Briefing: Opinion: Is the UK adequately prepared to construct new dams?

In this article, the author shares his experience of over 40 years in the design and construction of large dams in over 40 countries around the world, focusing on the understanding of what makes a project successful and, more importantly, why success has proved elusive on many projects in recent years. The engineering markets and the way that dam projects are implemented are different in every country in the world, but some requirements are universally applicable and many similar issues have arisen on projects in many countries, resulting in significant time and cost overruns. With new dam construction starting again in the UK after a period of over 30 years, the question must be asked: Is the UK ready and are the requirements for successful dam project implementation adequately understood to ensure successful project implementation?