A semi-analytical method for predicting the outflow hydrograph due to dam-break in natural valleys

• A simple method for predicting the dam-break wave at the dam site is proposed.
• The method is based on the generalization of the solution proposed by Hunt (1987).
• The procedure takes into account the shape of the valley and the inertial effects.
• The results agree with the ones obtained with a 2D shallow water numerical model.
• The method is an effective alternative to others commonly adopted in this framework.

The paper presents a semi-analytical method for predicting the flow rate hydrograph due to a hypothetical sudden and total dam failure in a natural valley. The method generalizes the approach proposed by Hunt for the dam-break problem in a rectangular frictionless sloping channel to a valley with a cross-section area expressed by a power-law function of water depth, in order to take into account the most common shapes of natural valleys. The parameters of the deriving model can be set by exploiting data usually available concerning the dam section geometry and the reservoir storage-depth curve. The application of the technique to three different reservoirs is discussed. The results show that the flow rate hydrographs obtained at the dam site agree with the ones calculated by means of a finite volume numerical code based on two-dimensional shallow water equations. The method requires moderate computational and data collecting effort, so it can be regarded as a useful alternative to other procedures commonly adopted in the practice.