Pierre Archambeau

The paper presents a consistent micro-scale flood risk analysis procedure, relying on detailed 2D inundation modelling as well as on high resolution topographic and land use database. The flow model is based on the shallow-water equations, solved by means of a finite volume scheme on multi-block structured grids. Using highly accurate laser altimetry, the simulations are performed with a typical grid spacing of 2 m, which is fine enough to represent the flow at the scale of individual buildings. Consequently, the outcomes of hydraulic modelling constitute suitable inputs for the subsequent exposure analysis, performed at a micro-scale using detailed land use maps and geographic database. Eventually, the procedure incorporates social flood impact analysis and evaluation of direct economic damage to residential buildings. Besides detailing the characteristics and performance of the hydraulic model, the paper describes the flow of data within the overall flood risk analysis procedure and demonstrates its applicability by means of a case study, for which two different flood protection measures were evaluated.

The Piano Key Weir is a type of labyrinth weir using overhangs to reduce the footprint of the foundation. These are directly placed on a dam crest. Together with its high discharge capacity for low heads, this geometry makes these weirs interesting in dam rehabilitation. However, the Piano Key Weir is a new weir type, first designed in 2001 and built from 2006 by Electricité de France. Even though experimental studies confirmed its appealing discharge capacities, the flow upstream, over and downstream of this complex structure is still not well known. This research presents experimental test results performed on a 1:10 scale model. The experiments aim at determining the flow features along the weir depending on the upstream head. The flow conditions are characterized in terms of specific discharge, velocity, pressure, water level and streamlines along the weir.

The potentialities in numerical flow modeling available today allow performing more and more representative and accurate computations of an increasing part of hydraulic engineering practical problems. In some cases, numerical simulation can be used as an alternative, or at least an efficient pre-design tool, to more classic physical modeling. In this framework, the paper presents the application of integrated numerical tools to the automatic optimization of the geometry of a guide-wall at the entrance of a channel. The simulations have been performed by using a Genetic Algorithm based optimization tool coupled to a 2D free surface flow model. This finite volume multibock flow solver, WOLF2D, solves the conservative form of the classical shallow water equations together with a depth-integrated k−ɛ type turbulence model. The calculations have been performed on a cluster of 12 processors to reach a satisfactory solution in less than 2.5 days (96 solutions tested). On the basis of the numerical results and suitability indicators, the optimal solution is objectively better than the other tested geometries. This confirms the efficiency of the automatic optimization procedure.

The present paper briefly describes WOLF 2D, a bidimensional shallow- water solver dealing with natural erodible topography. The solid transport model incorporated in WOLF 2D and several applications on mobile beds are extensively depicted. A finite volume technique is used to solve the conservation equations, formulated in a conservative form to ensure exact mass and momentum balance even across moving

The river network is the natural link between hydrological and hydraulic studies. In a physically based and spatially distributed model, the hydrological part uses the rivers as an outlet for the runoff and baseflow, while the hydraulic studies pay a particular attention to the propagation of these inputs through the river, taking into account the real cross-sections properties and the presence of hydraulic structures along the river. In the hydrologic studies, the river network is computed on the basis of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and therefore covers the whole basin, but with very few informations on the rivers characteristics. On the other hand, hydraulic studies often need a much more detailed description of the river geometry, and rely on accurate data from on-site surveys, such as river cross-sections or engineering structures descriptions. However, this kind of data is generally only available on a reduced part of the bassin. A methodology is therefore proposed to generate a river network coherent with both hydrologic and hydraulic approaches. The DEM is modified using a "stream burning" algorithm to force the topography-based river paths to follow the real river course where sufficient data is available. Specific engineering structures which modifies the flowpaths (such as an important railway) can be taken into account in this process at this stage. A first 1D river network is then generated with this new DEM. At the same time, a second 1D network is created using the cross sections data, including every hydraulic structure such as sluice, footbridges, and pipes. Both networks are then merged using the following procedure. First, the river branches are split into multiple parts at each characteristic point (confluences and ends) of both networks. Second, the DEM-based river parts are replaced by the corresponding parts from the other (more accurate) network, where available. Special treatments are applied to deal with the inconsistencies between both networks, such as the bed level discontinuities at the junctions. Eventually, the split river parts are merged back to form the complete river network. When necessary, other additionnal networks, such as the sewage system (when computed explicitedly in the hydrological model) can easily be added in the overall merging procedure. The above method was tested on two Belgian catchments (with catchment areas of 40km² and 130km²) in the framework of combined hydrologic and hydraulic studies, and proved to be very convenient and efficient to build the river networks.

Mixed flows characterized by a simultaneous occurrence of free surface and pressurized flows are often encountered in hydraulic engineering. Numerous researches have been dedicated to unify the mathematical description of both flows. Herein, shock-capturing models succeed in giving a unique set of equations. However, no method accounts for both air-entrapment and air-entrainment. This study proposes an original model to simulate air–water interactions in mixed flows. The new approach relies on the area-integration of a three-phase model over two layers. The applicability of this free surface model is extended to pressurized flows by a modified pressure term accounting for the dispersed air. The derived modelling system WOLF IMPack is then validated. The code successfully simulates open channel flows, mixed flows and water hammer in a unified framework, including air–water interactions, in structures like the drainage network.

Hydraulic models available in literature are unsuccessful in simulating accurately and efficiently environmental flows characterized by the presence of both air–water interactions and free-surface/pressurized transitions (aka mixed flows). The purpose of this paper is thus to fill this knowledge gap by developing a unified one-dimensional mathematical model describing free-surface, pressurized and mixed flows with air–water interactions. This work is part

Following recurrent inundation problems on the Berwinne catchment, in Belgium, a combined hydrologic and hydrodynamic study has been carried out in order to find adequate solutions for the floods mitigation. Thanks to detailed 2D simulations, the effectiveness of the solutions can be assessed not only in terms of discharge and height reductions in the river, but also with other aspects such as the inundated surfaces reduction and the decrease of inundated buildings and roads. The study is carried out in successive phases. First, the hydrological runoffs are generated using a physically based and spatially distributed multi-layer model solving depth-integrated equations for overland flow, subsurface flow and baseflow. Real floods events are simulated using rainfall series collected at 8 stations (over 20 years of available data). The hydrological inputs are routed through the river network (and through the sewage network if relevant) with the 1D component of the modelling system, which solves the Saint-Venant equations for both free-surface and pressurized flows in a unified way. On the main part of the river, the measured river cross-sections are included in the modelling, and existing structures along the river (such as bridges, sluices or pipes) are modelled explicitely with specific cross sections. Two gauging stations with over 15 years of continuous measurements allow the calibration of both the hydrologic and hydrodynamic models. Second, the flood mitigation solutions are tested in the simulations in the case of an extreme flooding event, and their effects are assessed using detailed 2D simulations on a few selected sensitive areas. The digital elevation model comes from an airborne laser survey with a spatial resolution of 1 point per square metre and is completed in the river bed with a bathymetry interpolated from cross-section data. The upstream discharge is extracted from the 1D simulation for the selected rainfall event. The study carried out with this methodology allowed to assess the suggested solutions with multiple effectiveness criteria and therefore constitutes a very useful support for decision makers.

Hazard analysis of dams arranged in complex or in cascade may involve the assessment of a large number of different scenarios of combined failures. However, a tremendous computation time would be needed to perform a detailed modeling of the flows generated by all possible scenarios. Therefore, the present paper describes a rational methodology for analyzing the flows induced by the most relevant incidents occurring on a complex or in a cascade of dams and reservoirs. The methodology combines several hydrodynamic models, including the two-dimensional flow solver WOLF 2D and a simplified lumped hydrodynamic model, to simulate (i) the flows induced on the dams complex, (ii) the potential breaching in cascade of other dams, as well as (iii) the propagation of the flood wave in the whole downstream valley. The application of the methodology to a practical case study involving a complex of five dams is also described.

A practical methodology has been developed for predicting flows generated by dam failures or malfunctions in a complex or a series of dams. A twofold approach is followed. First, the waves induced in the downstream reservoirs are computed, as well as hydrodynamic impacts induced on downstream dams and dikes are estimated. Second, the flood wave propagation and the inundation process are simulated in the downstream valley, accounting for possible dam collapse or breaching in cascade. Two complementary flow models are combined: a two-dimensional fully dynamic model and a simplified lumped model. At each stage, the methodology provides guidelines to select the most appropriate model for efficiently computing the induced flows. Both models handle parametric modeling of gradual dam breaching. The procedure also incorporates prediction of breach formation time and final width, as well as sensitivity analysis to compensate for the high uncertainties remaining in the estimation of breach parameters. The applicability of the modeling procedure is demonstrated for a case study involving a 70-m high-gravity concrete dam located upstream of four other dams.

Simulation of 1D steady flow covers a wide range of practical applications, such as rivers, pipes and hydraulic structures. Various flow patterns coexist in such situations: free surface flows (supercritical, subcritical and hydraulic jump), pressurized flows as well as mixed flows. As a result, development of a unified 1D model for all the situations of interest in civil engineering remains challenging. In this paper, a fast universal solver for 1D continuous and discontinuous steady flows in rivers and pipes is set up and assessed. Developments are initiated from an original unified mathematical model using the Saint-Venant equations. Application of these equations, originally dedicated to free-surface flow, is extended to pressurized flow by means of the Preissmann slot model. In particular, an original negative slot is developed in order to handle sub-atmospheric pressurized flow. Next, the full unsteady model is simplified under the assumption of steadiness and reformulated into a single pseudo-unsteady differential equation. The derived pseudo-unsteady formulation aims at keeping the hyperbolic feature of the equation. Stability analysis of the differential equation suggests a unique splitting for the finite volume scheme whatever the flow conditions. The numerical scheme obtained is a universal Flux Vector Splitting which shows robustness and simplicity. Accuracy and performance of the new methodology is assessed by comparison with analytical and experimental results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.