Investigation of non-cohesive levee breach by overtopping flow

This paper presents an experimental study of the overtopping breach of homogeneous non-cohesive levee or dike in a 180° bend rectangular flume. Detailed experimental and numerical results provide information on the breach flow discharge and longitudinal and transversal breach profiles for this type of levee. It is indicated that the water level and the flow discharge in the river and the levee material properties are significant influencing factors for the breach evolution. The plane form of the breach is approximately an asymmetrical hyperbola. A formula with a non-constant flow factor is proposed to compute this kind of breach discharge.