Anything large, and it could cause damage to the pump impeller or other parts of the system, requiring downtime and more cost.įree-caving solids are typically the most desirable to a dredge operator. Generally, a dredging system can pass particles equal in size to one half the inside diameter of the discharge pipe. Trying to pump larger stones and other debris has the potential to clog the pump systems which then requires maintenance.

The head of the dredge pump is often fitted with cutterheads or water jets to help loosen and break up the sediment which then mixes with the water into a slurry form, which is ideal for pumping over distances.ĭredging also is only able to pump particles that can easily fit through the pump. Usually, the dredge will float along a body of water with the pump dragging along the bottom of the seabed, excavating material is it moves across the surface. Water must be present to serve as the transport medium.

The conditions required for efficient dredging are as follows:

While there are many possible ways to transport this sort of material from one place to another, assuming the right conditions are present, a hydraulic transport dredge is generally the most efficient as in the lowest cost per ton of material moved.ĭredging is used widely across the world for various applications including but not limited to:ĭredging can be only possible under some required conditions. Dredging typically involves moving course materials such as sand and gravel.

How to build a dredge pump