Dredging is a process that removes excess sediments from the bottom or banks of water bodies to help deepen waterways, which will allow easy passage of ships. Dredging is a very important process that is essential for waterway construction projects like bridges, underwater tunnels and docks, for example.
Sedimentation is the accumulation of sand, silt, and other debris at the bottom of a water body. Excess build-up can reduce the depth of water and cause water contamination, so dredging is crucial for rivers, canals and lakes. Specialized equipment is used during this process, and dredges make it possible to remove unwanted sediments. It’s essentially a vacuum that sucks up and pumps out dredging material from the bottom of the water body, and the first step will require that an operator lower the dredging boom to the bottom or side of the body of water, after which a rotating cutter-bar will be used so that its teeth can loosen the debris or sediments. A submersible pump will remove the sediment from the bottom of the waterway, and the dredge will then transport the sediment and debris away for final processing.
There are different types of dredging for sediment removal, and the most common types include suction dredging, mechanical dredging and suction-mechanical dredging. Suction dredging is used to remove loose materials in water by dustpans, hoppers and hydraulic pipeline plain suction and is usually done for maintenance projects. Mechanical dredging is used to remove hard or compacted materials by clamshell, dipper or ladder dredges and is done for maintenance and new projects. Suction-mechanical dredging is used to remove loose or hard compacted debris by cutter hands, and this combines suction and mechanical dredging.
An auger suction dredge, a cutter suction dredge and a plain suction dredge are all commonly used for sediment removal, and this equipment is necessary for dredging. An auger-suction dredge is used to drill holes through the bed to loosen and suck the debris, and this is ideal for removing sludge in wastewater treatment plants or whenever heavy-duty sediment removal is necessary. A cutter-suction dredge will help remove debris from hard surfaces because it has a cutting tool that helps loosen sediments at the bottom and transports them to the suction apparatus. A plain-suction dredge is the most common equipment for dredging, and it relies only on suction to remove loose debris. This type of dredge does not contain any tool for cutting or penetrating.
If you need more information regarding dredging and how it is used in construction, the experts at Taber Solids Control can help. Our team will gladly answer all of your questions, so contact us today to find out more!