Flash flood flow experiment in a simplified urban district

This paper describes the experiments carried out on the flooding of an urban district model for the purposes of mathematical model testing and validation. A model urban district made up of concrete blocks has been placed in an instrumented physical model of a short reach of the Alpine Toce River to simulate the flooding of a populated area. Water depth history at certain locations has been recorded for several configurations of the model city, the surrounding terrain and the intensity of the flooding conditions. The urban district appears to the flood as an obstruction leading to the formation of a strong hydraulic jump in front of the buildings. When the flood wave enters the city a complex flow pattern is established made up of oblique waves and reflections. The measurements can be readily used for validation of mathematical models of flood propagation in urban areas.