ABSTRACT
The basic laws of physics govern the hydromechanical performance of groundwater lowering equipment and it is difficult to see how there could be any fundamental improvement in these systems. However, developments in materials, equipment design, and technology lead to improvements in plant efficiency, reliability, and safety over time. The drivers for these changes are diverse, ranging from environmental and safety regulation to the needs of other industries whose technology has been borrowed and adapted for use in construction dewatering. In addition, changes in other construction processes can open an opportunity for widening the application of groundwater control techniques. History shows that any consideration of the future needs to be tempered by Amara’s law, which states:
We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.
