Three-Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Debris Flow for Hydrodynamic Analysis of Various Openings in Slit Check Dams

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.

10.22044/jhwe.2025.16556.1074

Abstract

Debris flows are among the destructive natural phenomena in mountainous regions, and effective design of control structures for their management requires accurate analysis of the hydrodynamic behavior of the flow. In this study, using the OpenFOAM environment, debris flow is numerically simulated with the Eulerian–Eulerian multiphase model to investigate the effect of opening dimensions on the performance of slit check dams.Three different geometries with openings of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 times the flume width, along with a reference scenario without a check dam, were evaluated. The developed numerical model was validated against reliable experimental data and demonstrated appropriate accuracy in reproducing characteristics such as front arrival time, peak amplitude, and local flow fluctuations. The findings indicate that the opening width plays a decisive role in controlling the hydrodynamic behavior of the flow. The 0.5-flume-width opening offered the best balance between controlled passage, reduced fluctuations, and hydraulic flow stability, and is introduced as the optimal option. Although the 0.25-flume-width opening resulted in the greatest delay in peak detection at downstream sensors, it was accompanied by unstable behavior and severe fluctuations. Moreover, the 0.75-flume-width opening performed similarly to the no-dam scenario and showed limited effectiveness in restraining flow transfer. The results of this study can serve as engineering guidelines for the effective design of check dams to control debris flows in high-risk areas.

Keywords

Journal of Hydraulic and Water Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 17 December 2025

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