Call for papers - JHR Article Collection on Breaching of Earthen Dam and Dike Structures: Lessons Learned from Recent Field, Laboratory, and Numerical Studies
The Journal of Hydraulic Research is pleased to announce an Article Collection on “Breaching of Earthen Dam and Dike Structures: Lessons Learned from Recent Field, Laboratory, and Numerical Studies” in connection with the workshop on dam and dike breach research at the 41st IAHR World Congress in Singapore in 2025, but open to other submissions.
Overview
The breaching of earthen dams and dikes occurs throughout the world with a troubling frequency. Recent breaches of large dams in Libya (2023) and Sudan (2024), and of major river dikes in the USA (2019) and Central Europe (2021), have had disastrous humanitarian and societal consequences. The recency and magnitude of these structural failures underscore the need for better understanding of this topic. Improved comprehension of the breaching of earthen embankment dams and dikes is crucial for reducing societal risks and improving safety related to these important hydraulic structures. Fortunately, significant advances have been made in experimental research and numerical modelling of earthen structure breaching in the last decade.
The purpose of this Article Collection is to highlight recent research on the breaching of earthen dams and dikes. Articles will be compiled in a select repository within the Journal of Hydraulic Research online platform, for streamlined access to related research.
Guest Editors
Professor Sandra Soares-Frazão, Ecole Polytechnique de Louvain, Belgium - sandra.soares-frazao@uclouvain.be
Dr. Sílvia Amaral, Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) and Adjunct Professor at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL), Portugal - samaral@lnec.pt
Dr. Matthew Halso, ETH Zurich Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology, Switzerland - halso@vaw.baug.ethz.ch
Submission and Review Process
This Article Collection welcomes submissions from research on homogeneous dams and dikes, zoned dams and dikes that contain an earthen core, dams and dikes that contain an impervious solid core, and other earthen structures. Research is welcome from field experimental campaigns, laboratory experimental campaigns, numerical studies, and other approaches.
Articles will be guided through the review process by three guest editors, and upon acceptance will be published in JHR and added to the Collection.
Select the Option "Breaching Earthen Dams and Dikes" in the drop-down menu when submitting your paper through the system.
Manuscript Deadline: 31 December 2025.
About JHR
The Journal of Hydraulic Research contains scientific and technical material of broader interest in the areas of theoretical, experimental and computational hydraulics and fluid mechanics in various fields of application (rivers, coasts, environment, structures and industrial flows). This may also include results of field studies and interdisciplinary studies. Further included is publication of state-of-the-art papers, information which is suitable for the end-user (design and consultancy) and forum articles. Discussions to papers and technical notes are welcomed. The scope of the Journal covers the fields in which IAHR is active.
