Dams, Levees & Canals: Safety & Design Engineering

Aging infrastructure, evolving risks, and changing weather patterns demand smarter dam, levee, and canal safety strategies.

GFT pairs deep technical expertise with a nimble, efficiency-driven approach, uncovering smarter designs, properly allocating resources, and integrating design and construction cohesively. We partner with public and private clients to deliver resilient, risk-informed solutions tailored to each site’s unique geology, hydrology, and seismic profile. We assess and design with precision and deliver with confidence, protecting lives, property, and water resources while advancing your project’s goals.

Specialized Services That Safeguard Dams, Levees, Canals, and Entire Communities

Explore our trusted, risk-informed solutions that protect infrastructure, improve performance, and prioritize public safety.

Dam Investigation and Design
From siting studies to construction inspections, we provide full life cycle dam design services. Our geotechnical, seismic, and hydraulic experts collaborate to advance safety, resiliency, and compliance with evolving standards. These services include:
- Siting studies.
- Assessment.
- Spillways, gates, and outlet works.
- Environmental and safety permitting.
- Conceptual, preliminary, and final design.
- Development of plans and specifications.
- Bid phase assistance.
- Construction management and inspection.
- Subsurface site exploration and geologic investigations.
- Seismic and stability analyses.
- Seepage analysis and cutoff wall/grouting design.
- Ground modifications.
Dam Risk and Reliability Assessments
Our engineers lead safety inspections, seismic hazard analysis, Potential Failure Modes Analysis (PFMA), Semi-Quantitative Risk Analysis (SQRA), Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA), and Independent External Peer Review (IEPR) efforts to uncover vulnerabilities and recommend actionable improvements. Our engineers are well-versed in the development and use of risk-informed decision-making (RIDM) along with standards-based analyses to help you determine if dam safety investments are justified or warranted. With over 1,500 dams assessed, we deliver trusted evaluations that drive real-world resilience.

Dam Operations Training and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Program Development
We don’t just fix problems, we build capabilities. GFT works alongside clients to document best practices, train internal teams, and develop easy-to-follow repair guides. This knowledge transfer supports sustained, in-house dam stewardship, cutting down on costly emergency interventions.
Flood Management Systems
Well-maintained levee systems are crucial to flood protection for communities. We perform inspection and analysis, flood mitigation and inundation mapping, watershed management and planning, and other services to keep levees and flood-management systems compliant with the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program and other governing agencies.