Estimating the probability of levee failure for flood risk mapping : An application to Paglia River

Abstract: Climate change results to more extreme and frequent flood events that induce extra risk to flood protection structures such as levees. Thus, estimation of the probability of levee failure is of utmost importance when it comes to structural safety and flood risk assessment. This master thesis focuses on the estimation of the probability of levee failure owing to backward erosion at the foundation of the levee. For the estimation of the probability of failure three breach models of different complexity were developed and site-specified data were used from the Paglia river area and an assessment of the results followed. Besides the breach models, a 2-D hydraulic model was also built where breach scenarios were used to assess the associated flood risk. The results showed that the complexity of the breach model plays significant role to the estimated probability of failure. The simplest model estimated the lowest probability, while the complex the highest. Consequently, the associated to the complex model flood risk was higher than the other two.