LOADING AND CONSOLIDATION OF DREDGED SILT IN A TRAILER SUCTION HOPPER DREDGER

A detailed experimental study of the loading and consolidation of dredged silt has been carried out in the hoppers of a trailer suction dredger. The density-depth profile of the spoil payload in the hoppers was measured 'in situ' by means of a Harwell silt density probe. Thus it was possible to obtain accurate comparable measurements of the spoil accumulated in the hopper for various different dredging methods. Experiment showed that no increase in spoil load was achieved by continuing to dredge beyond the time required to fill the hoppers to overflow level. Excess dredging with hoppers full resulted in a reduction of the ultimate hopper load. A study of the density-depth profile of hopper loads over periods of up to two hours showed consolidation of the spoil to be very slow. When dredging was resumed on top of a full hopper load which had been allowed to consolidate, there was an increase in the final hopper payload, but it was not commensurate with the dredging time lost during consolidation. Experimentation with increased pumped spoil densities showed that the density-depth profile of the payload in the hopper after excess dredging could be improved, but that the ultimate load was still less than that achieved by eliminating spoil overspill.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper B-1 from BHRA Fluid Engineering Symposium, University of Kent, Canterbury, England.
• Corporate Authors:

  British Hydromechanics Research Association

  Cranfield MK43 0AJ, Bedfordshire,   England 
• Authors:
  • Thorn, MFC
• Publication Date: 1975-9

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Dredges; Dredging; Hoppers; Loading and unloading; Performance
• Old TRIS Terms: Dredge hopper loading; Dredge performance
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00128417
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Hydrodynamics Research Association
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 14 1976 12:00AM