Dam Design and Construction Committee Design Review Process Guidance

There are many different approaches that state dam safety regulators can use to review designs of both new dams and modifications/repairs to existing dams. Some are more efficient than others. Some are more effective than others. The limited resources available within most state dam safety agencies to review projects, coupled with the need to be responsive and turn reviews around in a timely manner, must be balanced with the requirement that the design receives sufficient review to ensure that it is safe. This is a balancing act that is practiced differently in each state. The Dam Design and Construction Committee (DDC) reviewed this topic in an effort to document current practices and learn what works. An ASDSO Task Force established in 2011 studied the same topic, with a focus on the regulator’s roles and responsibilities and made recommendations on the level of review that the regulator should provide.