Abstract The prediction of the probability of cavitation occurrence to prevent serious damages in the spillways is the major concern for hydraulic engineers. In this research, the three-dimensional model of Shahid Madani Dam’s spillway was simulated with the Flow 3D software and by the comparison of numerical model results with the experi-mental data, the probability of occurrence of the cavitation phenomenon has been investigated. The flow parameters including pressure, velocity, and water depth were calculated for three different flow rates of 495 m3/s, 705 m3/s and 2 205 m3/s respectively. The Renormalization Group (RNG) turbulence model was used to simulate current turbulence. Comparison of simulation results for pressure, velocity and water depth with the results of the experimental model with two statistical indices Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Coefficient of Determination (R2) showed that the numerical simulation results are in good consistency with experimental model. However, simulation results indicated that at any flow rates with a return period of 1 000 years, probable maximum flood and designed flow rates, the cavitation number is not lower than the critical cavitation number; Therefore, it is predicted that the cavitation phenomenon in Shahid Madani Dam’s spillway will not happen.
