THE INFLUENCE OF SURFACE COVER ON PARAMETERS OF

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF FLOODS COMING FROM THE

RUPTURE OF DAMS IN DOWNSTREAM AREAS
L. F. Pereira *, M. M. Tashima†, and C. G. R. Lima‡
*
São Paulo State University (UNESP) – School of Engineering of Ilha Solteira
Alameda Bahia, 550, ZIP Code: 15385-000, Ilha Solteira/SP
e-mail: ludmillafp@yahoo.com.br

Keywords: Dams, Cover, Roughness, Modelling, Flood, Manning

Abstract. An important tool for the maintenance and monitoring of dam safety is the
preparation of flood forecast maps due to structural failures that may occur in these
infrastructure works. Often, in areas downstream of dams, it is possible to identify
urbanized regions, or exposed soils that intensify the catastrophic potential of an
extreme flood. Thus, using flood forecasting, owners, public agencies and the riverine
population can work together developing predictive actions, for the sake of safety and
safeguarding the well-being of all. The hydrodynamic modeling obtained through
software is a strategic resource for the simulation of flood spots from hypothetical dam
ruptures. The results generated from this methodology provide important parameters of
wave propagation analysis, such as velocity, water depth and affected areas, serving as
subsidies for the elaboration of emergency plans. For the calibration of the modeling,
among several information, is used the roughness coefficient obtained through the
characterization of the vegetation cover of the areas on which the flow will occur. Thus,
the present work proposed, from the survey of already existing references and
researches, to evaluate the influence of the coverage of downstream areas, in relation to
the main runoff and the flood plains and, consequently, the roughness coefficient, on the
characterization parameters of the flood waves produced by the computational
hydrodynamic modeling. It was concluded that the value of Manning, composes the list
of determining factors on a characterization of flood waves from hypothetical dam
ruptures.

†
São Paulo State University (UNESP) – School of Engineering of Ilha Solteira
‡
São Paulo State University (UNESP) – School of Engineering of Ilha Solteira

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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

1 INTRODUCTION

The risk of a possible fallout due to environmental conditions, anthropic failures and
resistance of the materials used is an inherent factor in the life of any engineering works
and, therefore, must be taken into consideration before the construction of these
buildings, so that the structure's safety conditions are maximized.

In the case of dams and their associated structures, safety management is an aspect of
fundamental importance, not only during the design and implementation phases of the
project, but also, and especially during the monitoring and control stages of its operation,
be it for the purposes of electricity generation, irrigation, accumulation of substances,
among others.

Although the overall failure rate of dams is about 1%¹, these structures are not free of
potential associated damages, justified by catastrophic accidents such as those occurring
at the Teton Dam in 1976 in the United States, and Fundão Dam, in 2015 in Brazil,
implying large areas of flood caused by the rupture of these structures and causing the
death of people located downstream.

The identification of possible and probable emergency scenarios resulted from

hypothetical dam ruptures, through the manipulation of software and computational
tools, have become a strategic and widespread resource nowadays, not only with a view
to the development of research of an academic nature, but especially in the professional
perspective.

For example, Brazilian legislation on mining dams, Ordinance No. 70,389, dated May
17, 2017², requires owners to prepare maps of flooded areas resulted from a potential
structural failure, regardless of the technical characteristics of the analyzed dams. It
should be noted that this same legislation points out that the maps must be precisely
georeferenced and cover the most damaging scenario, presenting wave arrival times and
illustrating the most critical locations².

For the simulation of the floods resulted from the hypothetical disruption of a dam
and its consequences, have been used the mathematical models capable of determining
the breach formation (opening created by the break of the dam) and, in the sequence, the
propagation of the dam have been used³.

In the existing models of dam rupture analysis, the initial parameters to characterize
the breach formation are: initial and final width, shape, breach development time and
corresponding reservoir level 4.

The most applied numerical models for simulating the downstream flow of the dam
are based on the solution of the Saint-Venant and Navier-Stokes equations and can be
approached under one-dimensional and two-dimensional perspectives 5.
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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

The use of these simulation models requires some calibration parameters, such as:
peak flow in the dam section, dam and rupture characterization, topometric data,
propagation channel geometry data, bed and slope roughness coefficient flood, flow
characterization, possible contributions of tributaries and insertion of possible hydraulic
control structures, sills, reservoirs, among others 6.

Figure 1: Summary of the hydrodynamic modeling process and characterization of the flood

Concerning the analysis of downstream effects arising from dam rupture, the
importance is placed on the wave propagation process, especially on effects of bed
roughness and the storage of marginal soils, which lead to the possible attenuation of the
intensity of the flood 7.

In this way, the main objective of the present work is to list the main references and
results obtained in different papers in relation to the influence of the coverage of the
floodable surfaces and, consequently, the roughness coefficient (Manning - n values), on
the indicators of characterization of flood waves.

2 ROUGHNESS COEFFICIENT

2.1 Contextualization and concepts

In channels classified as natural, such as streams or rivers, where the structures of

the dams are usually allocated, water flows through the action of gravity. In the region of
contact between the fluid and the wet perimeter of the channel, a resistance force arises
that opposes movement and is a function of the channel's viscosity and roughness 8.

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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

The roughness coefficient is highly variable and dependent on several factors 9.

Floods with higher water levels may find other sources of resistance to flow such as
vegetation10. It is also mentioned that erosion and sedimentation processes also have
influence on the roughness coefficient 8, which makes it even more difficult to determine
a hydraulic model with precision.

When there is extravasation of water to the flood plains, adjacent to the channel, the
surface conditions and vegetation cover of the banks should also be considered for the
hydrodynamic simulation of the floods, mainly because the roughness coefficient of these
areas is usually larger than in the river channel 9.

Table 1 presents the variability of the ranges of values of the roughness coefficient
(Manning), present in the literature, for different types of surface.

Tipo de Eletrobrás
Porto (2006)8 Chow (1959)9
Superfície (2003)11
Rock Cuts
(smooth and 0,030 a 0,038 0,025 a 0,035 0,025 a 0,040
uniform)
Channels
Concrete 0,013 a 0,017 0,012 a 0,018 0,011 a 0,027
Earth (clean and
0,018 a 0,027 0,017 a 0,025 0,016 a 0,030
uniform)
0,025 a 0,060
No vegetation on
0,030 a 0,040 0,050 a 0,080 (widths greater than
banks
30 m)
Rivers
0,034 a 0,100
Some vegetation
0,040 a 0,050 0,075 a 0,15 (widths greater than
on banks
30 m)
Pasture - - 0,025 a 0,050
Flood Cultivated Areas - - 0,020 a 0,050
Plains Brushes - - 0,035 a 0,16
Trees - - 0,11 a 0,160

Table 1: Comparison of values of surface roughness coefficients found in the literature

Although it is possible to adopt pre-defined values from previous research, such as

those presented in Table 1, there is no guarantee that these data contribute to the
development of a model close to reality. In the case of elaborating flood maps for
emergency dam plans, this becomes a crucial factor, after all, the hypothetical flood
simulations must be the most truthful to be functional.

The calibration of Manning coefficient (roughness) has been shown to be quite

challenging10,12, 13, although new technologies such as laser profiling, can be used for
improving the determination of this parameter.

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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

However, devices with laser beams, used for detection and analysis of the terrain, are
devoid of the ability to analyze the surface below the water level 5, which impedes the
characterization of the river bed and, consequently, the coefficient of roughness.

For hypothetical dam rupture simulations, this coefficient has also been estimated
from the combination of topographic maps, field surveys and land use and occupation
maps, which can be manipulated in the Geographic Information System (GIS), capable of
integrating spatial information, combining them and producing geocoded data 14.

It is also possible to find other methodologies for determining this parameter, such as
calibrating the attempts with the help of liminimetric rules and records of previous flows
or also through the construction of a "spoken flooding spots" through the testimony of
local residents 15 and/or the survey of historical flood water level marks throughout the
study section 5.

2.2 Effect on flood characterization parameters

In previous papers, it was possible to determine, for example, that the peak
discharge10, the arrival flood time3, and the water level 16 are parameters directly sensitive
to the variation of the roughness coefficient.

To analyze the effect of the Manning value on the flood characterization parameters,
it is important to understand that its behavior differs from two perspectives of
occurrence: in the main drainage channel and in the floodplains beyond the banks. To
this, the possibility of variation of this value is added under the effect of other factors
such as the temperature and the seasonal vegetal cover 13.

De Lara (2017)17 demonstrates in his work that the Manning coefficient, in the river
channel, varied seasonally during a hydrological year, reaching values of 0.023, between
March and June, and of 0.028, between August and November. It should be noted that in
the first period, fluviometric flows were of the order of 25,000 m³/s, whil e in the second
period, 5,000 m³/s. Thus, an inversely proportional behavior between the roughness
coefficient and the fluviometric regime was demonstrated.

The theory of the previous paragraph is aligned with what was inferred by Chow
(1959)9 when he stated that the value of the Manning coefficient decreases as the flow
rate and the water level increase. This is because when the level is shallower, the
imperfections of the channel become pronounced and the resistance to flow increases.

However, this condition must be carefully evaluated, because when there is overflow
on the banks, and if exists rough and well vegetated surface, causes the increase of this
coefficient 9.

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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

Similarly, Kidson et. al (2002) 10 concludes in his research that, in alluvial channels,
the Manning coefficient tends to decrease with the elevation of the water stage up to the
banks levels. This same author determined that for a difference of 50% in the values of
roughness coefficient, there was a divergence of 40% in the values of fluvial flows.

The hypothetical rupture study of a dam, developed by Colischonn and Tucci (1997) 3,
showed that the roughness of the bed of the analysis river contributed significantly to the
variation of the wave propagation time, in a directly proportional way, and the sensitivity
of these parameters also varies with distance, having the dam as a reference.

The interaction between hydrological roughness and slope is of major influence on

the velocity of the flow. A pronounced slope results in high speeds 9, however, the
Manning coefficient may exhibit a low sensitivity of variation for very high flow
velocities18.

Regarding the marginal areas of flood propagation channels, it should be kept in mind
that the variation of the roughness coefficient is linked to the submergence or not of the
existing vegetation. For better understanding, it should be reminded too that floodplains
are devoid of walls that build up flow.

If there are riparian vegetation, it can lead to a reduction of the wave velocity, causing
an increase in the flow depth in these areas, with attenuation of celerity at the moment of
peak flow19. At the same time, lower values of roughness coefficient will result in
predictions of water levels at lower levels 20 and sparse flooding areas.

Following the same line, Bao and Zao (2001) 16 concluded in their work that the
variation of Manning coefficient accompanied the variation of the water level of the flow
on the flood plains. And so, the roughness coefficient increased with the ascending
process of the water level.

For adjacent flood plains, another uncertainty factor for determining the roughness
coefficient is in charge of changes in vegetation cover, especially when the historical use
of the soil is not known, causing some effect 12.

3 CONCLUSION

From the survey and references presented in this paper, it is inferred that the
roughness coefficient, represented by the Manning value, composes the list of
determining factors on the characterization of flood waves. However, it should be
understood that the delineation of the behavior of this factor is conditioned by the
innumerable factors, either by analyzing a flow on the river channel or on its banks.

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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

In view of the major uncertainty regarding the characterization of the bed of perennial
rivers and natural channels due to the existence of water in these and impossibility of
remote observation, a larger weight is observed in the characterization of the margins,
which can be visualized and classified visually, which relates to the determination of
roughness by the manipulator of the modeling.

Rough and irregular flood plains contribute to the retention of the water flow,
decrease discharges and maximum velocities. Thus, wave arrival times will be slowed
down and the areas will be less spreading. This definitely assists in the management of an
emergency and the mobilization of the population located downstream at the time of dam
rupture.

Hypothetical flood maps should be generated from well-calibrated hydrodynamic

models with input data that are appropriate and more consistent with the actual situation
at the site of the enterprise. Thus, regarding the roughness coefficient, a constant search
is needed in the improvement of techniques for its correct estimation.

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 L. F. Pereira, M. M. Tashima and C. G. R. Lima

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