HEC recently published a new training document called “Using HEC-RAS for Dam Break Studies”.  Written by Gary Brunner, P.E., D.WRE, it is an easy to follow guide for performing Dam Break simulations in HEC-RAS.

It covers topics like:

• Which routing technique to use to route flows through your reservoir (Dynamic or Level Pool-although I wish they had included my method and Kopsky’s method),
• Estimating dam breach characteristics, including some of the newer erosion process models,
• Downstream flood routing/Modeling issues.  For those of you who have or have had troubles with stability while trying to route a dam breach hydrograph, this last section will be very helpful.

The document also covers dam break modeling using the new 2D features in HEC-RAS and provides some nice example applications.  This document should be on your desk, ready to reference, for every HEC-RAS dam break study you work on.
You can download “Using HEC-RAS for Dam Break Studies” from the HEC website at http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/publications/TrainingDocuments/TD-39.pdf
-or-
from my Google Drive site at:  http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0bpiyLiUeRXSHpCR2s4RjdCeFk/view?usp=sharing