Case Study: Owner’s Scope Creep Disrupts Dam Rehabilitation Project in Pennsylvania (2022)

Project Overview
• Name: Francis E. Walter Dam Safety Upgrade
• Location: White Haven, Pennsylvania
• Year: 2022
• Project Size: $180 million
• Scope: Spillway capacity enhancement, embankment reinforcement, and outlet structure rehabilitation
• Lead Agencies/Contractors: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) /

Category of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• Contract Owner
• Scope Management

Summary of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
Midway through construction, USACE introduced a series of “scope refinements” including increased flood control capacity and seismic upgrades. These revisions required redesign of key structural elements and halted active work.

Root Cause Analysis

• Scope growth occurred without contract amendment or schedule relief.
• Owner had evolving stakeholder demands (e.g., FEMA, local communities).
• No formal change management structure in place for post-award revisions.

Impacts Due to the Issue, Problem, or Challenge

• 5-month delay while design teams re-engineered embankment core and spillway profiles.
• Contractor incurred $3.9 million in additional overhead and standby costs.
• Trust issues developed between contractor and federal owner team.

Corrective Actions Taken

1. Change control protocol formalized for all future USACE dam projects.
2. Contingency budget and float included for owner-requested changes.
3. Owner PMs trained in scope discipline and risk-driven decision-making.

Lessons Learned

• Scope changes mid-construction must be treated as formal contract modifications.
• Owner agencies must manage upstream stakeholder alignment prior to NTP.
• Change control discipline is critical to schedule and cost integrity.

Audit & Prevention: Project Control Questions to Ask on Future Projects to Help Control the Situation

• Has the owner formally frozen scope prior to bid?
• Are any stakeholder-driven changes required post-NTP contractually accounted for?
• Is there a documented change management process with risk-based approvals?