Author(s): Elia Buono; Gabriel Katul; Davide Poggi
Linked Author(s): Davide Poggi
Keywords: Canopy drag; Dam break; Diffusive wave approximation; Drag reduction; Saint Venant equation
Abstract: The sudden release of water following the instantaneous collapse of a dam has garnered significant research attention in hydrology, ecology, hydraulics, and coastal engineering. The hydrodynamics of these unsteady, shallow flows are often described by the Saint-Venant equations, with well-known analytical solutions under frictionless, horizontal conditions. Numerous revisions to these solutions have been explored, including gradual dam breaching, lateral contractions, asymmetric geometries, steep slopes, and channel bends. Among these, the most studied is the incorporation of finite wall friction. However, the dam-break problem for channels with rigid vegetation, which requires explicit inclusion of distributed drag due to energy losses beyond wall friction, remains understudied, with only a handful of reports available.
Year: 2025