Experimental study on the influence of water depth and bed slope variations on dam-break flood wave propagation

Damage to dam structures frequently results in catastrophic consequences. Consequently, understanding of the characteristics of the movement of dam-break flow along the sloping wet bed can assist in the issuance of timely flood warnings and risk mitigation. In this study, a series of large-scale flume experiments was conducted with the objective of investigating the effects of upstream and downstream water depth and bed slope on the propagation of dam-break waves. The water level is measured and processed to calculate the wavefront velocity. Results show that the wave propagation behavior can be classified as bore and undular waves through the global Froude numbers (Frx) and local Froude numbers (Frl). When Frx < 1.225 or Frl < 1.475, the dam-break wave propagates as the undular wave. In the undular wave state, the wavefront velocity (U) decreases with increasing water depth ratio α. Additionally, the U with Frx shows a similar trend, where the experimental value surpasses the analytical solution. The dimensionless maximum wave height (ΔHmax) increases with Frx and then decreases. The deviation from the analytical solution ranges between 67.22% and 127.38%. When Frx > 1.225 or Frl > 1.475, the dam-break wave propagates as the bore wave. In the bore wave state, the U increases slightly with the water depth ratio α, while the change rule of U with Frx is similar to it. The dimensionless maximum wave height (ΔHmax) remains relatively constant as Frx increases, showing a high degree of consistency with the analytical solution. The presence of bed slope results in increased wavefront velocity and wave heights, while an increase in α results in the emergence of more pronounced undular wave phenomena. Furthermore, the experimental results are compared with existing analytical solutions, and the validity of the analytical solutions and their limitations are discussed.