Based on the flume experiments with different river discharge,embankment materials and cross section sizes, overtopping erosion process of non-cohesive embankment was investigated.The flume experiments mainly focused on the horizontal expansion and vertical degradation of the breach as well as water level variation of both the inner river and the outer river.Considering the difficulty of monitoring the variation process of discharge through the breach,1-D unsteady flow numerical model was applied to simulate the discharge process based on the flume experiments data. The results showed that the evolution of the breach discharge lags behind that of the water level above the breach,and that the breach width and the water level above the burst gate are the most important factors affecting the discharge through breach.The discharge variation process through the breach gate is consistent with the flow rule of side weir.The investigation results can provide scientific basis for disaster prevention and evaluation of embankment burst.
