Building, Remodeling, and Doing it All Again

Dredging may be necessary if you have an upcoming construction project, such as laying water or gas pipes. Dredging involves the removal or displacement of soil in the water channel floor in order to open up canals and harbors. If you're considering construction-site dredging, here are two useful FAQs about the process.

What's the Importance of Dredging?

Dredging comes with many benefits, including:

• Deepening water channels. Not all harbors and rivers are naturally deep. Therefore, dredging helps deepen the water channels to accommodate huge vessels, both commercial and recreational. Overall, dredging improves the navigation of the ports.

• Maintenance of water channels. After the initial construction site dredging, sediments may accumulate in the river or harbor over time. Hence, maintenance dredging is necessary to ensure clear and safe navigation for vessels in order to increase efficiency.

• Economic Growth. Dredging helps open up new water channels and expand harbors. This allows more ships to access a harbor resulting in increased economic activity and overall economic growth.

• Efficiency. When cargo ships experience navigation problems due to an impassable harbor, there'll probably be delays in docking and goods access. In return, the goods may fetch higher prices. Fortunately, dredging facilitates the smooth navigation of cargo ships, and consumers have a constant supply of affordable goods.

What Are the Common Types of Construction Site Dredging Equipment Available?

There are two main types of dredges:

Hydraulic dredger

The equipment works by sucking up water and dredged debris for the bottom of the waterway. Ideally, the machine controls the amount of water it needs to suck up since too much or too little water may impede the working of the dredger. The two types of hydraulic dredgers are:

• Hopper dredger. The machine can dredge various materials like sand, silt, clay, and mud. Also, the hopper dredger is flexible and ideal for use in high-traffic areas, deep waters, and open spaces.

• Cutter suction dredger (CSD). CSDs suck the dredged debris via an intake pipe and discharge it through the outlet pipe to the placement site. The dredged material remains in the placement site until the solids settle out and the dredging professionals direct the water back to the waterway. This makes the equipment efficient and cost-effective.

Mechanical dredger

The installation of the equipment entails mounting the dredger on a barge, transporting the equipment to the site, and securing the machine using anchors or spuds. Ideally, the machine eliminates material by lifting the debris from the seafloor and putting the material in a placement area. Given its structure, a mechanical dredger can work well in a confined area.

These FAQs highlight the importance of construction-site dredging and the common dredgers available in the market. With this information, you can start on your dredging project confidently.