Influence of the relative alveoli widths on Piano Key Weirs efficiency for varied weir heights

In the scope of dam rehabilitation to manage floods increase or to increase water storage, the Piano Key Weir is a good solution for concrete dams. Indeed, its labyrinth shape allows discharge capacities until 4 times more important than traditional ogee-crested weirs and 10 percent more important than labyrinth weirs of same horizontal geometry. Furthermore, the use of up- and downstream overhangs reduces drastically its footprint and enables its use directly on dams crest.
The efficiency of Piano Key Weirs is now well demonstrated through various experimental studies. Even if parametrical studies are currently undertaken, the definition of the optimal shape to give to the structure is still missing due to the lack of knowledge in the influence of the large set of geometrical parameters.
This paper presents the results of a combine experimental and numerical study about the influence of the relative alveoli widths on the Piano Key Weir discharge capacity. 14 models have been tested providing results for a large range of the inlet to outlet widths ratio and considering variation of the weir height in accordance with former studies. The results of the experiments enable to define optimal values for a common variation of these two parameters.