What to consider when planning a dredging project

Are you planning a dredging project? To ensure success from a business and environmental standpoint, there are a number of important issues to consider early on, giving you the best results.

When supplying sand for the construction industry, maintaining waterways or managing sediment buildup in ports and harbours, it is vital to carefully plan and execute the dredging project. And it is important to do this while minimising the environmental issues and protecting marine life.

Here is our helpful seven-point guide on what to consider when planning a dredging project:

1. What is the main objective?

Before drawing up a plan, it’s essential to establish the main objective of the dredging project. Whether it’s sourcing raw materials, deepening a harbour to accommodate larger vessels, restoring beach erosion, reclaiming land for development or another issue, clearly defining the purpose of the dredging project will focus and guide the planning process.

2. Dredging project plan with timeline

This should cover preparation, the main project and ongoing maintenance. Careful consideration of what likely weather conditions and their impacts, how to follow environmental requirements and ways to keep to budget are also important. Create a timeline to ensure the dredging project is on time, while allowing for potential delays and changes. Realistic targets will also help to ensure the project is on track.

3. Dredging material

It is essential to determine the volume of material to be dredged. A consultant engineer will survey the seabed or riverbed to help calculate how much sediment or debris needs to be removed during the dredging process. They may also use 3D visualisation software to assess progress and report back about expectation and considerations.

4. Assessing site conditions

The conditions on site, including water depth, tidal patterns, seabed composition and environmental needs, will also need to be assessed. Conducting comprehensive site surveys and environmental assessments will help identify potential risks so costly mistakes can be avoided, ensuring a successful outcome.

5. Overcoming specific challenges

To meet the main objective, it is important to identify and overcome specific problems or challenges. This might be sediment accumulation, budget limits or environmental concerns. Understanding the root cause of the issue is crucial for developing effective solutions and ensuring that the project achieves its intended outcomes.

6. Environmental and regulatory compliance

Dredging projects are often subject to environmental regulations and restrictions that protect sensitive habitats, water quality and marine ecosystems. By developing an Environmental Impact Assessment will ensure that the dredging project meets regulatory guidelines and is environmentally acceptable, both during and after the work has been completed.

7. Ongoing maintenance

Once the dredging project is complete, ongoing maintenance will be needed to maintain the required navigational depths, prevent sedimentation, meet environmental needs and more. A maintenance plan that outlines monitoring protocols, dredging schedules, environmental protections and sediment disposal practices will help ensure the continued success and sustainability of the project.

Planning a dredging project requires careful consideration of multiple factors, from defining the project’s objective to assessing site conditions, estimating material volumes and complying with regulatory requirements. By addressing these key considerations, it is possible to plan and complete dredging projects with confidence.

Another solution to aid dredging projects is the innovative hydrodynamic dredger, Tiamat – which offers port authorities and dredging companies a cleaner and greener method of maintenance dredging; one that is adaptable, easy to deploy and comes at a lower cost.

Tiamat is designed to be deployed from a small workboat or multi-cat. The standard version features three pumps; two to inject water into the sediment overlying the harbour bed, and a third pump to extract diluted silt, pump it up and release it into the water column.

A Trailer Hopper Suction Dredger is not needed, which means valuable time and resources being saved, not having to travel to the disposal site. This means more time can be spent on maintenance dredging, rather than transportation. It also brings major cost-savings over THSDs, potentially reducing operating expenditure by up to 40% and greatly reducing fuel costs.

Tiamat is extremely adaptable and available when you need it. The scalable technology allows port and harbour professionals to employ a bespoke design for each port – maximising the effectiveness of dredging.

Unlike water injection dredger ships, Tiamat does not rely on creating a density current, working alongside nature, for the benefit of nature, by harnessing the power of the tide and currents. This new method of hydrodynamic dredging dilutes the sediment on the seabed or riverbed with water and recirculates it. By dredging with nature, Tiamat helps the estuarine system self-replenish, is kind to marine life and results in major environmental benefits.

If you want to know more about how Tiamat can benefit your dredging project and your business, please get in touch with us.