Our "Boss" on Dams, Eric Ditchey, Sheds Light on Cost Effective Solutions

Eric Ditchey, P.E., McCormick Taylor’s Senior Dam Engineer in the Mt. Laurel office, was recently quoted in “Boss” magazine as a subject matter expert providing big picture perspective on dam design and cost of construction materials.

“Boss” is a quarterly publication by Dixon Valve Company. Dixon is an international manufacturer of valves of all types and sizes. One of the key industries Dixon supports is Dams.
 
Please click here to read the full article, entitled,

"Taming the World's Waters" (Summer, 2008)

The article features some of the world’s largest and most impressive dams, such as the Three Gorges, which spans the basin of China’s Yangtze River. Though Three Gorges (unfortunately) is not a McCormick Taylor project, Ditchey states, “that the really big dams are now being built in developing countries”. New dams are needed when water resources need to be tapped for Hydropower electricity to support growing populations.
 
Ditchey also provided his expert opinion on how an engineer would arrive at a cost effective solution for the design of a dam. As a first step, Eric suggests that you “consider the availability of materials”. For instance, if earth or rock material is available close to the dam site, that may be more economical than concrete.

As a frequent speaker on dam safety awareness, Ditchey is actively involved in the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), which is what led Dixon to seek out Ditchey for professional comment.  The article also highlights that approximately 13 valve products manufactured by Dixon are typically used in dam construction products.