Image analysis techniques to characterize scaled embankment failures

Abstract

The present work consists in the application of images analysis tech-niques to characterize the failure by overtopping of a scaled embankment dam that was experimentally tested in a medium-scale facility located at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering. These techniques were used to describe the failed dam in several time instants with a 3D reconstruction of the dam body based on depth images and to characterize the surface velocities of the flow near the breach based on the application of PTV algorithm. The characterization of the 3D reconstruction of the failed dam and surface velocity maps in the breach vicinity were based on the post processing analysis of HD digital images and depth images, strategically acquired around the dam. This work assesses the use-fulness of image analysis techniques for the applications herein presented.