. The subfactor is based on the U.S. Dept. of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration Hydraulic Design of Highway Culvert (2012) manual published criteria
for flow over embankments. The submergence subfactor is computed when the tailwater to headwater
ratio is greater than 0.8.

Figure 3. Subfactor Adjustment Based on Tailwater Submergence

It is noted that the embankment overflow weir coefficient is variable based on the headwater as shown
in Figure 3. When the embankment is overtopped, if the tailwater to headwater relationship is between
0.9 and 1.0, then the discharge computation reverts to overland flow. The breach discharge will also be
superseded by the overland flow computation when the tailwater to headwater ratio is greater than 0.9.

Breach Opening Decay and Cessation

A breach decay function reduces the horizontal rate of breach widening. The breach will widen
according the uniform horizontal rate until the assigned maximum breach width is achieved or until the
breach rate begins to decay. When the breach base elevation is reached, a maximum shear stress value
max is computed for the flow through the breach (Figure 4). Subsequently with each computational
timestep, a current breach shear stress is calculated. The ratio of the current shear stress to the
maximum shear stress is then multiplied times the original horizontal breach rate HBRorig as long as the
breach is less than the assigned maximum breach width. The shear stress is given by the water specific
weight times the breach flow depth d times the water surface slope Sw through the breach = d Sw.
The horizontal breach rate (HBR) = HBRorig x (calc/max).

Figure 4. Breach Horizontal Rate Decay Begins When the Breach Reaches the Levee Base Elevation
The result of this computation is displayed in Figure 5. The horizontal breach rate decays with
decreasing flow depth or equilibration of the water surface on each side of the breach. When the
breach flow velocity is less than 3 fps (1 mps), the horizontal breach rate is set to zero. This is based on
communication with the Corps of Engineers who indicated that the breach erosion ceases for velocities
less than this value.

Figure 5. Decreasing Horizontal Breach Rate