Most Common Dredging Applications
- Marine Dredging
- Coastal Protection
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Fly Ash Dredging
- Lake Dredging
- Land Reclamation
- Beach Restoration
- Mining Dredge
- Navigation Dredging
- Port and Harbor Dredging
- Reservoir Dredging
- River Dredging
- Sand & Gravel Dredging
- Mine Tailings Dredging
We are one of the few companies who manufactures both our pumps and dredging equipment to ensure optimal support.
Problems Facing the Dredging Industry Today
There are many problems that face the dredging industry ranging from equipment problems to environmental effects. The main challenges with traditional dredging are:
- The dredge pumps routinely get clogged with sand, silt, and other debris
- The dredge pump and impeller are quickly worn down by abrasive materials
- The dredge pumps fail more often
- Longer downtimes for pump maintenance which halts production and hurts your bottom line
- Ecosystem and environmental damage stemming from high turbidity or mechanical dredging
Heavy-Duty Pumping Solutions
EDDY Dredge Pump Advantages
- Non-Clog, High Viscosity, High Specific Gravity, High Abrasives, Low pH Pumping Design
- 40-70% Solids Pumping by Volume
- Ability to pump objects of up to 12-inches in diameter
- State-of-the-Art Research and Development Facilities
- 100% American Made
- Low Total Ownership Cost
Marine Dredging Applications and Use Cases
Marine Construction
Marine construction can describe a wide variety of structures that are typically built on the shore such as piers or seawalls or offshore as with oil rigs and cofferdams. To be successful at marine construction, it requires the use of heavy-duty dredge pumps to efficiently remove sediment to ensure operation has a solid, even foundation on which to build from. Marine dredging is the most common way to excavate underwater.
Harbor and Canal Maintenance
Marine dredging also refers to harbor and canal management. Over time, sediment builds up in harbors, canals, rivers, and lakes. Canal management involves dredging sand from the ocean floor which ensures large ships can get pass safely without contacting the floor sediment. GPS positioning systems and slurry flow meters are typically used to ensure accuracy and optimal production rates. Since large container ships carry the bulk of the world’s trade goods, marine dredging is widely considered a critical cog in the global economy.
Lake Dredging
Lake dredging is the process of removing sediment from freshwater lakes. Lake dredging is typically performed due to siltation, nutrient buildup, and toxic contaminant problems found in the lake.
Siltation is when there is an excess amount of sediment buildup which can cause discolored, cloudy water. Siltation is typically caused by soil erosion or sediment spill. As a result, dredging is used to remove the excess sediment in order to restore the natural beauty of the lake.
Nutrient buildup describes the accumulation of certain nutrients such as Phosphorus (P) and Nitrogen (N). These nutrients are essential to plants and algae for strong growth. The amount of nutrients in lakes is heavily determined by the type of land, vegetation, and types of rock and bedrock. Excess buildup of nutrients (especially Phosphorus) can also promote unwanted growth or production of algae and plants.
Toxic containment is the process of removing toxic or hazardous sediment while being careful not to further contaminate the surrounding ecosystem in the process. Low-turbidity, hydraulic dredge pumps are most commonly used to safely remove contaminated material. GPS dredge positioning systems are used which allow operators to dredge with far more precision. Knowing where your pump is located beneath the water and knowing where you’ve dredged is critical in toxic containment scenarios.
EDDY Pump Marine Dredging Equipment
EDDY Pump provides the most innovative dredging solutions worldwide. Our team of expert pump engineers developed the EDDY Pump’s open rotor design which allows for far higher tolerances that allow for just about anything that will go into the intake to be passed through the discharge without issues. We also provide modular dredging products that can easily convert to different deployment types to ensure we have a deployment option that matches what you need for your job.
Extended Pumping Reach
The Excavator Dredge Pump Attachment
The EDDY Pump Excavator Dredge Attachment easily pins into your existing bucket linkage and is powered off of the excavators’ auxiliary hydraulics or a separate HPU. By using a cutterhead or high-pressure water jetting rings (depending on the dredging application), the patented EDDY Pump technology outperforms all centrifugal pumps in a variety of the most difficult dredging applications. The pump and cutterhead suction dredge work in conjunction to make this the optimal dredging system for handling compact material, highly viscous materials, and for pumping a high volume solids. The excavator pump attachment can easily pump slurries up to 4,500-feet without the need for a booster pump. For larger pump models and pumping distances of more than 2,000-feet, an HPU (Hydraulic Power Unit) is recommended for optimal production rates. All EDDY Pump suction dredges and excavator cutterheads are powered by our field-proven, U.S.A.-built, industrial slurry pumps.
Any excavator operator can be trained to operate the pump in just a couple of hours. In addition, this unit is completely modular and can be converted into a cable hung dredge or a diver operated dredge with little modification necessary.
Flexible Dredging Solution
Cable-Deployed Dredge Pump
For mining or construction operations where a crane is already available on site, the EDDY Pump Cable-Deployed Pump can be an ideal solution. Like many of our dredges, this cable deployed pump system comes with an optional water jetting material agitation system to fully optimize production rates. The cable-deployed pump can have an electric or hydraulic power system to meet the needs of the end-user.
The pump can be mounted off a cable, hanging off a crane and the water jetting ring is attached to the pump. It can be dropped onto the seabed as a diver operated unit and also be pinned to an excavator to become the Excavator Pump Attachment.
Dredge Manufacturer EDDY Pump
Diver-Operated Dredge Pump
For ultra-precision dredging which requires diver visibility and mobility, we offer the Diver Operated Dredge Pump. This unit is completely submerged and rests on the lake bed or ocean floor and can support up to 1-3 divers at once. These diver units can be powered via electric or hydraulic depending on our client’s needs.
Our diver dredge comes equipped with over 300-ft of a suction hose that can be added to the suction inlet of the pump, providing increased versatility not commonly found in conventional diver operated dredges. This also allows for far more mobility, allowing for divers to dredge in precise locations without disrupting the pipeline. Additionally, this unit can be easily converted to a Cable-Deployed Dredge or an Excavator Pump Attachment with little modification.
Essential Eco-Dredging Solutions
Environmental Dredging and Remediation
Environmental dredging generally refers to remediation dredging or removing contaminated materials from specific underwater areas. Environmental dredges are built to be as precise as possible with extremely low turbidity to prevent material agitation of the surrounding ecosystem. A low turbidity dredge will greatly help keep the contaminated material from resuspension, which would allow the dangerous material to spread over a wider area, making things worse. Environmental dredges are typically equipped with video cameras, GPS, RTK for precise positioning, and/or sonar monitoring instruments to oversee the entire dredging process. This allows the process to be much more controlled over a navigational or construction dredging, ensuring the contaminated material is captured as safely as possible.
Eco-Friendly Dredging Technology
Maintenance Dredging
Similar to other industrial processes, regular maintenance is required to keep the dredging system functional and free of any issues. Maintenance dredging is used to deepen or maintain navigable waterways or channels that have become silted. These waterways can become too shallow to navigate if sediment is left unmanaged. Lagoons and settling tanks are notorious for rapid sedimentation buildup, which needs to be removed on an annual basis to avoid reduced holding capacity, gunk/odor buildup and murky water.
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How The Pump Works
EDDY Pump vs Other Pumps
This video shows how EDDY Pump transports high slurry and abrasive materials. Featured dredge pump equipment includes the Remote Operated Subdredge, Diver Operated Pump and a Excavator Attachment Dredge Pump.
Marine Dredging Pumps for Harbor Maintenance and Construction
Marine dredging pumps move underwater sediment through a pipeline to a receiving area. For harbor maintenance and marine construction, the useful measure is how much material reaches that destination while the excavation stays within the required depth and footprint. A pump that moves plenty of water but collects little sediment can leave a contractor behind schedule. Equipment selection needs to account for the material, access to the work area, and the full discharge route.
Start With Sediment Conditions and Required Excavation
Maintenance dredging often involves deposits that change across the work area. Loose silt near a berth may give way to compacted sand or mixed debris closer to a channel entrance. Sediment samples and a recent depth survey help establish what the pump must handle and where removal is needed.
For marine construction dredging, define the excavation limits around foundations, seawalls, or other structures before choosing the deployment method. Removing sediment does not, by itself, establish that the exposed bed has the bearing capacity required for construction. The excavation needs to follow the project design.
Match Dredging Equipment Access to the Work Area
Marine dredging equipment should let the operator reach the deposit and control the intake throughout the cut. An excavator attachment may suit work accessible from shore or a suitable platform. A cable-deployed pump provides another option where lifting equipment can position the pump over the target area.
EDDY Pump offers both configurations, along with diver-operated equipment for suitable precision tasks. The choice depends on working depth, access, current, positioning requirements, and the material being removed. Include room for hose movement and equipment recovery in the layout, especially beside active berths.
Plan the Discharge Pipeline and Receiving Area Together
Harbor dredging requires a practical route from the excavation to the placement or treatment area. Pipeline length, elevation changes, fittings, and slurry properties determine the pressure the system must overcome. A distance stated for another project is not a reliable basis for selecting a pump.
The receiving area can also limit production. If settling, dewatering, or material handling cannot keep pace, increasing pump output simply moves the bottleneck downstream. Establish how the site will manage incoming slurry and return water before setting a sediment removal target.
Measure progress against the dredging objective
For navigation channel dredging, completion means achieving the specified channel dimensions, not just recording pumping hours. Compare surveys, track material delivery, and adjust the intake position as conditions change. Where sediment disturbance matters, the operating method and monitoring plan need as much attention as the pump itself.
Give EDDY Pump your sediment information, required dredging depth, estimated removal volume, and proposed discharge layout. These details provide a useful starting point for matching a marine dredging pump and deployment system to the job. They also make it easier to identify access or receiving-area constraints before equipment arrives.
Marine Dredging and Construction FAQs
What are marine dredging pumps used for?
Marine dredging pumps transfer sediment from underwater work areas to a receiving location. Typical duties include clearing harbor deposits, maintaining navigation channels, and removing material within marine construction excavations. The sediment and discharge arrangement determine the required pump configuration.
How is maintenance dredging different from capital dredging?
Maintenance dredging removes accumulated deposits to restore previously established depths or dimensions. Capital dredging creates or enlarges a waterway, berth, or other excavation. The distinction affects the project scope, survey requirements, material quantities, and equipment planning.
What information is needed to size a marine dredging pump?
Provide the sediment type, particle sizes, expected solids concentration, working depth, and required material production. Include the pipeline diameter, total route, elevation changes, and receiving conditions. Pump selection needs the combined duty, rather than flow rate alone.
When is an excavator pump attachment suitable for marine work?
An excavator attachment may suit work where the machine can safely reach and position the pump within the excavation. Confirm reach, lifting capacity, hydraulic compatibility, platform stability, and hose routing. Deeper or less accessible deposits may require another deployment method.
Does a dredge pump remove compacted sediment without agitation?
Not always. Compacted deposits may need a cutterhead or water jetting to feed material into the intake. The appropriate method depends on sediment strength, debris, and acceptable disturbance. Loose material may need much less agitation.
How far can dredged material be pumped?
There is no single distance that applies to every installation. Available pump head, slurry properties, pipeline diameter, elevation, and the required delivery rate all matter. A system calculation establishes whether one pump is sufficient or a booster arrangement is needed.
Can hydraulic dredging eliminate turbidity?
No. Hydraulic dredging can still disturb and resuspend sediment. Intake positioning, excavation rate, agitation, and site conditions influence turbidity. Where water quality is a project constraint, select the operating method and monitoring approach around that requirement.
What should contractors prepare before requesting a dredging equipment quote?
Prepare a recent survey, sediment information, target excavation dimensions, site access details, and a discharge-route sketch. Add available power, the project schedule, and receiving-area capacity. These inputs make equipment and production discussions more specific.
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