Maximum level and time to peak of dam-break waves on mobile horizontal bed

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 135, No. 11, November 1, 2009

This experimental study focuses the influence of bed material mobility and initial downstream water level on maximum water level and time to peak of dam-break waves. It covers horizontal bed conditions on fixed bed, sand bed, and pumice bed. Results include water surface level time evolution, maxima wave levels and time to peak. The influence of bed material mobility and downstream water level was identified and characterized, stressing the importance of using mathematical models with appropriate sediment transport formulations instead of purely hydrodynamic models to simulate dam-break waves on mobile bed channels.