At DMC, we provide comprehensive dam engineering services that support the long-term performance, regulatory compliance, and environmental stewardship of dam infrastructure across British Columbia and beyond.
Our team has deep experience conducting Dam Safety Reviews (DSRs), Dam Safety Inspections (DSIs), dam decommissioning, dam rehabilitation and design of new dams in accordance with provincial regulations for a variety of dam owners including municipalities, power generators and mining companies.
We assess and mitigate critical dam-related risks including:
• seismic vulnerability
• internal erosion and piping, slope stability
• filter compatibility
• dam breach and inundation mapping
• wave action impacts
• catchment hydrology
• spillway performance, and structural stability of gravity structures — with specialized expertise in earth fill dams and complex terrain
Our services span the full lifecycle of dam infrastructure, from desktop studies and invasive investigations to design development and construction support.
Whether evaluating aging infrastructure or supporting new dam construction, DMC delivers practical, defensible solutions grounded in rigorous analysis and field-proven experience. We integrate environmental considerations into every phase of our work, ensuring that dam safety aligns with ecological integrity and community resilience.
DMC provides professional geotechnical and hydrotechnical engineering services for the planning, design, assessment, and upgrading of dike infrastructure throughout British Columbia. Our work supports both new dike construction and the evaluation, rehabilitation, and seismic strengthening of existing systems across riverine, coastal, and urban environments.
In British Columbia, design and assessment of dikes with significant consequences are guided by provincial technical standards and best practices. Of particular relevance are the Seismic Design Guidelines for Dikes (2nd Edition, June 2014), published by the Province’s Flood Safety Section. These seismic guidelines establish performance-based criteria for evaluating and designing dikes subjected to earthquake loading, including recommended seismic ground motions, geotechnical site characterization methods, analysis approaches, performance limits, and post-earthquake evaluation and repair strategies. They reflect the high seismic hazard on the BC coast and provide a structured framework for assessing seismic effects on flood protection dikes.
Complementing the seismic guidelines, the Dike Design and Construction Guide – Best Management Practices for British Columbia (July 2011) provides broad general guidance on the sound engineering principles and typical design considerations used for dike planning, geometry, materials, foundation evaluation, seepage and stability controls, erosion protection, and constructability issues. This document summarizes established practice under the BC Dike Maintenance Act, helping to ensure that dike works are designed, constructed, and maintained in a manner that meets regulatory expectations, industry standards, and site-specific requirements.Government of British Columbia
Together, these provincial resources support a holistic and risk-informed approach to flood protection infrastructure. DMC leverages them—along with current engineering practice and site-specific data—to deliver resilient and defensible dike designs that address both static and seismic performance objectives.
Our dike services include:
• Detailed geotechnical and seismic site characterization
• Performance-based seismic analysis and displacement assessment
• Static and dynamic stability evaluation
• Dike profile design, crest raising, and seismic strengthening
• Seepage, filter, and erosion protection design
• Tender and construction support, field review, and regulatory coordination
DMC collaborates with diking authorities, multidisciplinary design teams, and regulatory agencies to develop practical, constructible solutions that align with provincial guidance documents and the unique risk profile of each project.
