Hydraulic Dredging

Hydraulic dredging by cutter suction dredgers is used extensively in the Netherlands and Low countries but is not widely adopted in the UK. Even so, it is gradually becoming accepted as an efficient, environmentally sensitive and cost effective method of dredging.

Conventionally in the UK, inland dredging has been achieved by land-based excavation plant in conjunction with disposal dumper trucks.

Amphibious excavator

Advantages of Modern hydraulic dredging

Modern hydraulic dredging has significant advantages:

  • Lower manpower costs. Typically, a two/three man operation for relatively high dredge volumes.
  • Reduced need for dumper trucks.
  • Lower fuel costs, and therefore a reduction in greenhouse gases.
  • Lower mobilisation costs i.e. less plant to transport.
  • Floating dredgers remove the need for hard engineering to reinforce banks or build access roads for plant movement.
  • Floating dredgers can access all parts of the water body and dredge beyond the reach of long reach excavators.
  • Its operation inherently creates less water turbidity and thereby less disturbance to aquatic life and existing habitats.
  • A big advantage that hydraulic dredging has over mechanical is that it can pump sediment (in slurry form) over several kilometres via a temporary pipeline. This enables sediment to be placed directly in position for further treatment, (dewatering) soft engineering projects or arable land nourishment programs, without the need for haulage by trucks.
Lakes, ponds & water bodies

Mechanical Dredging

Lake and Lagoon can employ conventional methods of mechanical dredging, either with pontoon mounted excavators, amphibious excavators, or long reach excavators operating from the shore. Nonetheless mechanical dredging does have its own advantages:

  • Readily available plant and operators who do not need specialist training.
  • Extraction of sediment with a lower concentration of water.
  • Shore based excavators have the advantage of placing sediment in one operation to the adjacent bank without requiring specific Environment Agency directives.
  • Less need for dewatering.
  • The nature of mechanical dredging has an inherently lower water content and therefore be a more stable substance to control whether it is for disposal or to be used in soft engineering projects, an example being the creation of new river banks.

Each project will have its own individual dredging solution. Lake and Lagoon will devise a practical and bespoke dredging program most appropriate and tailored to the client’s budget and timescale.

Dredging

Get in touch

We offer high quality, flexible and cost effective solutions to any size project from a small pond to a large marina.

To find out more, contact us now. Phone us on 07547 062929 or use our enquiry form.

Contact Us

Get in touch

We offer high quality, flexible and cost effective solutions to any size project from a small pond to a large marina.

To find out more, contact us now. Phone us on 07547 062929 or use our enquiry form.

Contact Us