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 dredging is used to remove loose materials in water by dustpans, hoppers and hydraulic pipeline plain suction and is usually done for maintenance projects. There are different types of dredging for sediment removal, and the most common types include suction dredging, mechanical dredging and suction-mechanical dredging.

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. 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.

Specialized equipment is used during this process, and dredges make it possible to remove unwanted sediments. Excess build-up can reduce the depth of water and cause water contamination, so dredging is crucial for rivers, canals and lakes. Sedimentation is the accumulation of sand, silt, and other debris at the bottom of a water body. Dredging is a very important process that is essential for waterway construction projects like bridges, underwater tunnels and docks, for example. 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.

What is removed when you dredge ?