Modelling dike failure by overtopping coupling hydraulics and geomechanics
(2026)
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- In the current context of climate change and ageing infrastructures, breaching of earthen embankments becomes a major issue for many cities and countries. It is well known that overtopping is one of the main causes of breaching leading to devastating floods. This thesis proposes and conceptualizes a holistic modelling approach of the dike breaching process by overtopping, integrating the main physical mechanisms: sediment transport, surface-subsurface flow interaction, effect of suction on material strength, and large deformations of the dike structure. A sediment transport-based approach initially couples shallow-water equations with the Exner equation to model erosion and morphological evolution. Recognizing that suction evolution significantly influences the breaching process, a coupled surface-subsurface flow model combining shallow-water and Richards equations captures pore water pressure evolution. Unsaturated soil mechanics principles with the shear strength reduction method then predict failure initiation by associating suction fields with safety factors. The Particle Finite Element Method simulates large geomechanical deformations and post-failure runout. The Cosserat continuum theory is used to regularize mesh-dependence in case of strain-softening problems. Finally, a proof-of-concept integrates all developments into a comprehensive simulation of complete dike breaching events, demonstrating the feasibility of this integrated approach accounting for all main physical processes.
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Delpierre, N. (2026). Modelling dike failure by overtopping coupling hydraulics and geomechanics. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/273823