Conceptual and Numerical Interpretation of the Hypothetical Failure of Tablachaca Dam Using RAMMS Model-Quichuas-Huancavelica-Peru

Dams are very useful hydraulic structures nowadays as they allow the generation of renewable energy, such as the case of the Tablachaca dam, one of the largest in Peru, which harnesses the waters of the Mantaro River. This dam is located in the Quichuas-Huancavelica sector and provides a significant amount of energy each year. However, it also poses a significant risk to the surrounding population and the Electroperu camp since it has been observed that this type of structure can fail due to hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical factors, leading to a breach in the structure or affecting its internal functioning, potentially resulting in dam failure. In such an event, it would devastate the downstream population. In this investigation, our focus was to corroborate this hypothesis in order to identify and delimit the most affected areas by the displacement of the flow. We compiled data to validate the hypothesis and used the RAMMS software to analyze sediment flow displacement. Two scenarios were analyzed, each with different time parameters, density, and roughness. According to the simulations, a height of approximately 40 meters was reached, which is sufficient to engulf the Quichuas village and completely devastate a portion of it. Additionally, the tangential velocities of the debris flow ranged from 10 to 20 meters per second, and the forces exceeded150 Kpa, indicating a highly destructive risk.