Mechanical vs. Hydraulic Dredgers

River with Bridge ViewIn general, dredges (also known as dredgers) come in two basic forms: mechanical and hydraulic. Mechanical dredges work by mechanically digging or gathering sediment from the bottom surface of a body of water, typically through use of a bucket.  Mechanical dredging takes place at the shoreline or working off of a barge and may or may not involve draining a lake.

The most common mechanical dredger is the bucket dredger, which is stationary, fixed by anchoring and moves while it dredges by winches. It features a number of buckets that fill as it scrapes the bottom. The material that is dredged is loaded in a barge and hauled away. This type of dredge rental is the most common in many industries.

Hydraulic dredges, on the other hand, work by sucking up a mixture of sediment and water (known as slurry) from the bottom surface and then transferring the mixture through a pipeline to another location. This dredge acts like a giant floating vacuum, removing sediment.

Dredges are used to move, and remove, a wide variety of materials, such as waste, gravel, trash and sediment.  Dredges help to keep canals, ports, harbors, and marinas clean. Dredges even help to restore beaches and land lost due to erosion.

Hydraulic dredging is most effective when working with finely grained material. Coarser things, such as gravel, can be handled but will put a higher demand on the pump, causing it to wear more quickly.

Are you looking to remove silt, sand, mud, and other sludge materials that has decreased your ponds capacity? Contact Sandling Industrial Services for mini dredge rental, which will help you to restore full capacity to your water source.