Workshop: Experimental and Numerical Research on the Failure of Earth dams and Fluvial Dikes

Convenors: Sílvia Amaral and Matthew Halso, Switzerland

This workshop focuses on ongoing research efforts related to the failure of earth dams and fluvial dikes. It will explore state-of-the-art experimental techniques and advanced numerical modelling approaches aimed at addressing the complex behaviour of these structures under diverse conditions. Participants will gain exclusive insights into the groundbreaking developments in both fundamental understanding (i.e., phenomenology and underlying processes) and practical applications (i.e., engineering solutions). The event will showcase how theoretical knowledge translates into real-world engineering practices, offering a comprehensive view of both basic science and applied research in the field.

Key topics include:

• Relevance of dam and dike failure for hydraulic infrastructure and society: An overview of the topic and its implications on modern society will be highlighted, with a focus on recent dam breaching events and their causes. The effect of climate change on extreme floods and their consequences for dam and dike safety will be discussed.
• Experimental Research: Gain insights into laboratory-scale testing, field experiments, and real-world case studies that reveal the main failure mechanisms and patterns in dams and dikes, helping to predict and mitigate risk. Strategies for designing experiments to mimic the initial stages of prototype-scale erosion processes for both earth dams and dikes from the Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering and IST (Jónatas et al., 2024 and 2025, Alvarez, 2024, Amaral et al., 2020) will be detailed, and recent advances in methods for more accurate measurement of 3D breach formation, morphology evolution and effluent discharge (Jónatas et al., 2024, Amaral et al., 2019; Bento Ana et al., 2017). Recent work at the ETH Zurich Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology has explored methods for downscaling prototype zoned embankment dans to laboratory scale, for assessment of potential failure of specific zoned dams (Halso et al., 2023b), and recent laboratory experiments revealed the interactions between multiple failure mechanisms during breaching of a zoned dam’s core (Halso et al., 2023a).
• Numerical Modelling: Explore the latest numerical approaches for simulating failure prediction, namely those incorporating complex factors like material heterogeneity, soil saturation, stress distribution, structural stability and the hydraulic-geotechnical interactions, as the occurrence of sudden mass detachments during the erosion process (this last was explored in Fraga et al. 2024). Recent developments of practitioner-ready tools that account for uncertainties in these interactions in homogeneous embankment breaching are detailed (Vetsch et al., 2023, Peter et al., 2018;), as are new methods for simplified simulation of zoned dam breaching (Halso et al., 2024). A model that incorporates the additional failure mechanism of piping and potential for multidirectional flow for dike breach situations (DLBreach) will also be presented (Wu, 2013, 2016).
• Hybrid Integration: Discover the potential of hybrid modelling, which integrates experimental data with numerical simulation tools and greatly supports upscaling of research results from small-scale lab studies to the prototype scale. Laboratory experiments at the University of Liege (Schmitz et al., 2021; Schmitz et al., 2023) have been used to validate a new simplified numerical model for fluvial dike breaching due to overtopping, which is being coupled with a 2D hydrodynamic model for complete simulation of full-scale dike breaching events. These types of approaches offer a comprehensive framework for predicting the performance and potential failure of full-scale structures under various stressors.
• Future of research: Engage in forward-looking discussions on how emerging technologies—such as AI, machine learning, digital twins, high-performance computing (HPC), and virtual testing environments—can enhance predictive accuracy and structural safety in dam and dike engineering.

Participants will engage in hands-on sessions, round-table discussions, and live presentations that highlight the synergy between the experimental and numerical modelling. This workshop will provide the knowledge and tools to tackle the challenges of dam and dike safety in an evolving landscape for academics, industrial professionals or policymakers, being an invaluable opportunity to network, share knowledge, and collaborate on future innovations in the safety and resilience of hydraulic structures of this kind.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this vital event on safeguarding critical embankments infrastructure!