International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs 2025

Link to Organizer Website: USSD

Links to Past events: University of Liege PKW

Past Publications

1st L&PKW Workshop

2nd L&PKW Workshop

3rd L&PKW Workshop

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The 4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key weirs will be held October 7-9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by the United States Society on Dams. This will be the first time this event will be held in the USA.

Since 2011, this workshop series has brought together practitioners, researchers, and those involved in dam safety from across the globe to exchange knowledge and the latest developments on these nonlinear hydraulic structures.

Special emphasis is placed on planned or constructed projects, field data and structure operations, all aspects of design, lessons learned from construction, and research studies. A warm invitation to University students and young practitioners. Selected papers will be published in a hardbound book by Taylor and Francis and provided to attendees. Technical presentations will occur during 2 days of technical program followed by a field tour.

The workshop environment would be friendly, cooperative, and non-competitive with a priority of quality knowledge exchange and community networking.

Please check back often for links and instructions for Registration, Venue, Programme, and instructions for authors for manuscript submissions.

Are you part of the International Scientific Committee and providing technical peer reviews? Questions please contact ISC Vice-chair Brian Crookston brian.crookston@usu.edu or ISC Chair Sebastien Erpicum at s.erpicum@uliege.be.

Do you wish to become an event Sponsor? Please contact catrice@ussdams.org for details.

The call for abstracts has closed. Thank you for the many submissions received.

Link to Author Guidelines: Author Guidelines

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Schedule
2025
Tuesday, October 7th
9:25 AM

Floating Trees at Co-Existing PKW & Gated Spillway

James Yang, Vattenfall R&D
A. Helgesson, Royal Institute of Technology
L. Johnsson, Uniper
SC Li, Vattenfall R&D

Atlanta, GA

9:25 AM

9:45 AM

Effect of Driftwood on the Hydraulic Performance of A-Type Piano Key Weirs Situated In-Stream or at Reservoirs

Pascal Venetz, Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Michael Pfister, Haute école d’Ingénierie et d’Architecture de Fribourg

Atlanta, GA

9:45 AM

11:15 AM

Interfacial Velocity Characteristics Downstream of a Piano Key Weir Versus a Linear Weir in a Horizontal Channel

Biruk Belay, Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg
Mario Oertel, Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg

Atlanta, GA

11:15 AM

11:35 AM

Model-Prototype Upscaling of PKW Discharge Capacity

James Yang, Vattenfall
Pär Nilsen, Vattenfall
Mats Billstein, Vattenfall
L Johnsson, Uniper
Shicheng Li, Royal Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA

11:35 AM

11:55 AM

Physical Model Investigations on Nappe Instabilities at Labyrinth Weirs

Michael Gebhardt, Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute
Fabian Belzner, Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute

Atlanta, GA

11:55 AM

1:45 PM

Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Non-Rectilinear Weirs -From Labyrinth to PK-Weir

Ahmed Ouamane, University of Biskra - Algeria
François Lempérière, Hydrocoop

Atlanta, GA

1:45 PM

2:05 PM

Enhancing the Hydraulic Efficiency of Piano Key Weir (PKW) — Some Research Achievements

James Yang, Royal Institute of Technology
Shicheng Li, Royal Institute of Technology
Anders Ansell, Royal Institute of Technology
Erik Skepparkrans, Vattenfall
Chen Lin, National Chung Hsing University

Atlanta, GA

2:05 PM

2:25 PM

An Innovative Association of Fusegate and PK-Weir

F. Lempérière, Hydrocoop
A. Chapuis, ISL Ingénierie
F. Del Rey, Hydroplus
C. Bessière, Ingérop

Atlanta, GA

2:25 PM

2:45 PM

An Innovative Use of Piano Key Weirs or Labyrinth Weirs for Long Dams in Plains

Michel Ho Ta Khanh, VNCOLD- CFBR Independent Consultant

Atlanta, GA

2:45 PM

3:35 PM

Sensitivity Analysis of Piano-Key Weirs Design: Optimizing Discharge Performance Through CFD Modeling and Empirical Insights

Fatna Oukaili, EDF-R&D
Yvan Bercovitz, EDF-R&D
Thomas Fonty, EDF R&D
Benoit Blancher, EDF-CIH
Julien Vermeulen, EDF-CIH

Atlanta, GA

3:35 PM

3:55 PM

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of A-type Rectangular Side Piano Key Weir

Sabir Hussain, IIT Roorkee
Zulfequar Ahmad, IIT Roorkee

Atlanta, GA

3:55 PM

4:15 PM

Key Width Ratio Influence on Discharge Coefficients of Trapezoidal Piano Key Weirs via OpenFOAM Simulations

Lisa Lüddecke, Helmut-Schmidt University
Mario Oertel, Helmut-Schmidt-University

Atlanta, GA

4:15 PM

4:35 PM

Investigation of Flow Field Near a Type-A Piano Key Weir

S. Hussain, IIT Roorkee
M. S. Quamar, IIT Roorkee
Z. Ahmad, IIT Roorkee

Atlanta, GA

4:35 PM

Wednesday, October 8th
9:00 AM

Lessons Learned From the Hydraulic Design of the Prado Dam Labyrinth Spillway

Yajayra Diaz, USACE Risk Management Center
Mike Phillips, USACE Risk Management Center
Brian M. Crookston, Utah State University
Julie D. Allen, USACE Risk Management Center

Atlanta, GA

9:00 AM

9:20 AM

Research and Application of Piano Key Weirs in Vietnam (2025)

M. Ho Ta Khanh, VNCOLD- CFBR
Dau Xuan Thuy, PECC2

Atlanta, GA

9:20 AM

9:40 AM

Honey, I Shrunk the PK Weir: A Case Study of Burton Pond Dam

David Bisio, Schnabel Engineering

Atlanta, GA

9:40 AM

10:00 AM

Piano Key Weir With Orifice Sluice

Dau Xuan Thuy, PECC2

Atlanta, GA

10:00 AM

11:10 AM

Advances in Arced Labyrinth Weir Research and Application at the Springton Spillway Project

Seth Thompson, GFT
Blake Tullis, Utah State University
Brian M. Crookston, Utah State University

Atlanta, GA

11:10 AM

11:30 AM

Design Approach for Labyrinth Weir: Case Study of La Laye Dam

M. Roy, ARTELIA
S. Derrien, ARTELIA
J. Schaguene, ARTELIA
G. Dautois, ARTELIA

Atlanta, GA

11:30 AM

11:50 AM

Value Added 3D Modeling – Lower Crow Dam Spillway Modification and Rehabilitation Project

Justin Bartels, Stantec Consulting Services

Atlanta, GA

11:50 AM

1:40 PM

World Register of Piano Key Weirs

Sebastien Erpicum, ULiège
Tohid Jamali Rovesht, ULiège
Brian M. Crookston, Utah State University
Pierre Archambeau, ULiège

Atlanta, GA

1:40 PM

2:00 PM

Nachtigal Dam: A 4917 m Long Labyrinth Spillway

F. Laugier, Centre d'Ingénierie Hydraulique
Denis Magnan, Centre d'Ingénierie Hydraulique
B. Blancher, Centre d'Ingénierie Hydraulique
Arnaud Chapius, ISL Ingénierie
Thibaut Guillemot, ISL Ingénierie
Sebastien Erpicum, Université de Liège

Atlanta, GA

2:00 PM

2:20 PM

High Altitude Labyrinth Design and Construction

Nick Miller, GEI Consultants
Margaret Provencher, GEI Consultants
Eric Holmstead, GEI Consultants

Atlanta, GA

2:20 PM

2:40 PM

Stainless-Steel Piano Key Weir

Y. Fournié, SHEM
H. Tralli, SHEM
J. Alendé, SHEM
S. Erpicum, ULiege

Atlanta, GA

2:40 PM