Physical and Numerical Comparison of Flow over Ogee Spillway in the Presence of Tailwater

Data obtained from two physical models were compared to the results obtained from numerical model investigations of two ogee-crested spillways. In 2001, Savage and Johnson investigated ogee-crested spillways without the effect of tailwater; the present study includes the influence of tailwater on the spillway. The comparison showed that numerical modeling can accurately predict the rate of flow over the spillway and the pressure distribution on the spillway. The results of this study provide users of numerical models performance information that can be used to aid them in determining which tool to use to effectively analyze dams and their associated spillways.