WINDAM C Earthen Embankment Internal Erosion Analysis Software

Two primary causes of dam failure are overtopping and internal erosion. For the purpose of evaluating dam safety for existing earthen embankment dams and proposed earthen embankment dams, WinDAM C software will simulate either internal erosion or erosion resulting from an overtopping event. WinDAM C models erosion failure of a homogeneous embankment. Future expansion includes non-homogeneous embankments, and embankment protection analysis.
Essential Function of Software
- Hydraulically routes one input hydrograph through, around, and over a single earthen dam.
- Estimates internal erosion and potential breaching of an earthen embankment dam.
- Estimates erosion of the earthen embankment caused by overtopping of the dam embankment.
- Estimates auxiliary spillway erosion in up to three earthen or vegetated auxiliary spillways.
The user imports an inflow hydrograph into WinDAM C and selects either internal erosion analysis or overtopping analysis.
Internal Erosion Earthen Embankment
The user sets the elevation and initial size of the internal erosion conduit. WinDAM C initially assumes a horizontal, rectangular conduit shape. The internal erosion conduit grows larger as flow erodes embankment material. The erosion may breach the embankment and drain the reservoir.
Projected Release
Since the research has been completed, USDA and KSU are currently verifying and validating a working version of WinDAM C, which should be released for external evaluation and testing in 2014 or 2015.