Computer Erosion Modeling Considering SoilHydraulic Conductivity

Improved computer models of erosion have been developed,considering soil hydraulic conductivity. The models deal witherosion of levees, dams and embankments due to overtopping.The simulations trace the formation of rills and gullies, beginningwith initial overtopping and continuing to final breaching.Physical models performed at 1-g and high g using a geotechnicalcentrifuge have been used to calibrate the models. Previousmodels did not consider soil hydraulic conductivity, and althoughresults were quite good for the formation of rills and gullies andsediment quantities, breach times were underestimated.Essentially the water flow was treated as if passing over a solidsurface, not entering the soil, and the total water flow wasavailable for erosion. Thus, breach times were underestimated.Soil erodibility parameters had to be adjusted in order to achievegood agreement with breach times. The new models developedconsider soil hydraulic conductivity, and produce good agreementwith the performance of the physical modeling, including breachtimes and the use of proper soil erodibility parameters

کلیدواژه ها:

Erosion ، Levees ، Computer Simulations ، Physical Modeling