A coupled Eulerian-Pfem model for the simulation of overtropping in rockfill dams

Rockfill dams are nowadays often preferred over concrete dams because of their economic advantages, their flexible and thank to the great advance achieved in geosciences and geomechanics. Unfortunately their behavior in case of overtopping is still an open issue. In fact very little is known on this phenomenon that in most cases leads to the complete finite failure o the structure with catastrophic consequences in term of loss of lives and economic damage.