Spillway Gates

Spillway is a hydraulic structure built at a dame site for diverting the surplus water from a
reservoir after it has been filled to its maximum capacity. It classified into different types on the basis of
arrangements of the control of the structure.

Types of spillway :

1. Straight drop spillway

The control structure consists of a low height, narrow crested weir and less vertical

2. Ogee spillway
It is the most commonly used spillway, widely used with gravity dams, arch dams, and buttress
dams. The overflowing water is smoothly guided over the crest and profile of the spillway so it
doesn’t break contact with the spillway surface
3. Shaft spillway
It has the horizontally positioned lip through which water enters and then drops through a
vertical shaft then to a horizontal tunnel which convey water past the dam.

4. Chute spillway
A Chute Spillway (or Open Channel Spill way) consist of a open channel , through
which the water discharge. For earth dams and rock fill dams a separate spill way is
generally constructed in a flank for saddle away from the dam if suitable site exists.

5. Side channel spillway

In a side channel spill-way, the control weir is placed approximately parallel to the
upstream portion of the spill-way discharge. Thus the flow after passing over the
crest is carried in a discharge channel running parallel to the crest.
6. Siphon spillway
A Siphon spillway operates on the principle of siphonic action. It is a closed conduit
of the shape of an inverted U-tube with unequal legs. It is commonly used in
practice. The siphon duct is formed by an air tight RCC cover, called hood over an
oggy-shaped body wall made of concrete. The top of the body wall forms the crest
of the spill-way and kept at the F.R.L. of the reservoir.

7. Labyrinth spillway
A labyrinth spillway is an overflow weir folded in plan view to provide a longer total effective
length for a given overall spillway width. A labyrinth spillway has advantages compared to the
straight overflow weir and the standard ogee crest. The total length of the labyrinth weir is
typically three to five times the spillway width. Its capacity varies with head and is typically
about twice that of a standard weir or overflow crest of the same width.