Dam Safety

Since the 1960s, NGI has designed and supervised the construction of more than 100 large embankment dams in Norway and abroad. Through research and development in the field and in the laboratory, NGI became internationally recognized for its work on rockfill dams. The dams have been followed up by owners with regular maintenance and reassessments as a result of increasingly stringent regulations.

Strengthening dams to withstand climate change

Dams are critical structures, where the consequences of failure are enormous. In general, dams are designed for extreme events, such as a thousand‑year flood. This gives time to implement necessary measures to ensure that dams will also withstand a future climate.

Work to ensure dam safety has evolved with improved understanding of materials, the use of advanced numerical models, and probability calculations. NGI’s expert competencies include risk assessments, monitoring and remote analysis, advanced numerical modelling, and testing of materials in NGI’s laboratories in Oslo, Houston, and Perth.

Participating in expert panels and international work on dam safety

Many of NGI’s current assignments within dam safety and risk assessment take place abroad. As construction progresses on what is set to become the world’s tallest dam, the 335‑metre Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, NGI is providing expert advice on dam safety and instrumentation. In addition, NGI actively participates in international forums related to dam safety.

NGI specialists also serve on a range of expert panels related to tailings dams, such as ITRB (Independent Tailings Review Board), and we are active in the international dam commission ICOLD (International Commission on Large Dams), where we represent Norway on technical committees for dam safety, earthquakes, and tailings dams. NGI’s former Managing Director, Kaare Høeg, served as ICOLD President from 1997–2000.