New Dredging Technology for Inlets and Beaches: Move Sand to the Pump

by James M. Parks, DYNEQS Ltd, Tampa, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastal Sediments

Abstract:

Conventional dredging for channel maintenance and 'mining' of offshore sand for beach restoration and renourishment 'moves the pump to the sand'. The new technology of fluidization 'moves the sand to the pump'. The fluidized sand/water slurry flows down a gentle slope to a mid-point where it is easily pumped to a nearby eroded beach - a form of sand bypassing. Beachface dewatering (the 'reverse' of fluidization) works by pumping water out of filter-covered slotted pipes buried parallel to the beach strandline. Down-drift beaches are not harmed, as the newly widened beach sheds sand continually to 'feed' downdrift beaches. A new method for underwater pipe burial has been developed and field-tested - fluidized self-burial using 'pull-down' with earth anchors. Annualized costs over a 20-30 year period are about half that of conventional methods.

Subject Headings: Sandy soils | Sand (hydraulic) | Pumps | Beaches | Inlets (waterway) | Fluid mechanics | Dredging

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