Benefits of Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal
The process of dredging and dredged material disposal means to removing the sediments from the bottom of a water body and disposing to a separate location. This is done using technology and dredging machines. There are basically two types of dredging processes - mechanical dredging and hydraulic dredging. The purpose of port dredging can be divided into two categories - maintenance and new work dredging.
Maintenance Dredging
Maintenance dredging is a periodic process of removing sediments such as sand, rocks, and other contaminants from underwater channels, berths, and moorings. Sediments are a combination of materials that naturally collect and move from one place to another through wind, water, and wave action. Maintenance dredging is needed to clear the channel and the harbor at an accessible depth to enable safe passage for commercial, cruise, and naval ships.
New Work Dredging
New work dredging is another popular dredging process in navigation projects. It is required for the removal of sediments that have not been previously dredged and carried on new channels that need to be deepened. In this process, large sediments such as consolidated or cemented objects are dredged. Cutterhead pipeline dredges are used because they are capable of excavating heavy materials. This process is comparatively more strenuous and requires higher forces to clean the bottom of channel than maintenance port dredging.
Benefits of Dredged Material Disposal
The main goal of disposing dredged material is to ensure is disposed of in an environment-friendly manner. Every year in the US, millions of cubic meters of unnecessary sediment are dredged from harbors, ports, and waterways. It then disposed of in a separate place such as dredged material containment facilities, open waters, landfills, and upland disposal grounds. Dredged material disposal service providers can offer several solutions that can benefit harbor operators and government entities. Here are some of the benefits of dredging:
- Widening and deepening the way for smooth passage of cargo vessels and cruise ships.
- Dredging is required during underwater projects such as bridge and underwater tunnel constructions.
- Sediment removal can be very helpful large land-building projects where raw sediments are needed. Beneficial reuse of sediments can be done through processing and production.
- Soil erosion can damage the shoreline or beachfront. Dredging can help remove environmental restoration projects.
Dredging is done using an efficient dredge which helps remove mud and sand from the bottom of the water body. This dredge is connected with a submersible pump that relies on a vacuum to excavate the debris.