Govt.

Polytechnic College
Palakkad.

PIANO KEY SPILLWAY FOR DAMS

Presented By,
ALTHAF ROSHAN K A
Register No. 15010572

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

 INTRODUCTION
Design flood values of many older existing dams have been
revised upward, and consequently, the discharge capacity of the
dam spillways must be increased.
In order to maximize the unit-discharge per available width,
many labyrinth spillways have been constructed in recent years.
Considering that main difference, coupled with the fact that the
theory of labyrinth weirs has been primarily developed for
trapezoidal or triangular shaped structures, the design
procedures proposed for labyrinth weirs are not applicable for
PIANO KEY-Weirs.
 THE PIANO KEY WEIR DESIGN
A totally different design has been studied for five years by
Hydrocoop (a non-profit-making international association),
and this has been supported by more than 50 hydraulic
tests. The target is a structure which:

can be placed on existing or

new gravity dam sections;
will allow for specific flows of
up to 100 m3/s/m;
can multiply at least by four
the flow of a Creager weir;
and,
is structurally simple, and
easy to build with the local
resources of all countries.
 THE PIANO KEY WEIR DESIGN
Very simple longitudinal sections
 THE PIANO KEY WEIR DESIGN
Practical application of piano key weir
 EXPERIMENTAL DATA
To establish preliminary general-design criteria for PIANO KEY-
Weirs, data from a number of sources has been collected.
Present data comprises the experimental results carried out in
laboratory flumes: at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology,
(HCMUT), Vietnam and at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
Roorkee, India , as well as data from three physical models
studies in the framework of EDFs
All models have been operated respecting Froude similarity. The
collected data consist of released discharge as a function of total
upstream hydraulic head, which includes the velocity head.

Piano key weir

models
 EXPERIMENTAL DATA
The total discharge over a PIANO KEY-Weir is a function of
several parameters, as shown in Eq. (1), which can be
summarized as follows:

where the fluid is characterized by its density , the

kinematic viscosity , and the surface tension ; g =
acceleration of gravity; and H = total upstream hydraulic
head. The other parameters are related to the geometry of
the PIANO KEY-Weir
 EXPERIMENTAL DATA
Physical piano key weir model

Laboratory key weir model

 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
To describe the discharge capacity of a PIANO KEY-Weir, its
discharge coefficient (CPIANO KEYW) is presented according
to the common weir formulation referred to the total
developed crest length

The PIANO KEY-Weir discharge coefficient CPIANO KEYW

can then be expressed as a function of dimensionless
geometric and hydraulic parameters

For all data, Reynolds number (R) and Weber number (W)
are sufficiently large to avoid fluid viscosity and surface
tension scale effects.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Discharge capacity

Discharge area of piano

Key weir
 PRELIMINARY DESIGN
In a typical project, the main input variables are the discharge to be
evacuated by the new structure and the maximum available hydraulic
head (H), while the principal constraints are the width of the structure
(W) and the maximum height of the PIANO KEY-Weir (P)
Once the discharge enhancement ratio is calculated for a given value of
H and W, several types of PIANO KEY-Weirs can be envisioned.
After the choice of ratio L=W, the width of the inlet a can be obtained.
The selection can be made on the basis of the flow approach condition
(P/P1), for example. This condition should be similar to the model from
which the data come.

A typical project
 PRELIMINARY DESIGN
Implementation and practical application
 STRUCTURAL DATA AND COSTS
Studies have been done for structures in reinforced concrete.
Prefabricated steel structures could also be used for specific flows of
less than 20 m3/s/m, but would probably be more expensive.
The main stresses in reinforced concrete are in the vertical walls
between the inlet and the outlet; these walls act as overhangs over the
concrete blocks, and not as horizontal beams, and it is even possible, to
avoid thermal stresses, to design a vertical joint at the highest part of
this wall.
The triangular shape of the wall considerably reduced the stresses as
compared with a rectangular wall; the thickness of the upper part of
the wall may be small (10 to 20 cm).
The average thickness of the reinforced concrete structure may thus be
15 to 25 cm for specific flows of less than 20 m3/s/m and in the range
of 50 cm for specific flow increases of 50 m3/s/m. A P.K. weir as
presented above, with a maximum wall height H, requires, per metre of
spillway, a total area of reinforced concrete of 4.2H.
STRUCTURAL DATA AND COSTS

Structures 2 to 5 m high may be precast with unit weights of few tons

PIANO KEY SPILLWAY IN DAMS
For a spillway with a design flood of 2500 m3/s and 5000 m3/s of
check flood, a traditional design would use, for instance, four radial
gates 12 m wide and 10 m high, with a freeboard of 5 m used for the
check flood.

The total length of the spillway, including piers, will be 60 m. In case

of total jamming of the gates, the maximum flow over the gates will
be 1000 m3/s, approximately the annual flood.
PIANO KEY SPILLWAY IN DAMS
Four alternatives using P.K. weirs are
1
A Piano key weir about 80 m long with the sill level at the same level
as the top of the gates. For the check flood, the level would be the
same.
The nappe depth of the P.K. weir would be, for the 100 year flood,
about 1.5 m. it would be thus necessary to buy more land than with
the gated dam, but the overall cost would be much lower, and the
safety improved.
This weir requires 2000 m3 of reinforced concrete
PIANO KEY SPILLWAY IN DAMS
Four alternatives using P.K. weirs are

2. A PIANO KEY. weir 50 m long and two flap gates, 6 m high and 12 m
wide. This would add flexibility for managing the reservoir and
controlling floods.
3. A Piano key weir 50 m long and two low gates, 40 m each: these
gates could be placed 20 or 30 m below the dam crest to control the
reservoir and possibly to flush sediments.
4. A PIANO KEY. weir 40 m long and two radial gates, as in the basic
solution. The operating levels are the same as for the basic solution
for all floods.
PIANO KEY SPILLWAY IN DAMS
Piano key weir in dams
PIANO KEY WEIRS COMPARED WITH FUSE
DEVICES
For new dams, Piano key weirs will usually be more attractive than fuse
devices, but some fuse devices may be more interesting for some
existing dams, for example:
on top of arch dams, where placing PIANO KEY. weirs may be
difficult; or,
for cost reasons
ADVANTAGES OF PIANO KEY WEIRS

INCREASING THE OPERATING LEVEL OF FREE-

FLOW RESERVOIRS

INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF EXISTING FREE-FLOW

SPILLWAYS

INCREASING STORAGE AND SAFETY OF EXISTING DAMS

INCREASING STORAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL BY

EXISTING FREE-FLOW RESERVOIRS

EMERGENCY SPILLWAYS
 CONCLUSION

Piano key weirs are simple solutions as safe and easy to

operate as traditional free flow spillways and much more
efficient. They may:
increase the specific flow fourfold;
allow specific flows of up to 100 m3/s/m;
reduce substantially the cost of most new dams and
guarantee their safety;
increase the storage of many existing reservoirs for a
cost in the range of US 5/m3 in most developing
countries, and US 25 in industrialized countries;
improve the flood control by many existing dams; and,
increase the spilling capacity of many existing dams
with 0.5 m3 of reinforced concrete per extra m3/s.
Thank You