Dam-break flow simulation: some results for one-dimensional models of realcases

In many countries, the determination of the parameters of the wave, likely to be produced after the failure of a dam, is required by law, and systemat ic studies are mandatory. There is a necessity to develop adequate numerica l solvers which are able to reproduce situations originated from the irregu larities of a non-prismatic bed and to model the complete equations that pr ogress despite the irregular character of the data. Many hydraulic situatio ns can be described by means of a one-dimensional (1D) model, either becaus e a more detailed resolution is unnecessary or because the flow is markedly ID. Many techniques have been developed recently for systems of conservati on laws in 1D tin the context of gas dynamics). Some years after their adop tion for solving problems in gas dynamics, upwind and total variation dimin ishing (TVD) numerical schemes have been successfully used for the solution of the shallow water equations, with similar advantages. Their use is neve rtheless only gradually gaining acceptance in this sector. The performance of some of these techniques for practical applications in river flow is rep orted in this work. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.