Considerations for Dewatering During Dam Construction

Construction dewatering can be a critical aspect of dam construction or rehabilitation, both with regard to schedule and safety. There are a wide range of potential dewatering methods available: sumps, well points, deep wells, eductor wells, etc. Which methods are applicable for which conditions? What are the limitations of the various methods? This paper will address those questions. Another important question is should the engineer design the dewatering system or leave the system to be designed by the contractor? There is no universally correct answer to that question. This paper will review the benefits and drawbacks for each of these approaches to dewatering and provide guidance on when to use each. The paper closes with brief discussions of example projects illustrating successful implementation of dewatering systems.