WEDA Webinar – Machine Guidance for Management of Over-Dredging – July 15th

Please mark your calendar and join us for WEDA’s next webinar, Machine Guidance for Management of Over-Dredging on Thursday, July 15, 2021, from 1 to 2 PM EST. 

General Webinar Overview:  
Whether managing the depth of navigation channels, removing environmental materials or supporting the construction of underwater infrastructure, dredging is a complex, inexact and often costly excavation process.

Over-dredging, or removing more material than specified, is a common and necessary component of the dredging process because of dynamic underwater conditions and lack of visibility. The allowable paid over depth is defined in the dredging contract specifications, with consideration given to cost, environment, the equipment to be used and material to be dredged, among other variables. Unlike land-based excavation that can achieve millimeter accuracies, tolerances for material removed underwater are necessarily much larger. However, over-dredging can cost contractors and customers significant time and money, and, perhaps more problematic, can create stability problems on slopes and infrastructure.

As dredging industry professionals we have learned to live with over-dredging and through the years we have gained a good understanding of what is achievable with hydraulic and mechanical dredges. Still, the cost alone associated with over dredging can be significant and contractors and engineers continue to look for ways to minimize the wasteful spending.

Emerging technology has been proven as a means to manage over-dredging and increase efficiency and safety for dredging projects. GPS/GNSS, especially when RTK Real Time Kinematic corrections are utilized, allows the precise position and heading to be achieved. When combined with motion sensors and software in the cabin, it is possible for the operator to visualize the bucket, clamshell, or other dredge tools in real-time as the machine is working.

This presentation will provide a detailed look at what machine guidance systems consist of and what they can provide in terms of enhanced dredging project efficiency and safety. Examples will be shown involving different machine types and different guidance systems.

Presenter:
Jonathan White
Product Manager, Trimble Civil Engineering Field Solutions

PDH Credit:
A certificate for one (1) professional development hours will be available for all participants who attended this webinar or viewed the recorded webinar online. Please respond to this email to request a certificate.