ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The spillway of Barriga Dam (Burgos, Spain) may be considered a singular case study in dam engineering. The spillway has been working successfully during 7 years with seasonal discharges in winter and spring time. Its distinguishing features are its location, on the rockfill dam body, and the chute, composed of wedge-shaped concrete blocks (WSB). In such a way, the design and construction of the spillway involved two years of applied research and international collaboration. As a result of that, two scaled physical models were developed at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Colorado) and the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (Lisbon, Portugal). This technical paper summarizes the main features of the studies, the key aspects of the final design of the block units and relevant details of the spillway design and construction. The conclusion of this experience is that WSB technology is cost-effective, easy to install, and may be suitable for appliance as auxiliary spillways, or service spillways of small dams, cofferdams or ponds. However, the technology is still immature and engineers have to be cautious about its risks. Therefore, more experience and additional research is needed in the future to consolidate the practical application of this technology.
