4 Uses For Dredging
Posted on: 10 October 2022
Anytime excess sand or silt needs to be removed from a waterway, dredging equipment is required. Dredging is essentially the underwater removal of these unwanted materials.
There are a wide range of dredging techniques in use today. This versatility allows dredging to be used for a variety of purposes.
Here are four reasons why a contractor may want to complete dredging when working on a major project.
1. Maintain Waterways
Large rivers play host to cargo ships that help deliver consumer goods from one place to another. In order to safely navigate these rivers, a cargo ship needs adequate water depth.
Sand and silt that naturally accumulates along the bottom of a river can eventually cause the depth of that river to plummet. Dredging is a technique that can be used to help maintain the shipping lanes within major waterways.
Routine dredging ensures that the water depth remains at a level that is conducive to commercial activity.
2. Excavate a Construction Site
Dredging is often used when any type of underwater construction must occur.
Just as a plot of land must be cleared in preparation for construction, the bottom of a waterway must be cleared before a boat dock, wharf, or bridge can be built.
The materials that are removed from the waterway during excavation dredging can be transported to a processing plant and made into concrete or other construction materials.
3. Waterway Reclamation
Waterways can become polluted by a wide range of substances. Chemical waste, oil spills, or leaking underwater pipelines can all contaminate the soil that lies at the bottom of a waterway.
Dredging is used in the reclamation of these waterways. The contaminated sediment can be removed using dredging equipment. New, uncontaminated sediment can then be brought in to replace the soil lost during dredging.
The dredging process can also be used to help eliminate trash that may be polluting the floor of a waterway.
4. Shore Restoration
Shore erosion has the potential to compromise the safety and reliability of a waterway.
Dredging equipment can be utilized to help replenish shorelines and reverse the effects of soil erosion caused by major storms, mining activities, or natural disasters. Without the availability of the dredging process, many developed shorelines would be lost to erosion.
Dredging is a versatile process that has the potential to significantly alter the form and function of a waterway. Use dredging as a way to help you control sediment on your construction sites in the future.
Contact a professional to learn more about construction site dredging.
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