Hydraulic energy dissipating offset stepped spillway

A spillway for use in a sloped embankment which defines a top and a toe, the spillway being adapted to dissipate the kinetic energy of water flowing downwardly from the top of the embankment to the toe thereof in a primary flow direction, and comprising:

• a plurality of building blocks arranged in rows which are stacked upon each other in a shingle like overlap such that the building blocks of each row are offset relative to the building blocks of each adjacent row and a series of steps are defined thereby;
• the building blocks being sized and configured such that water cascading down the steps defined thereby is caused to flow in three dimensions so as to impart velocity components to the falling water that act at generally right angles relative to the primary flow direction and generate turbulence which dissipates the kinetic energy of the water
• wherein the building blocks comprise full blocks and half blocks, the outermost blocks of every other row in the spillway comprising half blocks with the remaining building blocks comprising full blocks;
• wherein the full blocks each comprise a base portion and a pair of finger portions, the finger portions defining distal ends and extending horizontally from the base portion in spaced relation to each other;
• the base and finger portions of each full block collectively forming a three-sided slot having a back wall defined by the base portion and opposed sidewalls defined by respective ones of the finger portions.