Professional Documents
Culture Documents
22:
Dam Breach Modeling
and Consequence Assessment
Jay N. Stateler
Embankment Riprap
Slope
Protection
Dams Earthfill
Foundation Soil
Foundation Soil
Foundation Rock
Grout Curtain
Potential Riprap
Slope
Protection
Failure Mode Earthfill
Seepage through
dam
Erodes earthfill Foundation Soil
Carries earthfill
downstream
Riprap
Eventually Slope
Earthfill Zones
Foundation Soil
Foundation Rock
Grout Curtain
Hadlock Pond
New York
Constructed: 1896
Modified: 2004-2005
Failed: July 2, 2005
Seepage Failure
0 Fatalities
Baldwin Hills Dam
Los Angeles, California
Constructed: 1947-1951
Failed: December 11, 1963
Seepage Failure
5 Fatalities
San Francisco Dam
New Mexico
Constructed: 1960s
Failed: May 24, 2003
Flood Seepage Failure
No Fatalities
Delhi Dam, Iowa
Constructed: 1929
Failed: July 24, 2010
Flood Some overtopping,
but failed due to seepage
0 Fatalities
Potential Riprap
Slope
Protection
Failure Mode Earthfill
Seepage through
dam
Erodes earthfill Foundation Soil
Carries earthfill
downstream
Riprap
Eventually Slope
Earthfill Zones
Seepage through
foundation soil
Erodes soil Foundation Soil
Carries soil to a
downstream exit
Riprap
point Slope
Earthfill Zones
Eventually creates Protection
a dam breach Toe
Drain
Filters
Foundation Soil
Foundation Rock
Grout Curtain
Arthur V. Watkins Dam
Foundation soil
Constructed: 1958-1964 deposits in South
Nearly Failed: November, 2006 Drain
Seepage
20 feet high
Potential Riprap
Slope
Protection
Failure Mode Earthfill
Seepage through
foundation soil
Foundation Soil
Cutoff trench, grout
curtain, cutoff wall,
etc. limit seepage Riprap Earthfill Zones
Slope
through foundation Protection
Downstream filters Toe
and toe drain collect Drain
Filters
(and filter seepage)
Potential for failure Cutoff Trench Foundation Soil
mode development
Foundation Rock
is reduced Grout Curtain
Into Coarse Layers in Foundation Soil
Potential
Failure Mode
Seepage carries
earthfill into
foundation
Erodes earthfill
Carries earthfill
downstream Into Joints, Openings, Etc. in Foundation Rock
Eventually breaches
dam
Teton Dam, Idaho
Constructed: 1975
Failed: June 5, 1976
Seepage Failure
During first filling
11 Fatalities
Quail Creek Dike
Constructed: 1984
First Filling: 1985
Failed: January 1, 1989
Seepage Failure
During first filling
No Fatalities
Into Coarse Layers in Foundation Soil
Potential
Failure Mode
Seepage carries
Filter
earthfill into Protection
foundation
Foundation treatment
seals openings in rock
no seepage into rock Foundation Treatment
(slush grouting, dental
concrete, etc.)
Potential
Failure Mode
Seepage along
conduits through dam
embankment
Erodes earthfill
Carries earthfill
downstream
Breaches dam
Filter material
needs to be
completely wrapped
around the conduit
stops development
of the failure mode
Lawn Lake Dam
Colorado
Constructed: 1903
Failed: July 15, 1982
Seepage
3 Fatalities
Isabel Myron Dam
Colorado
Constructed: Unknown
Failed: 1978
Wind Tree Toppling
Overtopping (?)
or Seepage (?)
0 Fatalities (believed)
Slope Instability
Potential Dam overtopping in a flood
Failure Mode The capacity of the spillway(s) is
exceeded by flood flows
Water flows over the dam crest
Embankment The overtopping flow erodes the
dam embankment
Dams Dam breaches
Auxiliary
spillway
Rainbow Dam
Michigan
Failed: 1986
Flood - Overtopping
Erosion Begins
Dam is Breached
Ka Loko Dam
Hawaii
Constructed: 1890
Failed: March 14, 2006
Flood Overtopping
7 Fatalities
Brazil
Failed: 1980s
Flood Overtopping
Spillway gates not opened
Noppikoski Dam, Sweden
Constructed: Not known
Failed: September 6, 1985
Flood Overtopping Could not
remove stoplogs in time
0 Fatalities
El Guapo Dam
Venezuela
Failed: December 16, 1999
Spillway
failure in
a flood
event
Earthquake causes strength loss in
Potential foundation soil leads to instability
Failure Mode and failure by dam overtopping
Masonry
Composite Rock Rock
Could be:
Geomembrane
Rockfill Dam Concrete
Asphalt
Rock
Steel
Clay Should be free draining
Impervious
Upstream
Face
Settlement of rockfill and/or earthquake shaking
could cause damage to the upstream face and
leakage
If the rockfill is free-draining (as it should be), this
would not be an issue (except for the lost water)
If the rockfill is not free-draining, then water
pressure buildup could cause slope instability and
dam failure
Could be:
Geomembrane
Rockfill Dam Concrete
Asphalt
Rock
Steel
Clay Should be free draining
Impervious
Upstream
Face
Overtopping flow in a flood could result in
erosion at the downstream slope and toe area
Competent rockfill and foundation material
should not suffer much damage, but significant
erosion could occur in poorer materials
Erosion Oversteepened slope Slope
Failure
Could be:
Geomembrane
Rockfill Dam Concrete
Asphalt
Rock
Steel
Clay Should be free draining
Impervious
Upstream
Face
Taum Sauk Dam, Missouri
Constructed: 1962
Failed: December 14, 2005
Overtopping operational
issues
0 Fatalities
Key Issue for all Concrete Dam Types:
Foundation Support of Structure
To protect against
a future possibly
larger flood event
Overtopping protection
provided after the event
Cascade Dam
Colorado
Failed: July 15, 1982
Overtopping due to failure of
upstream Lawn Lake Dam
2 Fatalities
Good foundation
support is
crucial
Castlewood Dam, Colorado
Constructed: 1890
Failed: August 3, 1933
Failed in Flood Erosion at toe of dam Leakage
May, 1990
7 Fatalities
Virginia Kendall Dam, Ohio
Constructed: 1930s
Overtopped: July 21, 2003
Did not fail
Sudden Failure
C. Embankment Dam D. Concrete Dam
Large Flow
Overtopping in Flood All Failure Types