Estimating maximum initial wave amplitude of subaerial landslide tsunamis: A three-dimensional modelling approach

Estimating maximum initial wave amplitude of subaerial landslide tsunamis: A three-dimensional modelling approach

해저 산사태 쓰나미의 최대 초기 파동 진폭 추정: 3차원 모델링 접근법

Ramtin Sabeti a, Mohammad Heidarzadeh ab

aDepartment of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA27AY, UK
bHydroCoast Consulting Engineers Ltd, Bath, UK

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2024.102360

Highlights

  • •Landslide travel distance is considered for the first time in a predictive equation.
  • •Predictive equation derived from databases using 3D physical and numerical modeling.
  • •The equation was successfully tested on the 2018 Anak Krakatau tsunami event.
  • •The developed equation using three-dimensional data exhibits a 91 % fitting quality.

Abstract

Landslide tsunamis, responsible for thousands of deaths and significant damage in recent years, necessitate the allocation of sufficient time and resources for studying these extreme natural hazards. This study offers a step change in the field by conducting a large number of three-dimensional numerical experiments, validated by physical tests, to develop a predictive equation for the maximum initial amplitude of tsunamis generated by subaerial landslides. We first conducted a few 3D physical experiments in a wave basin which were then applied for the validation of a 3D numerical model based on the Flow3D-HYDRO package. Consequently, we delivered 100 simulations using the validated model by varying parameters such as landslide volume, water depth, slope angle and travel distance. This large database was subsequently employed to develop a predictive equation for the maximum initial tsunami amplitude. For the first time, we considered travel distance as an independent parameter for developing the predictive equation, which can significantly improve the predication accuracy. The predictive equation was tested for the case of the 2018 Anak Krakatau subaerial landslide tsunami and produced satisfactory results.

Keywords

Tsunami, Subaerial landslide, Physical modelling, Numerical simulation, FLOW-3D HYDRO

1. Introduction and literature review

The Anak Krakatau landslide tsunami on 22nd December 2018 was a stark reminder of the dangers posed by subaerial landslide tsunamis (Ren et al., 2020Mulia et al. 2020a; Borrero et al., 2020Heidarzadeh et al., 2020Grilli et al., 2021). The collapse of the volcano’s southwest side into the ocean triggered a tsunami that struck the Sunda Strait, leading to approximately 450 fatalities (Syamsidik et al., 2020Mulia et al., 2020b) (Fig. 1). As shown in Fig. 1, landslide tsunamis (both submarine and subaerial) have been responsible for thousands of deaths and significant damage to coastal communities worldwide. These incidents underscored the critical need for advanced research into landslide-generated waves to aid in hazard prediction and mitigation. This is further emphasized by recent events such as the 28th of November 2020 landslide tsunami in the southern coast mountains of British Columbia (Canada), where an 18 million m3 rockslide generated a massive tsunami, with over 100 m wave run-up, causing significant environmental and infrastructural damage (Geertsema et al., 2022).

Fig 1

Physical modelling and numerical simulation are crucial tools in the study of landslide-induced waves due to their ability to replicate and analyse the complex dynamics of landslide events (Kim et al., 2020). In two-dimensional (2D) modelling, the discrepancy between dimensions can lead to an artificial overestimation of wave amplification (e.g., Heller and Spinneken, 2015). This limitation is overcome with 3D modelling, which enables the scaled-down representation of landslide-generated waves while avoiding the simplifications inherent in 2D approaches (Erosi et al., 2019). Another advantage of 3D modelling in studying landslide-generated waves is its ability to accurately depict the complex dynamics of wave propagation, including lateral and radial spreading from the slide impact zone, a feature unattainable with 2D models (Heller and Spinneken, 2015).

Physical experiments in tsunami research, as presented by authors such as Romano et al. (2020), McFall and Fritz (2016), and Heller and Spinneken (2015), have supported 3D modelling works through validation and calibration of the numerical models to capture the complexities of wave generation and propagation. Numerical modelling has increasingly complemented experimental approach in tsunami research due to the latter’s time and resource-intensive nature, particularly for 3D models (Li et al., 2019; Kim et al., 2021). Various numerical approaches have been employed, from Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks to depth-averaged and Navier–Stokes models, enhancing our understanding of tsunami dynamics (Si et al., 2018Grilli et al., 2019Heidarzadeh et al., 20172020Iorio et al., 2021Zhang et al., 2021Kirby et al., 2022Wang et al., 20212022Hu et al., 2022). The sophisticated numerical techniques, including the Particle Finite Element Method and the Immersed Boundary Method, have also shown promising results in modelling highly dynamic landslide scenarios (Mulligan et al., 2020Chen et al., 2020). Among these methods and techniques, FLOW-3D HYDRO stands out in simulating landslide-generated tsunami waves due to its sophisticated technical features such as offering Tru Volume of Fluid (VOF) method for precise free surface tracking (e.g., Sabeti and Heidarzadeh 2022a). TruVOF distinguishes itself through a split Lagrangian approach, adeptly reducing cumulative volume errors in wave simulations by dynamically updating cell volume fractions and areas with each time step. Its intelligent adaptation of time step size ensures precise capture of evolving free surfaces, offering unparalleled accuracy in modelling complex fluid interfaces and behaviour (Flow Science, 2023).

Predictive equations play a crucial role in assessing the potential hazards associated with landslide-generated tsunami waves due to their ability to provide risk assessment and warnings. These equations can offer swift and reasonable evaluations of potential tsunami impacts in the absence of detailed numerical simulations, which can be time-consuming and expensive to produce. Among multiple factors and parameters within a landslide tsunami generation, the initial maximum wave amplitude (Fig. 1) stands out due to its critical role. While it is most likely that the initial wave generated by a landslide will have the highest amplitude, it is crucial to clarify that the term “initial maximum wave amplitude” refers to the highest amplitude within the first set of impulse waves. This parameter is essential in determining the tsunami’s impact severity, with higher amplitudes signalling a greater destructive potential (Sabeti and Heidarzadeh 2022a). Additionally, it plays a significant role in tsunami modelling, aiding in the prediction of wave propagation and the assessment of potential impacts.

In this study, we initially validate the FLOW-3D HYDRO model through a series of physical experiments conducted in a 3D wave tank at University of Bath (UK). Upon confirmation of the model’s accuracy, we use it to systematically vary parameters namely landslide volume, water depth, slope angle, and travel distance, creating an extensive database. Alongside this, we perform a sensitivity analysis on these variables to discern their impacts on the initial maximum wave amplitude. The generated database was consequently applied to derive a non-dimensional predictive equation aimed at estimating the initial maximum wave amplitude in real-world landslide tsunami events.

Two innovations of this study are: (i) The predictive equation of this study is based on a large number of 3D experiments whereas most of the previous equations were based on 2D results, and (ii) For the first time, the travel distance is included in the predictive equation as an independent parameter. To evaluate the performance of our predictive equation, we applied it to a previous real-world subaerial landslide tsunami, i.e., the Anak Krakatau 2018 event. Furthermore, we compare the performance of our predictive equation with other existing equations.

2. Data and methods

The methodology applied in this research is a combination of physical and numerical modelling. Limited physical modelling was performed in a 3D wave basin at the University of Bath (UK) to provide data for calibration and validation of the numerical model. After calibration and validation, the numerical model was employed to model a large number of landslide tsunami scenarios which allowed us to develop a database for deriving a predictive equation.

2.1. Physical experiments

To validate our numerical model, we conducted a series of physical experiments including two sets in a 3D wave basin at University of Bath, measuring 2.50 m in length (WL), 2.60 m in width (WW), and 0.60 m in height (WH) (Fig. 2a). Conducting two distinct sets of experiments (Table 1), each with different setups (travel distance, location, and water depth), provided a robust framework for validation of the numerical model. For wave measurement, we employed a twin wire wave gauge from HR Wallingford (https://equipit.hrwallingford.com). In these experiments, we used a concrete prism solid block, the dimensions of which are outlined in Table 2. In our experiments, we employed a concrete prism solid block with a density of 2600 kg/m3, chosen for its similarity to the natural density of landslides, akin to those observed with the 2018 Anak Krakatau tsunami, where the landslide composition is predominantly solid rather than granular. The block’s form has also been endorsed in prior studies (Watts, 1998Najafi-Jilani and Ataie-Ashtiani, 2008) as a suitable surrogate for modelling landslide-induced waves. A key aspect of our methodology was addressing scale effects, following the guidelines proposed by Heller et al. (2008) as it is described in Table 1. To enhance the reliability and accuracy of our experimental data, we conducted each physical experiment three times which revealed all three experimental waveforms were identical. This repetition was aimed at minimizing potential errors and inconsistencies in laboratory measurements.

Fig 2

Table 1. The locations and other information of the laboratory setups for making landslide-generated waves in the physical wave basin. This table details the specific parameters for each setup, including slope range (α), slide volume (V), kinematic viscosity (ν), water depth (h), travel distance (D), surface tension coefficient of water (σ), Reynolds number (R), Weber number (W), and the precise coordinates of the wave gauges (WG).

Labα(°)V (m³)h (m)D (m)WG’s Location(ν) (m²/s)(σ) (N/m)Acceptable range for avoiding scale effects*Observed values of W and R ⁎⁎
Lab 1452.60 × 10−30.2470.070X1=1.090 m1.01 × 10−60.073R > 3.0 × 105R1 = 3.80 × 105
Y1=1.210 m
W1 = 8.19 × 105
Z1=0.050mW >5.0 × 103
Lab 2452.60 × 10−30.2460.045X2=1.030 m1.01 × 10−60.073R2 = 3.78 × 105
Y2=1.210 mW2 = 8.13 × 105
Z2=0.050 m

The acceptable ranges for avoiding scale effects are based on the study by Heller et al. (2008).⁎⁎

The Reynolds number (R) is given by g0.5h1.5/ν, with ν denoting the kinematic viscosity. The Weber number (W) is W = ρgh2/σ, where σ represents surface tension coefficient and ρ = 1000kg/m3 is the density of water. In our experiments, conducted at a water temperature of approximately 20 °C, the kinematic viscosity (ν) and the surface tension coefficient of water (σ) are 1.01 × 10−6 m²/s and 0.073 N/m, respectively (Kestin et al., 1978).

Table 2. Specifications of the solid block used in physical experiments for generating subaerial landslides in the laboratory.

Solid-block attributesProperty metricsGeometric shape
Slide width (bs)0.26 mImage, table 2
Slide length (ls)0.20 m
Slide thickness (s)0.10 m
Slide volume (V)2.60 × 10−3 m3
Specific gravity, (γs)2.60
Slide weight (ms)6.86 kg

2.2. Numerical simulations applying FLOW-3D hydro

The detailed theoretical framework encompassing the governing equations, the computational methodologies employed, and the specific techniques used for tracking the water surface in these simulations are thoroughly detailed in the study by Sabeti et al. (2024). Here, we briefly explain some of the numerical details. We defined a uniform mesh for our flow domain, carefully crafted with a fine spatial resolution of 0.005 m (i.e., grid size). The dimensions of the numerical model directly matched those of our wave basin used in the physical experiment, being 2.60 m wide, 0.60 m deep, and 2.50 m long (Fig. 2). This design ensures comprehensive coverage of the study area. The output intervals of the numerical model are set at 0.02 s. This timing is consistent with the sampling rates of wave gauges used in laboratory settings. The friction coefficient in the FLOW-3D HYDRO is designated as 0.45. This value corresponds to the Coulombic friction measurements obtained in the laboratory, ensuring that the simulation accurately reflects real-world physical interactions.

In order to simulate the landslide motion, we applied coupled motion objects in FLOW-3D-HYDRO where the dynamics are predominantly driven by gravity and surface friction. This methodology stands in contrast to other models that necessitate explicit inputs of force and torque. This approach ensures that the simulation more accurately reflects the natural movement of landslides, which is heavily reliant on gravitational force and the interaction between sliding surfaces. The stability of the numerical simulations is governed by the Courant Number criterion (Courant et al., 1928), which dictates the maximum time step (Δt) for a given mesh size (Δx) and flow speed (U). According to Courant et al. (1928), this number is required to stay below one to ensure stability of numerical simulations. In our simulations, the Courant number is always maintained below one.

In alignment with the parameters of physical experiments, we set the fluid within the mesh to water, characterized by a density of 1000 kg/m³ at a temperature of 20 °C. Furthermore, we defined the top, front, and back surfaces of the mesh as symmetry planes. The remaining surfaces are designated as wall types, incorporating no-slip conditions to accurately simulate the interaction between the fluid and the boundaries. In terms of selection of an appropriate turbulence model, we selected the k–ω model that showed a better performance than other turbulence methods (e.g., Renormalization-Group) in a previous study (Sabeti et al., 2024). The simulations are conducted using a PC Intel® Core™ i7-10510U CPU with a frequency of 1.80 GHz, and a 16 GB RAM. On this PC, completion of a 3-s simulation required approximately 12.5 h.

2.3. Validation

The FLOW-3D HYDRO numerical model was validated using the two physical experiments (Fig. 3) outlined in Table 1. The level of agreement between observations (Oi) and simulations (Si) is examined using the following equation:(1)�=|��−����|×100where ε represents the mismatch error, Oi denotes the observed laboratory values, and Si represents the simulated values from the FLOW-3D HYDRO model. The results of this validation process revealed that our model could replicate the waves generated in the physical experiments with a reasonable degree of mismatch (ε): 14 % for Lab 1 and 8 % for Lab 2 experiments, respectively (Fig. 3). These values indicate that while the model is not perfect, it provides a sufficiently close approximation of the real-world phenomena.

Fig 3

In terms of mesh efficiency, we varied the mesh size to study sensitivity of the numerical results to mesh size. First, by halving the mesh size and then by doubling it, we repeated the modelling by keeping other parameters unchanged. This analysis guided that a mesh size of ∆x = 0.005 m is the most effective for the setup of this study. The total number of computational cells applying mesh size of 0.005 m is 9.269 × 106.

2.4. The dataset

The validated numerical model was employed to conduct 100 simulations, incorporating variations in four key landslide parameters namely water depth, slope angle, slide volume, and travel distance. This methodical approach was essential for a thorough sensitivity analysis of these variables, and for the creation of a detailed database to develop a predictive equation for maximum initial tsunami amplitude. Within the model, 15 distinct slide volumes were established, ranging from 0.10 × 10−3 m3 to 6.25 × 10−3 m3 (Table 3). The slope angle varied between 35° and 55°, and water depth ranged from 0.24 m to 0.27 m. The travel distance of the landslides was varied, spanning from 0.04 m to 0.07 m. Detailed configurations of each simulation, along with the maximum initial wave amplitudes and dominant wave periods are provided in Table 4.

Table 3. Geometrical information of the 15 solid blocks used in numerical modelling for generating landslide tsunamis. Parameters are: ls, slide length; bs, slide width; s, slide thickness; γs, specific gravity; and V, slide volume.

Solid blockls (m)bs (m)s (m)V (m3)γs
Block-10.3100.2600.1556.25 × 10−32.60
Block-20.3000.2600.1505.85 × 10−32.60
Block-30.2800.2600.1405.10 × 10−32.60
Block-40.2600.2600.1304.39 × 10−32.60
Block-50.2400.2600.1203.74 × 10−32.60
Block-60.2200.2600.1103.15 × 10−32.60
Block-70.2000.2600.1002.60 × 10−32.60
Block-80.1800.2600.0902.11 × 10−32.60
Block-90.1600.2600.0801.66 × 10−32.60
Block-100.1400.2600.0701.27 × 10−32.60
Block-110.1200.2600.0600.93 × 10−32.60
Block-120.1000.2600.0500.65 × 10−32.60
Block-130.0800.2600.0400.41 × 10−32.60
Block-140.0600.2600.0300.23 × 10−32.60
Block-150.0400.2600.0200.10 × 10−32.60

Table 4. The numerical simulation for the 100 tests performed in this study for subaerial solid-block landslide-generated waves. Parameters are aM, maximum wave amplitude; α, slope angle; h, water depth; D, travel distance; and T, dominant wave period. The location of the wave gauge is X=1.030 m, Y=1.210 m, and Z=0.050 m. The properties of various solid blocks are presented in Table 3.

Test-Block Noα (°)h (m)D (m)T(s)aM (m)
1Block-7450.2460.0290.5100.0153
2Block-7450.2460.0300.5050.0154
3Block-7450.2460.0310.5050.0156
4Block-7450.2460.0320.5050.0158
5Block-7450.2460.0330.5050.0159
6Block-7450.2460.0340.5050.0160
7Block-7450.2460.0350.5050.0162
8Block-7450.2460.0360.5050.0166
9Block-7450.2460.0370.5050.0167
10Block-7450.2460.0380.5050.0172
11Block-7450.2460.0390.5050.0178
12Block-7450.2460.0400.5050.0179
13Block-7450.2460.0410.5050.0181
14Block-7450.2460.0420.5050.0183
15Block-7450.2460.0430.5050.0190
16Block-7450.2460.0440.5050.0197
17Block-7450.2460.0450.5050.0199
18Block-7450.2460.0460.5050.0201
19Block-7450.2460.0470.5050.0191
20Block-7450.2460.0480.5050.0217
21Block-7450.2460.0490.5050.0220
22Block-7450.2460.0500.5050.0226
23Block-7450.2460.0510.5050.0236
24Block-7450.2460.0520.5050.0239
25Block-7450.2460.0530.5100.0240
26Block-7450.2460.0540.5050.0241
27Block-7450.2460.0550.5050.0246
28Block-7450.2460.0560.5050.0247
29Block-7450.2460.0570.5050.0248
30Block-7450.2460.0580.5050.0249
31Block-7450.2460.0590.5050.0251
32Block-7450.2460.0600.5050.0257
33Block-1450.2460.0450.5050.0319
34Block-2450.2460.0450.5050.0294
35Block-3450.2460.0450.5050.0282
36Block-4450.2460.0450.5050.0262
37Block-5450.2460.0450.5050.0243
38Block-6450.2460.0450.5050.0223
39Block-7450.2460.0450.5050.0196
40Block-8450.2460.0450.5050.0197
41Block-9450.2460.0450.5050.0198
42Block-10450.2460.0450.5050.0184
43Block-11450.2460.0450.5050.0173
44Block-12450.2460.0450.5050.0165
45Block-13450.2460.0450.4040.0153
46Block-14450.2460.0450.4040.0124
47Block-15450.2460.0450.5050.0066
48Block-7450.2020.0450.4040.0220
49Block-7450.2040.0450.4040.0219
50Block-7450.2060.0450.4040.0218
51Block-7450.2080.0450.4040.0217
52Block-7450.2100.0450.4040.0216
53Block-7450.2120.0450.4040.0215
54Block-7450.2140.0450.5050.0214
55Block-7450.2160.0450.5050.0214
56Block-7450.2180.0450.5050.0213
57Block-7450.2200.0450.5050.0212
58Block-7450.2220.0450.5050.0211
59Block-7450.2240.0450.5050.0208
60Block-7450.2260.0450.5050.0203
61Block-7450.2280.0450.5050.0202
62Block-7450.2300.0450.5050.0201
63Block-7450.2320.0450.5050.0201
64Block-7450.2340.0450.5050.0200
65Block-7450.2360.0450.5050.0199
66Block-7450.2380.0450.4040.0196
67Block-7450.2400.0450.4040.0194
68Block-7450.2420.0450.4040.0193
69Block-7450.2440.0450.4040.0192
70Block-7450.2460.0450.5050.0190
71Block-7450.2480.0450.5050.0189
72Block-7450.2500.0450.5050.0187
73Block-7450.2520.0450.5050.0187
74Block-7450.2540.0450.5050.0186
75Block-7450.2560.0450.5050.0184
76Block-7450.2580.0450.5050.0182
77Block-7450.2590.0450.5050.0183
78Block-7450.2600.0450.5050.0191
79Block-7450.2610.0450.5050.0192
80Block-7450.2620.0450.5050.0194
81Block-7450.2630.0450.5050.0195
82Block-7450.2640.0450.5050.0195
83Block-7450.2650.0450.5050.0197
84Block-7450.2660.0450.5050.0197
85Block-7450.2670.0450.5050.0198
86Block-7450.2700.0450.5050.0199
87Block-7300.2460.0450.5050.0101
88Block-7350.2460.0450.5050.0107
89Block-7360.2460.0450.5050.0111
90Block-7370.2460.0450.5050.0116
91Block-7380.2460.0450.5050.0117
92Block-7390.2460.0450.5050.0119
93Block-7400.2460.0450.5050.0121
94Block-7410.2460.0450.5050.0127
95Block-7420.2460.0450.4040.0154
96Block-7430.2460.0450.4040.0157
97Block-7440.2460.0450.4040.0162
98Block-7450.2460.0450.5050.0197
99Block-7500.2460.0450.5050.0221
100Block-7550.2460.0450.5050.0233

In all these 100 simulations, the wave gauge was consistently positioned at coordinates X=1.09 m, Y=1.21 m, and Z=0.05 m. The dominant wave period for each simulation was determined using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) function in MATLAB (MathWorks, 2023). Furthermore, the classification of wave types was carried out using a wave categorization graph according to Sorensen (2010), as shown in Fig. 4a. The results indicate that the majority of the simulated waves are on the border between intermediate and deep-water waves, and they are categorized as Stokes waves (Fig. 4a). Four sample waveforms from our 100 numerical experiments are provided in Fig. 4b.

Fig 4

The dataset in Table 4 was used to derive a new predictive equation that incorporates travel distance for the first time to estimate the initial maximum tsunami amplitude. In developing this equation, a genetic algorithm optimization technique was implemented using MATLAB (MathWorks 2023). This advanced approach entailed the use of genetic algorithms (GAs), an evolutionary algorithm type inspired by natural selection processes (MathWorks, 2023). This technique is iterative, involving selection, crossover, and mutation processes to evolve solutions over several generations. The goal was to identify the optimal coefficients and powers for each landslide parameter in the predictive equation, ensuring a robust and reliable model for estimating maximum wave amplitudes. Genetic Algorithms excel at optimizing complex models by navigating through extensive combinations of coefficients and exponents. GAs effectively identify highly suitable solutions for the non-linear and complex relationships between inputs (e.g., slide volume, slope angle, travel distance, water depth) and the output (i.e., maximum initial wave amplitude, aM). MATLAB’s computational environment enhances this process, providing robust tools for GA to adapt and evolve solutions iteratively, ensuring the precision of the predictive model (Onnen et al., 1997). This approach leverages MATLAB’s capabilities to fine-tune parameters dynamically, achieving an optimal equation that accurately estimates aM. It is important to highlight that the nondimensionalized version of this dataset is employed to develop a predictive equation which enables the equation to reproduce the maximum initial wave amplitude (aM) for various subaerial landslide cases, independent of their dimensional differences (e.g., Heler and Hager 2014Heller and Spinneken 2015Sabeti and Heidarzadeh 2022b). For this nondimensionalization, we employed the water depth (h) to nondimensionalize the slide volume (V/h3) and travel distance (D/h). The slide thickness (s) was applied to nondimensionalize the water depth (h/s).

2.5. Landslide velocity

In discussing the critical role of landslide velocity for simulating landslide-generated waves, we focus on the mechanisms of landslide motion and the techniques used to record landslide velocity in our simulations (Fig. 5). Also, we examine how these methods were applied in two distinct scenarios: Lab 1 and Lab 2 (see Table 1 for their details). Regarding the process of landslide movement, a slide starts from a stationary state, gaining momentum under the influence of gravity and this acceleration continues until the landslide collides with water, leading to a significant reduction in its speed before eventually coming to a stop (Fig. 5) (e.g., Panizzo et al. 2005).

Fig 5

To measure the landslide’s velocity in our simulations, we attached a probe at the centre of the slide, which supplied a time series of the velocity data. The slide’s velocity (vs) peaks at the moment it enters the water (Fig. 5), a point referred to as the impact time (tImp). Following this initial impact, the slides continue their underwater movement, eventually coming to a complete halt (tStop). Given the results in Fig. 5, it can be seen that Lab 1, with its longer travel distance (0.070 m), exhibits a higher peak velocity of 1.89 m/s. This increase in velocity is attributed to the extended travel distance allowing more time for the slide to accelerate under gravity. Whereas Lab 2, featuring a shorter travel distance (0.045 m), records a lower peak velocity of 1.78 m/s. This difference underscores how travel distance significantly influences the dynamics of landslide motion. After reaching the peak, both profiles show a sharp decrease in velocity, marking the transition to submarine motion until the slides come to a complete stop (tStop). There are noticeable differences observable in Fig. 5 between the Lab-1 and Lab-2 simulations, including the peaks at 0.3 s . These variations might stem from the placement of the wave gauge, which differs slightly in each scenario, as well as the water depth’s minor discrepancies and, the travel distance.

2.6. Effect of air entrainment

In this section we examine whether it is required to consider air entrainment for our modelling or not as the FLOW-3D HYDRO package is capable of modelling air entrainment. The process of air entrainment in water during a landslide tsunami and its subsequent transport involve two key components: the quantification of air entrainment at the water surface, and the simulation of the air’s transport within the fluid (Hirt, 2003). FLOW-3D HYDRO employs the air entrainment model to compute the volume of air entrained at the water’s surface utilizing three approaches: a constant density model, a variable density model accounting for bulking, and a buoyancy model that adds the Drift-FLUX mechanism to variable density conditions (Flow Science, 2023). The calculation of the entrainment rate is based on the following equation:(2)�������=������[2(��−�����−2�/���)]1/2where parameters are: Vair, volume of air; Cair, entrainment rate coefficient; As, surface area of fluid; ρ, fluid density; k, turbulent kinetic energy; gn, gravity normal to surface; Lt, turbulent length scale; and σ, surface tension coefficient. The value of k is directly computed from the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) (kw) calculations in our model.

In this study, we selected the variable density + Drift-FLUX model, which effectively captures the dynamics of phase separation and automatically activates the constant density and variable density models. This method simplifies the air-water mixture, treating it as a single, homogeneous fluid within each computational cell. For the phase volume fractions f1and f2​, the velocities are expressed in terms of the mixture and relative velocities, denoted as u and ur, respectively, as follows:(3)��1��+�.(�1�)=��1��+�.(�1�)−�.(�1�2��)=0(4)��2��+�.(�2�)=��2��+�.(�2�)−�.(�1�2��)=0

The outcomes from this simulation are displayed in Fig. 6, which indicates that the influence of air entrainment on the generated wave amplitude is approximately 2 %. A value of 0.02 for the entrained air volume fraction means that, in the simulated fluid, approximately 2 % of the volume is composed of entrained air. In other words, for every unit volume of the fluid-air mixture at that location, 2 % is air and the remaining 98 % is water. The configuration of Test-17 (Table 4) was employed for this simulation. While the effect of air entrainment is anticipated to be more significant in models of granular landslide-generated waves (Fritz, 2002), in our simulations we opted not to incorporate this module due to its negligible impact on the results.

Fig 6

3. Results

In this section, we begin by presenting a sequence of our 3D simulations capturing different time steps to illustrate the generation process of landslide-generated waves. Subsequently, we derive a new predictive equation to estimate the maximum initial wave amplitude of landslide-generated waves and assess its performance.

3.1. Wave generation and propagation

To demonstrate the wave generation process in our simulation, we reference Test-17 from Table 4, where we employed Block-7 (Tables 34). In this configuration, the slope angle was set to 45°, with a water depth of 0.246 m and a travel distance at 0.045 m (Fig. 7). At 0.220 s, the initial impact of the moving slide on the water is depicted, marking the onset of the wave generation process (Fig. 7a). Disturbances are localized to the immediate area of impact, with the rest of the water surface remaining undisturbed. At this time, a maximum water particle velocity of 1.0 m/s – 1.2 m/s is seen around the impact zone (Fig. 7d). Moving to 0.320 s, the development of the wave becomes apparent as energy transfer from the landslide to the water creates outwardly radiating waves with maximum water particle velocity of up to around 1.6 m/s – 1.8 m/s (Fig. 7b, e). By the time 0.670 s, the wave has fully developed and is propagating away from the impact point exhibiting maximum water particle velocity of up to 2.0 m/s – 2.1 m/s. Concentric wave fronts are visible, moving outwards in all directions, with a colour gradient signifying the highest wave amplitude near the point of landslide entry, diminishing with distance (Fig. 7c, f).

Fig 7

3.2. Influence of landslide parameters on tsunami amplitude

In this section, we investigate the effects of various landslide parameters namely slide volume (V), water depth (h), slipe angle (α) and travel distance (D) on the maximum initial wave amplitude (aM). Fig. 8 presents the outcome of these analyses. According to Fig. 8, the slide volume, slope angle, and travel distance exhibit a direct relationship with the wave amplitude, meaning that as these parameters increase, so does the amplitude. Conversely, water depth is inversely related to the maximum initial wave amplitude, suggesting that the deeper the water depth, the smaller the maximum wave amplitude will be (Fig. 8b).

Fig 8

Fig. 8a highlights the pronounced impact of slide volume on the aM, demonstrating a direct correlation between the two variables. For instance, in the range of slide volumes we modelled (Fig. 8a), The smallest slide volume tested, measuring 0.10 × 10−3 m3, generated a low initial wave amplitude (aM= 0.0066 m) (Table 4). In contrast, the largest volume tested, 6.25 × 10−3 m3, resulted in a significantly higher initial wave amplitude (aM= 0.0319 m) (Table 4). The extremities of these results emphasize the slide volume’s paramount impact on wave amplitude, further elucidated by their positions as the smallest and largest aM values across all conducted tests (Table 4). This is corroborated by findings from the literature (e.g., Murty, 2003), which align with the observed trend in our simulations.

The slope angle’s influence on aM was smooth. A steady increase of wave amplitude was observed as the slope angle increased (Fig. 8c). In examining travel distance, an anomaly was identified. At a travel distance of 0.047 m, there was an unexpected dip in aM, which deviates from the general increasing trend associated with longer travel distances. This singular instance could potentially be attributed to a numerical error. Beyond this point, the expected pattern of increasing aM with longer travel distances resumes, suggesting that the anomaly at 0.047 m is an outlier in an otherwise consistent trend, and thus this single data point was overlooked while deriving the predictive equation. Regarding the inverse relationship between water depth and wave amplitude, our result (Fig. 8b) is consistent with previous reports by Fritz et al. (2003), (2004), and Watts et al. (2005).

The insights from Fig. 8 informed the architecture of the predictive equation in the next Section, with slide volume, travel distance, and slope angle being multiplicatively linked to wave amplitude underscoring their direct correlations with wave amplitude. Conversely, water depth is incorporated as a divisor, representing its inverse relationship with wave amplitude. This structure encapsulates the dynamics between the landslide parameters and their influence on the maximum initial wave amplitude as discussed in more detail in the next Section.

3.3. Predictive equation

Building on our sensitivity analysis of landslide parameters, as detailed in Section 3.2, and utilizing our nondimensional dataset, we have derived a new predictive equation as follows:(5)��/ℎ=0.015(tan�)0.10(�ℎ3)0.90(�ℎ)0.10(ℎ�)−0.11where, V is sliding volume, h is water depth, α is slope angle, and s is landslide thickness. It is important to note that this equation is valid only for subaerial solid-block landslide tsunamis as all our experiments were for this type of waves. The performance of this equation in predicting simulation data is demonstrated by the satisfactory alignment of data points around a 45° line, indicating its accuracy and reliability with regard to the experimental dataset (Fig. 9). The quality of fit between the dataset and Eq. (5) is 91 % indicating that Eq. (5) represents the dataset very well. Table 5 presents Eq. (5) alongside four other similar equations previously published. Two significant distinctions between our Eq. (5) and these others are: (i) Eq. (5) is derived from 3D experiments, whereas the other four equations are based on 2D experiments. (ii) Unlike the other equations, our Eq. (5) incorporates travel distance as an independent parameter.

Fig 9

Table 5. Performance comparison among our newly-developed equation and existing equations for estimating the maximum initial amplitude (aM) of the 2018 Anak Krakatau subaerial landslide tsunami. Parameters: aM, initial maximum wave amplitude; h, water depth; vs, landslide velocity; V, slide volume; bs, slide width; ls, slide length; s, slide thickness; α, slope angle; and ����, volume of the final immersed landslide. We considered ����= V as the slide volume.

EventPredictive equationsAuthor (year)Observed aM (m) ⁎⁎Calculated aM (m)Error, ε (%) ⁎⁎⁎⁎
2018 Anak Krakatau tsunami (Subaerial landslide) *��/ℎ=1.32���ℎNoda (1970)1341340
��/ℎ=0.667(0.5(���ℎ)2)0.334(���)0.754(���)0.506(�ℎ)1.631Bolin et al. (2014) ⁎⁎⁎13459424334
��/ℎ=0.25(������ℎ2)0.8Robbe-Saule et al. (2021)1343177
��/ℎ=0.4545(tan�)0.062(�ℎ3)0.296(ℎ�)−0.235Sabeti and Heidarzadeh (2022b)1341266
��/ℎ=0.015(tan�)0.10(�ℎ3)0.911(�ℎ)0.10(ℎ�)−0.11This study1341302.9

Geometrical and kinematic parameters of the 2018 Anak Krakatau subaerial landslide based on Heidarzadeh et al. (2020)Grilli et al. (2019) and Grilli et al. (2021)V=2.11 × 107 m3h= 50 m; s= 114 m; α= 45°; ls=1250 m; bs= 2700 m; vs=44.9 m/s; D= 2500 m; aM= 100 m −150 m.⁎⁎

aM= An average value of aM = 134 m is considered in this study.⁎⁎⁎

The equation of Bolin et al. (2014) is based on the reformatted one reported by Lindstrøm (2016).⁎⁎⁎⁎

Error is calculated using Eq. (1), where the calculated aM is assumed as the simulated value.

Additionally, we evaluated the performance of this equation using the real-world data from the 2018 Anak Krakatau subaerial landslide tsunami. Based on previous studies (Heidarzadeh et al., 2020Grilli et al., 20192021), we were able to provide a list of parameters for the subaerial landslide and associated tsunami for the 2018 Anak Krakatau event (see footnote of Table 5). We note that the data of the 2018 Anak Krakatau event was not used while deriving Eq. (5). The results indicate that Eq. (5) predicts the initial amplitude of the 2018 Anak Krakatau tsunami as being 130 m indicating an error of 2.9 % compared to the reported average amplitude of 134 m for this event. This performance indicates an improvement compared to the previous equation reported by Sabeti and Heidarzadeh (2022a) (Table 5). In contrast, the equations from Robbe-Saule et al. (2021) and Bolin et al. (2014) demonstrate higher discrepancies of 4200 % and 77 %, respectively (Table 5). Although Noda’s (1970) equation reproduces the tsunami amplitude of 134 m accurately (Table 5), it is crucial to consider its limitations, notably not accounting for parameters such as slope angle and travel distance.

It is essential to recognize that both travel distance and slope angle significantly affect wave amplitude. In our model, captured in Eq. (5), we integrate the slope angle (α) through the tangent function, i.e., tan α. This choice diverges from traditional physical interpretations that often employ the cosine or sine function (e.g., Heller and Hager, 2014Watts et al., 2003). We opted for the tangent function because it more effectively reflects the direct impact of slope steepness on wave generation, yielding superior estimations compared to conventional methods.

The significance of this study lies in its application of both physical and numerical 3D experiments and the derivation of a predictive equation based on 3D results. Prior research, e.g. Heller et al. (2016), has reported notable discrepancies between 2D and 3D wave amplitudes, highlighting the important role of 3D experiments. It is worth noting that the suitability of applying an equation derived from either 2D or 3D data depends on the specific geometry and characteristics inherent in the problem being addressed. For instance, in the case of a long, narrow dam reservoir, an equation derived from 2D data would likely be more suitable. In such contexts, the primary dynamics of interest such as flow patterns and potential wave propagation are predominantly two-dimensional, occurring along the length and depth of the reservoir. This simplification to 2D for narrow dam reservoirs allows for more accurate modelling of these dynamics.

This study specifically investigates waves initiated by landslides, focusing on those characterized as solid blocks instead of granular flows, with slope angles confined to a range of 25° to 60°. We acknowledge the additional complexities encountered in real-world scenarios, such as dynamic density and velocity of landslides, which could affect the estimations. The developed equation in this study is specifically designed to predict the maximum initial amplitude of tsunamis for the aforementioned specified ranges and types of landslides.

4. Conclusions

Both physical and numerical experiments were undertaken in a 3D wave basin to study solid-block landslide-generated waves and to formulate a predictive equation for their maximum initial wave amplitude. At the beginning, two physical experiments were performed to validate and calibrate a 3D numerical model, which was subsequently utilized to generate 100 experiments by varying different landslide parameters. The generated database was then used to derive a predictive equation for the maximum initial wave amplitude of landslide tsunamis. The main features and outcomes are:

  • •The predictive equation of this study is exclusively derived from 3D data and exhibits a fitting quality of 91 % when applied to the database.
  • •For the first time, landslide travel distance was considered in the predictive equation. This inclusion provides more accuracy and flexibility for applying the equation.
  • •To further evaluate the performance of the predictive equation, it was applied to a real-world subaerial landslide tsunami (i.e., the 2018 Anak Krakatau event) and delivered satisfactory performance.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Ramtin Sabeti: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Software, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. Mohammad Heidarzadeh: Methodology, Data curation, Software, Writing – review & editing.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Funding

RS is supported by the Leverhulme Trust Grant No. RPG-2022-306. MH is funded by open funding of State Key Lab of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, grant number SKHL2101. We acknowledge University of Bath Institutional Open Access Fund. MH is also funded by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation grant no. 6217 (awarded in 2023).

Acknowledgements

Authors are sincerely grateful to the laboratory technician team, particularly Mr William Bazeley, at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Bath for their support during the laboratory physical modelling of this research. We appreciate the valuable insights provided by Mr. Brian Fox (Senior CFD Engineer at Flow Science, Inc.) regarding air entrainment modelling in FLOW-3D HYDRO. We acknowledge University of Bath Institutional Open Access Fund.

Data availability

  • All data used in this study are given in the body of the article.

References

Extratropical cyclone damage to the seawall in Dawlish, UK: eyewitness accounts, sea level analysis and numerical modelling

영국 Dawlish의 방파제에 대한 온대 저기압 피해: 목격자 설명, 해수면 분석 및 수치 모델링

Extratropical cyclone damage to the seawall in Dawlish, UK: eyewitness accounts, sea level analysis and numerical modelling

Natural Hazards (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

2014년 2월 영국 해협(영국)과 특히 Dawlish에 영향을 미친 온대 저기압 폭풍 사슬은 남서부 지역과 영국의 나머지 지역을 연결하는 주요 철도에 심각한 피해를 입혔습니다.

이 사건으로 라인이 두 달 동안 폐쇄되어 5천만 파운드의 피해와 12억 파운드의 경제적 손실이 발생했습니다. 이 연구에서는 폭풍의 파괴력을 해독하기 위해 목격자 계정을 수집하고 해수면 데이터를 분석하며 수치 모델링을 수행합니다.

우리의 분석에 따르면 이벤트의 재난 관리는 성공적이고 효율적이었으며 폭풍 전과 도중에 인명과 재산을 구하기 위해 즉각적인 조치를 취했습니다. 파도 부이 분석에 따르면 주기가 4–8, 8–12 및 20–25초인 복잡한 삼중 봉우리 바다 상태가 존재하는 반면, 조위계 기록에 따르면 최대 0.8m의 상당한 파도와 최대 1.5m의 파도 성분이 나타났습니다.

이벤트에서 가능한 기여 요인으로 결합된 진폭. 최대 286 KN의 상당한 임펄스 파동이 손상의 시작 원인일 가능성이 가장 높았습니다. 수직 벽의 반사는 파동 진폭의 보강 간섭을 일으켜 파고가 증가하고 최대 16.1m3/s/m(벽의 미터 너비당)의 상당한 오버탑핑을 초래했습니다.

이 정보와 우리의 공학적 판단을 통해 우리는 이 사고 동안 다중 위험 계단식 실패의 가장 가능성 있는 순서는 다음과 같다고 결론을 내립니다. 조적 파괴로 이어지는 파도 충격력, 충전물 손실 및 연속적인 조수에 따른 구조물 파괴.

The February 2014 extratropical cyclonic storm chain, which impacted the English Channel (UK) and Dawlish in particular, caused significant damage to the main railway connecting the south-west region to the rest of the UK. The incident caused the line to be closed for two months, £50 million of damage and an estimated £1.2bn of economic loss. In this study, we collate eyewitness accounts, analyse sea level data and conduct numerical modelling in order to decipher the destructive forces of the storm. Our analysis reveals that the disaster management of the event was successful and efficient with immediate actions taken to save lives and property before and during the storm. Wave buoy analysis showed that a complex triple peak sea state with periods at 4–8, 8–12 and 20–25 s was present, while tide gauge records indicated that significant surge of up to 0.8 m and wave components of up to 1.5 m amplitude combined as likely contributing factors in the event. Significant impulsive wave force of up to 286 KN was the most likely initiating cause of the damage. Reflections off the vertical wall caused constructive interference of the wave amplitudes that led to increased wave height and significant overtopping of up to 16.1 m3/s/m (per metre width of wall). With this information and our engineering judgement, we conclude that the most probable sequence of multi-hazard cascading failure during this incident was: wave impact force leading to masonry failure, loss of infill and failure of the structure following successive tides.

Introduction

The progress of climate change and increasing sea levels has started to have wide ranging effects on critical engineering infrastructure (Shakou et al. 2019). The meteorological effects of increased atmospheric instability linked to warming seas mean we may be experiencing more frequent extreme storm events and more frequent series or chains of events, as well as an increase in the force of these events, a phenomenon called storminess (Mölter et al. 2016; Feser et al. 2014). Features of more extreme weather events in extratropical latitudes (30°–60°, north and south of the equator) include increased gusting winds, more frequent storm squalls, increased prolonged precipitation and rapid changes in atmospheric pressure and more frequent and significant storm surges (Dacre and Pinto 2020). A recent example of these events impacting the UK with simultaneous significant damage to coastal infrastructure was the extratropical cyclonic storm chain of winter 2013/2014 (Masselink et al. 2016; Adams and Heidarzadeh 2021). The cluster of storms had a profound effect on both coastal and inland infrastructure, bringing widespread flooding events and large insurance claims (RMS 2014).

The extreme storms of February 2014, which had a catastrophic effect on the seawall of the south Devon stretch of the UK’s south-west mainline, caused a two-month closure of the line and significant disruption to the local and regional economy (Fig. 1b) (Network Rail 2014; Dawson et al. 2016; Adams and Heidarzadeh 2021). Restoration costs were £35 m, and economic effects to the south-west region of England were estimated up to £1.2bn (Peninsula Rail Taskforce 2016). Adams and Heidarzadeh (2021) investigated the disparate cascading failure mechanisms which played a part in the failure of the railway through Dawlish and attempted to put these in the context of the historical records of infrastructure damage on the line. Subsequent severe storms in 2016 in the region have continued to cause damage and disruption to the line in the years since 2014 (Met Office 2016). Following the events of 2014, Network Rail Footnote1 who owns the network has undertaken a resilience study. As a result, it has proposed a £400 m refurbishment of the civil engineering assets that support the railway (Fig. 1) (Network Rail 2014). The new seawall structure (Fig. 1a,c), which is constructed of pre-cast concrete sections, encases the existing Brunel seawall (named after the project lead engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel) and has been improved with piled reinforced concrete foundations. It is now over 2 m taller to increase the available crest freeboard and incorporates wave return features to minimise wave overtopping. The project aims to increase both the resilience of the assets to extreme weather events as well as maintain or improve amenity value of the coastline for residents and visitors.

figure 1
Fig. 1

In this work, we return to the Brunel seawall and the damage it sustained during the 2014 storms which affected the assets on the evening of the 4th and daytime of the 5th of February and eventually resulted in a prolonged closure of the line. The motivation for this research is to analyse and model the damage made to the seawall and explain the damage mechanisms in order to improve the resilience of many similar coastal structures in the UK and worldwide. The innovation of this work is the multidisciplinary approach that we take comprising a combination of analysis of eyewitness accounts (social science), sea level and wave data analysis (physical science) as well as numerical modelling and engineering judgement (engineering sciences). We investigate the contemporary wave climate and sea levels by interrogating the real-time tide gauge and wave buoys installed along the south-west coast of the English Channel. We then model a typical masonry seawall (Fig. 2), applying the computational fluid dynamics package FLOW3D-Hydro,Footnote2 to quantify the magnitude of impact forces that the seawall would have experienced leading to its failure. We triangulate this information to determine the probable sequence of failures that led to the disaster in 2014.

figure 2
Fig. 2

Data and methods

Our data comprise eyewitness accounts, sea level records from coastal tide gauges and offshore wave buoys as well as structural details of the seawall. As for methodology, we analyse eyewitness data, process and investigate sea level records through Fourier transform and conduct numerical simulations using the Flow3D-Hydro package (Flow Science 2022). Details of the data and methodology are provided in the following.

Eyewitness data

The scale of damage to the seawall and its effects led the local community to document the first-hand accounts of those most closely affected by the storms including residents, local businesses, emergency responders, politicians and engineering contractors involved in the post-storm restoration work. These records now form a permanent exhibition in the local museum in DawlishFootnote3, and some of these accounts have been transcribed into a DVD account of the disaster (Dawlish Museum 2015). We have gathered data from the Dawlish Museum, national and international news reports, social media tweets and videos. Table 1 provides a summary of the eyewitness accounts. Overall, 26 entries have been collected around the time of the incident. Our analysis of the eyewitness data is provided in the third column of Table 1 and is expanded in Sect. 3.Table 1 Eyewitness accounts of damage to the Dawlish railway due to the February 2014 storm and our interpretations

Full size table

Sea level data and wave environment

Our sea level data are a collection of three tide gauge stations (Newlyn, Devonport and Swanage Pier—Fig. 5a) owned and operated by the UK National Tide and Sea Level FacilityFootnote4 for the Environment Agency and four offshore wave buoys (Dawlish, West Bay, Torbay and Chesil Beach—Fig. 6a). The tide gauge sites are all fitted with POL-EKO (www.pol-eko.com.pl) data loggers. Newlyn has a Munro float gauge with one full tide and one mid-tide pneumatic bubbler system. Devonport has a three-channel data pneumatic bubbler system, and Swanage Pier consists of a pneumatic gauge. Each has a sampling interval of 15 min, except for Swanage Pier which has a sampling interval of 10 min. The tide gauges are located within the port areas, whereas the offshore wave buoys are situated approximately 2—3.3 km from the coast at water depths of 10–15 m. The wave buoys are all Datawell Wavemaker Mk III unitsFootnote5 and come with sampling interval of 0.78 s. The buoys have a maximum saturation amplitude of 20.5 m for recording the incident waves which implies that every wave larger than this threshold will be recorded at 20.5 m. The data are provided by the British Oceanographic Data CentreFootnote6 for tide gauges and the Channel Coastal ObservatoryFootnote7 for wave buoys.

Sea level analysis

The sea level data underwent quality control to remove outliers and spikes as well as gaps in data (e.g. Heidarzadeh et al. 2022; Heidarzadeh and Satake 2015). We processed the time series of the sea level data using the Matlab signal processing tool (MathWorks 2018). For calculations of the tidal signals, we applied the tidal package TIDALFIT (Grinsted 2008), which is based on fitting tidal harmonics to the observed sea level data. To calculate the surge signals, we applied a 30-min moving average filter to the de-tided data in order to remove all wind, swell and infra-gravity waves from the time series. Based on the surge analysis and the variations of the surge component before the time period of the incident, an error margin of approximately ± 10 cm is identified for our surge analysis. Spectral analysis of the wave buoy data is performed using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) of Matlab package (Mathworks 2018).

Numerical modelling

Numerical modelling of wave-structure interaction is conducted using the computational fluid dynamics package Flow3D-Hydro version 1.1 (Flow Science 2022). Flow3D-Hydro solves the transient Navier–Stokes equations of conservation of mass and momentum using a finite difference method and on Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks (Flow Science 2022). The aforementioned governing equations are:

∇.u=0∇.u=0

(1)

∂u∂t+u.∇u=−∇Pρ+υ∇2u+g∂u∂t+u.∇u=−∇Pρ+υ∇2u+g

(2)

where uu is the velocity vector, PP is the pressure, ρρ is the water density, υυ is the kinematic viscosity and gg is the gravitational acceleration. A Fractional Area/Volume Obstacle Representation (FAVOR) is adapted in Flow3D-Hydro, which applies solid boundaries within the Eulerian grid and calculates the fraction of areas and volume in partially blocked volume in order to compute flows on corresponding boundaries (Hirt and Nichols 1981). We validated the numerical modelling through comparing the results with Sainflou’s analytical equation for the design of vertical seawalls (Sainflou 1928; Ackhurst 2020), which is as follows:

pd=ρgHcoshk(d+z)coshkdcosσtpd=ρgHcoshk(d+z)coshkdcosσt

(3)

where pdpd is the hydrodynamic pressure, ρρ is the water density, gg is the gravitational acceleration, HH is the wave height, dd is the water depth, kk is the wavenumber, zz is the difference in still water level and mean water level, σσ is the angular frequency and tt is the time. The Sainflou’s equation (Eq. 3) is used to calculate the dynamic pressure from wave action, which is combined with static pressure on the seawall.

Using Flow3D-Hydro, a model of the Dawlish seawall was made with a computational domain which is 250.0 m in length, 15.0 m in height and 0.375 m in width (Fig. 3a). The computational domain was discretised using a single uniform grid with a mesh size of 0.125 m. The model has a wave boundary at the left side of the domain (x-min), an outflow boundary on the right side (x-max), a symmetry boundary at the bottom (z-min) and a wall boundary at the top (z-max). A wall boundary implies that water or waves are unable to pass through the boundary, whereas a symmetry boundary means that the two edges of the boundary are identical and therefore there is no flow through it. The water is considered incompressible in our model. For volume of fluid advection for the wave boundary (i.e. the left-side boundary) in our simulations, we utilised the “Split Lagrangian Method”, which guarantees the best accuracy (Flow Science, 2022).

figure 3
Fig. 3

The stability of the numerical scheme is controlled and maintained through checking the Courant number (CC) as given in the following:

C=VΔtΔxC=VΔtΔx

(4)

where VV is the velocity of the flow, ΔtΔt is the time step and ΔxΔx is the spatial step (i.e. grid size). For stability and convergence of the numerical simulations, the Courant number must be sufficiently below one (Courant et al. 1928). This is maintained by a careful adjustment of the ΔxΔx and ΔtΔt selections. Flow3D-Hydro applies a dynamic Courant number, meaning the program adjusts the value of time step (ΔtΔt) during the simulations to achieve a balance between accuracy of results and speed of simulation. In our simulation, the time step was in the range ΔtΔt = 0.0051—0.051 s.

In order to achieve the most efficient mesh resolution, we varied cell size for five values of ΔxΔx = 0.1 m, 0.125 m, 0.15 m, 0.175 m and 0.20 m. Simulations were performed for all mesh sizes, and the results were compared in terms of convergence, stability and speed of simulation (Fig. 3). A linear wave with an amplitude of 1.5 m and a period of 6 s was used for these optimisation simulations. We considered wave time histories at two gauges A and B and recorded the waves from simulations using different mesh sizes (Fig. 3). Although the results are close (Fig. 3), some limited deviations are observed for larger mesh sizes of 0.20 m and 0.175 m. We therefore selected mesh size of 0.125 m as the optimum, giving an extra safety margin as a conservative solution.

The pressure from the incident waves on the vertical wall is validated in our model by comparing them with the analytical equation of Sainflou (1928), Eq. (3), which is one of the most common set of equations for design of coastal structures (Fig. 4). The model was tested by running a linear wave of period 6 s and wave amplitude of 1.5 m against the wall, with a still water level of 4.5 m. It can be seen that the model results are very close to those from analytical equations of Sainflou (1928), indicating that our numerical model is accurately modelling the wave-structure interaction (Fig. 4).

figure 4
Fig. 4

Eyewitness account analysis

Contemporary reporting of the 4th and 5th February 2014 storms by the main national news outlets in the UK highlights the extreme nature of the events and the significant damage and disruption they were likely to have on the communities of the south-west of England. In interviews, this was reinforced by Network Rail engineers who, even at this early stage, were forecasting remedial engineering works to last for at least 6 weeks. One week later, following subsequent storms the cascading nature of the events was obvious. Multiple breaches of the seawall had taken place with up to 35 separate landslide events and significant damage to parapet walls along the coastal route also were reported. Residents of the area reported extreme effects of the storm, one likening it to an earthquake and reporting water ingress through doors windows and even through vertical chimneys (Table 1). This suggests extreme wave overtopping volumes and large wave impact forces. One resident described the structural effects as: “the house was jumping up and down on its footings”.

Disaster management plans were quickly and effectively put into action by the local council, police service and National Rail. A major incident was declared, and decisions regarding evacuation of the residents under threat were taken around 2100 h on the night of 4th February when reports of initial damage to the seawall were received (Table 1). Local hotels were asked to provide short-term refuge to residents while local leisure facilities were prepared to accept residents later that evening. Initial repair work to the railway line was hampered by successive high spring tides and storms in the following days although significant progress was still made when weather conditions permitted (Table 1).

Sea level observations and spectral analysis

The results of surge and wave analyses are presented in Figs. 5 and 6. A surge height of up to 0.8 m was recorded in the examined tide gauge stations (Fig. 5b-d). Two main episodes of high surge heights are identified: the first surge started on 3rd February 2014 at 03:00 (UTC) and lasted until 4th of February 2014 at 00:00; the second event occurred in the period 4th February 2014 15:00 to 5th February 2014 at 17:00 (Fig. 5b-d). These data imply surge durations of 21 h and 26 h for the first and the second events, respectively. Based on the surge data in Fig. 5, we note that the storm event of early February 2014 and the associated surges was a relatively powerful one, which impacted at least 230 km of the south coast of England, from Land’s End to Weymouth, with large surge heights.

figure 5
Fig. 5
figure 6
Fig. 6

Based on wave buoy records, the maximum recorded amplitudes are at least 20.5 m in Dawlish and West Bay, 1.9 m in Tor Bay and 4.9 m in Chesil (Fig. 6a-b). The buoys at Tor Bay and Chesil recorded dual peak period bands of 4–8 and 8–12 s, whereas at Dawlish and West Bay registered triple peak period bands at 4–8, 8–12 and 20–25 s (Fig. 6c, d). It is important to note that the long-period waves at 20–25 s occur with short durations (approximately 2 min) while the waves at the other two bands of 4–8 and 8–12 s appear to be present at all times during the storm event.

The wave component at the period band of 4–8 s can be most likely attributed to normal coastal waves while the one at 8–12 s, which is longer, is most likely the swell component of the storm. Regarding the third component of the waves with long period of 20 -25 s, which occurs with short durations of 2 min, there are two hypotheses; it is either the result of a local (port and harbour) and regional (the Lyme Bay) oscillations (eg. Rabinovich 1997; Heidarzadeh and Satake 2014; Wang et al. 1992), or due to an abnormally long swell. To test the first hypothesis, we consider various water bodies such as Lyme Bay (approximate dimensions of 70 km × 20 km with an average water depth of 30 m; Fig. 6), several local bays (approximate dimensions of 3.6 km × 0.6 km with an average water depth of 6 m) and harbours (approximate dimensions of 0.5 km × 0.5 km with an average water depth of 4 m). Their water depths are based on the online Marine navigation website.Footnote8 According to Rabinovich (2010), the oscillation modes of a semi-enclosed rectangle basin are given by the following equation:

Tmn=2gd−−√[(m2L)2+(nW)2]−1/2Tmn=2gd[(m2L)2+(nW)2]−1/2

(5)

where TmnTmn is the oscillation period, gg is the gravitational acceleration, dd is the water depth, LL is the length of the basin, WW is the width of the basin, m=1,2,3,…m=1,2,3,… and n=0,1,2,3,…n=0,1,2,3,…; mm and nn are the counters of the different modes. Applying Eq. (5) to the aforementioned water bodies results in oscillation modes of at least 5 min, which is far longer than the observed period of 20–25 s. Therefore, we rule out the first hypothesis and infer that the long period of 20–25 s is most likely a long swell wave coming from distant sources. As discussed by Rabinovich (1997) and Wang et al. (2022), comparison between sea level spectra before and after the incident is a useful method to distinguish the spectrum of the weather event. A visual inspection of Fig. 6 reveals that the forcing at the period band of 20–25 s is non-existent before the incident.

Numerical simulations of wave loading and overtopping

Based on the results of sea level data analyses in the previous section (Fig. 6), we use a dual peak wave spectrum with peak periods of 10.0 s and 25.0 s for numerical simulations because such a wave would be comprised of the most energetic signals of the storm. For variations of water depth (2.0–4.0 m), coastal wave amplitude (0.5–1.5 m) (Fig. 7) and storm surge height (0.5–0.8 m) (Fig. 5), we developed 20 scenarios (Scn) which we used in numerical simulations (Table 2). Data during the incident indicated that water depth was up to the crest level of the seawall (approximately 4 m water depth); therefore, we varied water depth from 2 to 4 m in our simulation scenarios. Regarding wave amplitudes, we referred to the variations at a nearby tide gauge station (West Bay) which showed wave amplitude up to 1.2 m (Fig. 7). Therefore, wave amplitude was varied from 0.5 m to 1.5 m by considering a factor a safety of 25% for the maximum wave amplitude. As for the storm surge component, time series of storm surges calculated at three coastal stations adjacent to Dawlish showed that it was in the range of 0.5 m to 0.8 m (Fig. 5). These 20 scenarios would help to study uncertainties associated with wave amplitudes and pressures. Figure 8 shows snapshots of wave propagation and impacts on the seawall at different times.

figure 7
Fig. 7

Table 2 The 20 scenarios considered for numerical simulations in this study

Full size table

figure 8
Fig. 8

Results of wave amplitude simulations

Large wave amplitudes can induce significant wave forcing on the structure and cause overtopping of the seawall, which could eventually cascade to other hazards such as erosion of the backfill and scour (Adams and Heidarzadeh, 2021). The first 10 scenarios of our modelling efforts are for the same incident wave amplitudes of 0.5 m, which occur at different water depths (2.0–4.0 m) and storm surge heights (0.5–0.8 m) (Table 2 and Fig. 9). This is because we aim at studying the impacts of effective water depth (deff—the sum of mean sea level and surge height) on the time histories of wave amplitudes as the storm evolves. As seen in Fig. 9a, by decreasing effective water depth, wave amplitude increases. For example, for Scn-1 with effective depth of 4.5 m, the maximum amplitude of the first wave is 1.6 m, whereas it is 2.9 m for Scn-2 with effective depth of 3.5 m. However, due to intensive reflections and interferences of the waves in front of the vertical seawall, such a relationship is barely seen for the second and the third wave peaks. It is important to note that the later peaks (second or third) produce the largest waves rather than the first wave. Extraordinary wave amplifications are seen for the Scn-2 (deff = 3.5 m) and Scn-7 (deff = 3.3 m), where the corresponding wave amplitudes are 4.5 m and 3.7 m, respectively. This may indicate that the effective water depth of deff = 3.3–3.5 m is possibly a critical water depth for this structure resulting in maximum wave amplitudes under similar storms. In the second wave impact, the combined wave height (i.e. the wave amplitude plus the effective water depth), which is ultimately an indicator of wave overtopping, shows that the largest wave heights are generated by Scn-2, 7 and 8 (Fig. 9a) with effective water depths of 3.5 m, 3.3 m and 3.8 m and combined heights of 8.0 m, 7.0 m and 6.9 m (Fig. 9b). Since the height of seawall is 5.4 m, the combined wave heights for Scn-2, 7 and 8 are greater than the crest height of the seawall by 2.6 m, 1.6 m and 1.5 m, respectively, which indicates wave overtopping.

figure 9
Fig. 9

For scenarios 11–20 (Fig. 10), with incident wave amplitudes of 1.5 m (Table 2), the largest wave amplitudes are produced by Scn-17 (deff = 3.3 m), Scn-13 (deff = 2.5 m) and Scn-12 (deff = 3.5 m), which are 5.6 m, 5.1 m and 4.5 m. The maximum combined wave heights belong to Scn-11 (deff = 4.5 m) and Scn-17 (deff = 3.3 m), with combined wave heights of 9.0 m and 8.9 m (Fig. 10b), which are greater than the crest height of the seawall by 4.6 m and 3.5 m, respectively.

figure 10
Fig. 10

Our simulations for all 20 scenarios reveal that the first wave is not always the largest and wave interactions, reflections and interferences play major roles in amplifying the waves in front of the seawall. This is primarily because the wall is fully vertical and therefore has a reflection coefficient of close to one (i.e. full reflection). Simulations show that the combined wave height is up to 4.6 m higher than the crest height of the wall, implying that severe overtopping would be expected.

Results of wave loading calculations

The pressure calculations for scenarios 1–10 are given in Fig. 11 and those of scenarios 11–20 in Fig. 12. The total pressure distribution in Figs. 1112 mostly follows a triangular shape with maximum pressure at the seafloor as expected from the Sainflou (1928) design equations. These pressure plots comprise both static (due to mean sea level in front of the wall) and dynamic (combined effects of surge and wave) pressures. For incident wave amplitudes of 0.5 m (Fig. 11), the maximum wave pressure varies in the range of 35–63 kPa. At the sea surface, it is in the range of 4–20 kPa (Fig. 11). For some scenarios (Scn-2 and 7), the pressure distribution deviates from a triangular shape and shows larger pressures at the top, which is attributed to the wave impacts and partial breaking at the sea surface. This adds an additional triangle-shaped pressure distribution at the sea surface elevation consistent with the design procedure developed by Goda (2000) for braking waves. The maximum force on the seawall due to scenarios 1–10, which is calculated by integrating the maximum pressure distribution over the wave-facing surface of the seawall, is in the range of 92–190 KN (Table 2).

figure 11
Fig. 11
figure 12
Fig. 12

For scenarios 11–20, with incident wave amplitude of 1.5 m, wave pressures of 45–78 kPa and 7–120 kPa, for  the bottom and top of the wall, respectively, were observed (Fig. 12). Most of the plots show a triangular pressure distribution, except for Scn-11 and 15. A significant increase in wave impact pressure is seen for Scn-15 at the top of the structure, where a maximum pressure of approximately 120 kPa is produced while other scenarios give a pressure of 7–32 kPa for the sea surface. In other words, the pressure from Scn-15 is approximately four times larger than the other scenarios. Such a significant increase of the pressure at the top is most likely attributed to the breaking wave impact loads as detailed by Goda (2000) and Cuomo et al. (2010). The wave simulation snapshots in Fig. 8 show that the wave breaks before reaching the wall. The maximum force due to scenarios 11–20 is 120–286 KN.

The breaking wave impacts peaking at 286 KN in our simulations suggest destabilisation of the upper masonry blocks, probably by grout malfunction. This significant impact force initiated the failure of the seawall which in turn caused extensive ballast erosion. Wave impact damage was proposed by Adams and Heidarzadeh (2021) as one of the primary mechanisms in the 2014 Dawlish disaster. In the multi-hazard risk model proposed by these authors, damage mechanism III (failure pathway 5 in Adams and Heidarzadeh, 2021) was characterised by wave impact force causing damage to the masonry elements, leading to failure of the upper sections of the seawall and loss of infill material. As blocks were removed, access to the track bed was increased for inbound waves allowing infill material from behind the seawall to be fluidised and subsequently removed by backwash. The loss of infill material critically compromised the stability of the seawall and directly led to structural failure. In parallel, significant wave overtopping (discussed in the next section) led to ballast washout and cascaded, in combination with masonry damage, to catastrophic failure of the wall and suspension of the rails in mid-air (Fig. 1b), leaving the railway inoperable for two months.

Wave Overtopping

The two most important factors contributing to the 2014 Dawlish railway catastrophe were wave impact forces and overtopping. Figure 13 gives the instantaneous overtopping rates for different scenarios, which experienced overtopping. It can be seen that the overtopping rates range from 0.5 m3/s/m to 16.1 m3/s/m (Fig. 13). Time histories of the wave overtopping rates show that the phenomenon occurs intermittently, and each time lasts 1.0–7.0 s. It is clear that the longer the overtopping time, the larger the volume of the water poured on the structure. The largest wave overtopping rates of 16.1 m3/s/m and 14.4 m3/s/m belong to Scn-20 and 11, respectively. These are the two scenarios that also give the largest combined wave heights (Fig. 10b).

figure 13
Fig. 13

The cumulative overtopping curves (Figs. 1415) show the total water volume overtopped the structure during the entire simulation time. This is an important hazard factor as it determines the level of soil saturation, water pore pressure in the soil and soil erosion (Van der Meer et al. 2018). The maximum volume belongs to Scn-20, which is 65.0 m3/m (m-cubed of water per metre length of the wall). The overtopping volumes are 42.7 m3/m for Scn-11 and 28.8 m3/m for Scn-19. The overtopping volume is in the range of 0.7–65.0 m3/m for all scenarios.

figure 14
Fig. 14
figure 15
Fig. 15

For comparison, we compare our modelling results with those estimated using empirical equations. For the case of the Dawlish seawall, we apply the equation proposed by Van Der Meer et al. (2018) to estimate wave overtopping rates, based on a set of decision criteria which are the influence of foreshore, vertical wall, possible breaking waves and low freeboard:

qgH3m−−−−√=0.0155(Hmhs)12e(−2.2RcHm)qgHm3=0.0155(Hmhs)12e(−2.2RcHm)

(6)

where qq is the mean overtopping rate per metre length of the seawall (m3/s/m), gg is the acceleration due to gravity, HmHm is the incident wave height at the toe of the structure, RcRc is the wall crest height above mean sea level, hshs is the deep-water significant wave height and e(x)e(x) is the exponential function. It is noted that Eq. (6) is valid for 0.1<RcHm<1.350.1<RcHm<1.35. For the case of the Dawlish seawall and considering the scenarios with larger incident wave amplitude of 1.5 m (hshs= 1.5 m), the incident wave height at the toe of the structure is HmHm = 2.2—5.6 m, and the wall crest height above mean sea level is RcRc = 0.6–2.9 m. As a result, Eq. (6) gives mean overtopping rates up to approximately 2.9 m3/s/m. A visual inspection of simulated overtopping rates in Fig. 13 for Scn 11–20 shows that the mean value of the simulated overtopping rates (Fig. 13) is close to estimates using Eq. (6).

Discussion and conclusions

We applied a combination of eyewitness account analysis, sea level data analysis and numerical modelling in combination with our engineering judgement to explain the damage to the Dawlish railway seawall in February 2014. Main findings are:

  • Eyewitness data analysis showed that the extreme nature of the event was well forecasted in the hours prior to the storm impact; however, the magnitude of the risks to the structures was not well understood. Multiple hazards were activated simultaneously, and the effects cascaded to amplify the damage. Disaster management was effective, exemplified by the establishment of an emergency rendezvous point and temporary evacuation centre during the storm, indicating a high level of hazard awareness and preparedness.
  • Based on sea level data analysis, we identified triple peak period bands at 4–8, 8–12 and 20–25 s in the sea level data. Storm surge heights and wave oscillations were up to 0.8 m and 1.5 m, respectively.
  • Based on the numerical simulations of 20 scenarios with different water depths, incident wave amplitudes, surge heights and peak periods, we found that the wave oscillations at the foot of the seawall result in multiple wave interactions and interferences. Consequently, large wave amplitudes, up to 4.6 m higher than the height of the seawall, were generated and overtopped the wall. Extreme impulsive wave impact forces of up to 286 KN were generated by the waves interacting with the seawall.
  • We measured maximum wave overtopping rates of 0.5–16.1 m3/s/m for our scenarios. The cumulative overtopping water volumes per metre length of the wall were 0.7–65.0 m3/m.
  • Analysis of all the evidence combined with our engineering judgement suggests that the most likely initiating cause of the failure was impulsive wave impact forces destabilising one or more grouted joints between adjacent masonry blocks in the wall. Maximum observed pressures of 286 KN in our simulations are four times greater in magnitude than background pressures leading to block removal and initiating failure. Therefore, the sequence of cascading events was :1) impulsive wave impact force causing damage to masonry, 2) failure of the upper sections of the seawall, 3) loss of infill resulting in a reduction of structural strength in the landward direction, 4) ballast washout as wave overtopping and inbound wave activity increased and 5) progressive structural failure following successive tides.

From a risk mitigation point of view, the stability of the seawall in the face of future energetic cyclonic storm events and sea level rise will become a critical factor in protecting the rail network. Mitigation efforts will involve significant infrastructure investment to strengthen the civil engineering assets combined with improved hazard warning systems consisting of meteorological forecasting and real-time wave observations and instrumentation. These efforts must take into account the amenity value of coastal railway infrastructure to local communities and the significant number of tourists who visit every year. In this regard, public awareness and active engagement in the planning and execution of the project will be crucial in order to secure local stakeholder support for the significant infrastructure project that will be required for future resilience.

Notes

  1. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/..
  2. https://www.flow3d.com/products/flow-3d-hydro/.
  3. https://www.devonmuseums.net/Dawlish-Museum/Devon-Museums/.
  4. https://ntslf.org/.
  5. https://www.datawell.nl/Products/Buoys/DirectionalWaveriderMkIII.aspx.
  6. https://www.bodc.ac.uk/.
  7. https://coastalmonitoring.org/cco/.
  8. https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@8&key=iactHlwfP.

References

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Brunel University London for administering the scholarship awarded to KA. The Flow3D-Hydro used in this research for numerical modelling is licenced to Brunel University London through an academic programme contract. We sincerely thank Prof Harsh Gupta (Editor-in-Chief) and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive review comments.

Funding

This project was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through a PhD scholarship to Keith Adams.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UKKeith Adams
  2. Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UKMohammad Heidarzadeh

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Correspondence to Keith Adams.

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Adams, K., Heidarzadeh, M. Extratropical cyclone damage to the seawall in Dawlish, UK: eyewitness accounts, sea level analysis and numerical modelling. Nat Hazards (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05692-2

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  • Received17 May 2022
  • Accepted17 October 2022
  • Published14 November 2022
  • DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05692-2

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Keywords

  • Storm surge
  • Cyclone
  • Railway
  • Climate change
  • Infrastructure
  • Resilience
FLOW-3D skimming upstream view

계단식 여수로의 흐름 시뮬레이션

FLOW-3D 는 매끄러운 여수로에서 유량 매개 변수를 결정하는데 널리 사용됩니다. 일반적으로 여수로에서 에너지 손실을 찾는 것이 목적인데, 이는 stilling basins 및 other energy dissipaters 를 설계하는 데 사용됩니다.

계단식 여수로에서 에너지 손실을 계산하기 위해 FLOW-3D 를 사용하는 것에 대한 관심이 증가하고 있습니다. 계단식 여수로 모델링 프로세스는 다음 지침에 따라 도움이 될 수 있습니다.

igure 1. Typical geometric representation of a smooth and a stepped spillway.
igure 1. Typical geometric representation of a smooth and a stepped spillway.

소개

계단식 여수로의 흐름은 네 가지 일반 범주로 나뉩니다. 낮잠 흐름, 과도 흐름, 비 공기 스키밍 흐름 및 폭기 스키밍 흐름. 다음 팁은 경사면에서 최대 45도까지 환기되지 않는 계단식 여수로의 Nappe 흐름, 과도기 흐름 및 비 통기성 skimming flow Model에서 개발되었습니다. 추가 비 통기성 skimming 결과는 Bombardelli et al 에서 찾을 수 있습니다. (2010, FloSci-Bib33-10)  및 Meireles et al (2010, FloSci-Bib61-10), 폭기 스키밍 흐름 모델 결과는  Sarfaraz 및 Attari (2011, FloSci-Bib34-11)에서 확인할 수 있습니다.

FLOW-3D skimming upstream view
FLOW-3D skimming upstream view
FLOW-3D skimming downstream view
FLOW-3D skimming downstream view

2 차원으로 시작하고 VOF 방법 선택

지오메트리 또는 흐름에 3D 불일치가없는 한(일반적으로 사실임) 여수로 시뮬레이션을 먼저 2D 사례로 실행합니다. 에너지 손실에 대한 결과는 2D에서 3D로 크게 변하지 않습니다. 이것은 메쉬 크기를 상당히 절약하고 훨씬 더 빠른 시뮬레이션 실행을 가능하게 합니다. 

스키밍 및 전환 흐름의 경우 기본 VOF (Volume-of-Fluid-Advection) 방법이 적절해 보입니다 (IFVOF = 4). Nappe 흐름의 경우 분할 Lagrangian VOF 방법 (IFVOF = 6)을 사용하여 제트 곡률을 해결하는 것이 좋습니다. 흐름 체제가 미리 알려지지 않은 경우 Split Lagrangian 방법을 사용합니다.

메시 해상도

계단식 여수로 Weir 흐름은 상류 속도와 여수로의 형상에 따라 다른 영역을 나타냅니다. 이러한 서로 다른 정권을 스키밍, 과도기 및 Nappe 흐름이라고합니다. 흐름 영역을 정확하게 예측하려면 메쉬 셀이 흐름 매개 변수를 캡처할 수 있을만큼 충분히 작은지 확인해야 합니다. 

스키밍 및 과도적 흐름의 경우 상대적으로 낮은 해상도가 허용될 수 있습니다. 계단의 가장 짧은 길이 / 높이를 분석하기 위한 4 ~ 5 개의 셀이 여러 테스트를 기반으로 충분 해 보이지만 여수로 경사가 45도 이상 더 클 때 메시가 상당히 미세해야 합니다. 에너지 손실 계산을 크게 향상시키는 추가 해상도는 발견되지 않았습니다. 반면에 Nappe 흐름은 떨어지는 제트를 해결하기 위해 매우 미세한 메쉬가 필요합니다.

Design of a Sewer Transition

Design of a Sewer Transition | 하수도 전환 설계

This article was contributed by Daniel Valero, Rafael García-Bartual, Ignacio Andrés and Francisco Valles of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

2010 년 12 월, 새로운 고속 열차 MADRID-VALENCIA (스페인)가 개통되었습니다. 건설 전에 극복해야 할 많은 기술적 문제 중 하나는 터널로 구성된 도심의 철도 입구로 발렌시아의 주요 남쪽 하수도를 벗어나게 했습니다. 이탈 도달 범위는 길이가 143 미터이며 아래에 자세히 설명된 복잡한 유압 설계를 포함하여 기존 경사와 관련하여 경사 및 단면의 중요한 변경을 포함합니다. 유압 성능은 FLOW-3D를 사용한 수치 시뮬레이션과   발렌시아 폴리 테크닉 대학교의 유압 실험실에서 물리적 모델을 통해 확인되었습니다. 최대 용량 100 m 3 / s에 대한 테스트가 수행되었습니다 .

The Sewer                          

그림 1은 하수도 기하학 설계의 주요 특징을 보여줍니다. 여기에는 철도 터널을 건넌 직후에 위치한 표준 WES 프로파일이 포함됩니다. 이 위어는 높은 유속으로 초 임계 흐름을 강제합니다. 하류에서 바람직하지 않은 흐름 조건이 설정되는 것을 방지하기 위해 둑 바로 하류에 정류 조를 설계했습니다. 이러한 장치는 연결 하류 하수도에서 높은 에너지 손실 및 임계 이하의 흐름 조건을 수반하는 유압 점프를 강제합니다. 서로 다른 배출 조건에서 흐름의 거동을 보장하기 위해 채널에 두 개의 세로 줄의 삼각형 블록이 포함되었으며, 이는 정수 조 길이에서 유압 점프를 국지화하기 위해 에너지 소산 기 역할을했습니다. 그 계단의 길이에서 수압 점프. 새로운 변형 채널과 기존 도달 지점(upstream and downstream)사이는 기하학적 요소로 부드럽게 연결합니다.(그림 2).

Figure 1. Geometry of the sewer

Figure 2. Reach 2 of the sewer

FLOW-3D Simulations

문제의 정확한 해결을 위해 계산 리소스를 최적화하기 위해 하수도를 여러 개의 중첩 된 범위로 분할하여 수력 솔루션의 연속성을 보장하고 고려 된 각 도달 범위에서 더 미세한 메시를 사용할 수 있습니다. 가장 복잡한 흐름이 정수 조에서 발생하기 때문에 이러한 도달 범위는 윤곽선과 바닥 블록에서 중앙 흐름 영역까지 점진적으로 다양한 셀 크기로 가장 높은 해상도 (6.000.000 셀)로 해결되었습니다. 유압 점프 시뮬레이션에 대한 비디오는 이 기사의 끝에 있습니다.

Figure 3. Velocity magnitude distribution

Figure 4. Turbulent kinetic energy distribution.

Figure 5. Air entrained prediction with turbulent air entrainment model

ke RNG 난류 모델이 선택되었으며, 이류에 대한 명시적인 2 차 단 조성 보존 체계가 있습니다. 자유 표면 표현에는 Split Lagrangian 방법이 사용되었습니다. 정상 상태 솔루션 이전의 과도 흐름은 더 거친 메쉬로 시뮬레이션되었습니다. 그림 3과 4는 수치 시뮬레이션의 관련 결과를 보여줍니다. 또한 수력 점프의 수치 시뮬레이션을 보여주는 비디오 가이드 기술 노트에 첨부되어 있습니다.

유압 점프에서 발생하는 공기 혼입, 특히 난류와 자유 표면 간의 상호 작용을 설명하기 위해 추가 시뮬레이션이 수행되었습니다. 그림 5는 가변 밀도 옵션을 선택하고 기본 계수 C air  = 0.5를 사용하는 FLOW-3D 의 공기 혼입 모델을 사용한 결과를 보여줍니다.

Comparison with the Physical Model

발렌시아 Polytechnic University의 수압 실험실에 실물 모형을 구축하였습니다. 모형에 사용된 척도는 1/20이었습니다. 그림 6은 weir 상단 바로 위에 있는 임계 단면의 프로파일을 보여 줍니다. 발견된 평균 깊이의 오차는 1.3% 였습니다. 유동의 다른 구조적 특성은 FLOW-3D에 의해 적절하게 재현되었다. 예를 들어, 예를 들어, 하수도가 만곡된 범위에 따른 자유 표면의 형상과 Weir의 상류로의 흐르는 자유 표면의 현상입니다.

Figure 6. Relative error at the critical section. Comparison between FLOW-3D, physical model, and HEC-RAS (US Army Corps of Engineers).

Conclusions

실험실 결과와 FLOW-3D시뮬레이션 간의 약간의 차이가 확인되지만 연구 결과는 매우 만족스럽습니다. 아래 동영상을 통해 실험 및 수치해석 결과를 비교해 보시길 바랍니다.

FLOW-3D는 가능한 많은 형상 또는 유압 설계를 테스트할 때 실험실의 실험 횟수를 줄일 수 있습니다. 또한 FLOW-3D의 파일이 속도, 와도, 난류 등과 같은 관련 분야의 상세한 시공간 분포를 제공하므로 최종 설계와 관련하여 실험실에서 수행 된 결과와 측정을 확장하는 데 도움이 될 수 있습니다. 결합된 기술은 연구에서 언급한 것과 같은 유압 기반시설의 설계, 검증 및 최적화를 위한 강력한 도구입니다.