Role of boundary conditions on dam-break flow across an obstacle and controlling damage of structures
We studied dam-break flow in the smoothed particle hydrodynamics framework using periodic boundary condition (PBC) instead of usually employed rigid wall boundary condition (WBC) and assessed the effects of impact of the flow on the downstream structure due to the presence of an obstacle in front of it. The results show that higher dam heights lead to larger pressure on the wall. The WBC yields higher peak pressures compared PBC. A larger hydraulic diameter of the pillar is found to be more efficient in reducing the flow's impact. A pillar located closer to the wall reduces the effect of dam-break flow and minimises structural damage. The square-shaped pillars are found to be the most effective in reducing pressure on the wall among the considered pillar shapes. These findings will help to mitigate the damage of a structure due to dam-break flow/high-tide and improve the safety of the structures downstream. These findings have direct implications for the design and management of structures in areas prone to dam-break flows.