Dredging Boat
Dredging is the repositioning of soil from
a marine environment, using specialized equipment, in order to initiate
infrastructural and/or ecological improvements. In this definition "repositioning"
stands for the process of removal, transport, placement and often the
treatment of soil, as well as for specified soil types like sand, gravel
and rock.
Evolution of the definition
of dredging Definitions of dredging usually emphasize the excavation
and removal aspects, because originally the almost exclusive purpose
of dredging was the deepening or widening of silted waterways and harbors
in order to improve navigation or the creation of new waterways like
the Suez and Panama canals.
In the 1980's and early 1990's definitions of dredging started to include
the removal of contaminated sediments from marine environments ("remedial
dredging"), as this became an important additional function of dredging.
The main economic reasons
for dredging. Maintenance and expansion of ports and harbors to accommodate
waterborne transportation for a growing world trade is perhaps the best
known dredging activity.
Coastal protection and flood
control, especially in the context of climate change, is of growing
importance – after all almost half the world’s population lives in a
coastal zone. Since the world’s population is increasing, there is an
accelerating demand for new land for urban and industrial expansion,
leading to large land reclamation projects, e.g. waterfront development
and the construction of artificial islands for airports.
At the same time, growing
global energy consumption leads to dredging projects related to offshore
drilling platforms, submarine oil and gas pipelines, and offshore wind
farms. Another dredging activity is mining for the recovery of minerals,
gems and precious metals.
The increase in water-related
tourism (beach vacations, yachting, cruises) often depends on dredging
for beach replenishment and the construction of new marinas and deep-water
cruise harbors. And finally, of course, there is a growing need for
“green” dredging solutions, in the context of sustainable development,
including remediation of contaminated waterways and habitat restoration.
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