Spillway discharge capacity upgrade at Gloriettes dam

In many countries dams are found to have insufficient flood discharge capacity with respect to updated design floods. Upgradig of spillway discharge capacity has therefore become a significant issue for operators of hydropower plants. The Gloriettes concrete arch dam in the French Pyrenees, operated by EDF, shows a deficit of 80 m3/s for the new design flood of 150 m3/s. Therefore a complementary spillway on the right bank is to be implemented. The type of labyrinth weir known as the Piano Key Weir (PKW) was selected.