History and development of Piano Key Weirs in Vietnam from 2004 to 2016

Within the 34,000 students of Biskra University, four hundred attend hydraulic studies. Each year, some of Master and PhD students chose to do their Theses on hydraulics of spillways. A team of research works since 20 years on the hydraulic of spillways. Before 2000 the research did focus on optimization of traditional labyrinth. From 2000 to now, in association with HydroCoop, there was an intensive research for designing the new solution of Piano Key Weirs and optimizing it. Hundreds shapes were studied for this research along 15 years, using a specific hydraulic laboratory. Efficient shapes were proposed since 2003. Since 10 years Biskra University has also made tests and gave advises for a solution of simple concrete fuse plugs proposed by HydroCoop. Tests associating this solution with PK-Weirs on a same spillway showed a discharge fivefold the discharge of a traditional Creager Weir of same length at constant head.