CAUSES OF THE JANUARY 2013 CANAL EMBANKMENT FAILURE AND URBAN FLOOD IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA

Abstract

Field measurements and numerical modeling were used to investigate the causes of the Laturharhari embankment breach during the January 2013 Jakarta floods. A forensic analysis shows the immediate cause of the breach was overtopping followed by scour of the landward side of the earthen berm atop the embankment, with the overtopping possibly accelerated by piping of floodwaters along the soil-concrete interface of an improperly designed structure built into the embankment. Numerical modeling shows the underlying reason for floodwaters rising to such a precarious level was trash observed to be clogging 3 of the 4 sluices of Karet gate downstream.