The International Association of Dredging Contractors (IADC) has just released a new ‘Facts About’ publication named ‘ Selecting a Destination for Dredged Material ‘.
‘Facts About’ is a series of concise, easy-to-read leaflets which give an effective overview of essential facts about specific dredging and maritime construction subjects.
Each leaflet provides a kind of ‘management summary’ for stakeholders who need a quick understanding of a particular issue.
One of the first areas of concern when executing a dredging project is always “what will be done with the dredged material?”
Every dredging project should take into consideration the final use or destination of the sediment that will be excavated.
Failing to examine this prior to starting a project has led to many conflicts, protests and legal delays. The misunderstandings arise quite often from a lack of knowledge of what dredged material actually is.
The nature of the project, the characteristics of the dredged material and the accessibility to placement sites are all factors to be considered early on.
These factors will guide decisions about the total costs of the project.
The type of material, the potential use of the material, the distance to a suitable placement site, the mode of transportation to the placement site, the possibility of dredged material treatment – all these aspects have financial and environmental consequences.