Selecting dredger appropriately according to construction conditions is an important prerequisite for organizing dredger construction and dredging. If the dredger is not chosen properly, it will not only increase the cost of dredging but also may damage the dredger and even fail to complete the task.

There are two basic principles to choose a dredger: first, it can meet the requirements of the dredging task technically; second, it can reduce the dredging cost economically as much as possible. Reasonable selection of dredging construction equipment, first of all, to be familiar with the dredging performance of a variety of dredging dredges, and then according to the specific conditions of the construction of the project, construction requirements, combined with technical, ergonomic, economic, and other aspects of comprehensive comparative analysis, finally choose the best dredging equipment.

  • The type and nature of the excavated soil

Soil is the main object of the dredger. The degree of soil excavation is mainly determined by soil type and density. All types of dredgers have their best working soils, and when in other soil conditions, do not achieve maximum productivity or even excavate.

  • Dimensions of excavation and methods of mud discharge

The dimension of excavation mainly refers to the width, depth, and thickness of excavation. If the dredge is too narrow, it will increase the forward movement times of the dredger and affect productivity. If a mud barge is used to drain the dredger, it is not easy to turn around. If the width of the trench exceeds the maximum dredging width of each dredge, the dredge shall be divided into sections, which will increase the time of ship removal and anchoring, thus affecting the work efficiency. In addition, when the depth of the trench is greater than the maximum dredging depth of the dredger, the dredger cannot work. When the water depth is less than the dredger’s draft depth, the dredger cannot go to the excavation site. For the dredger with a white belt mud tank, the draft depth when the dredger is fully loaded should also be considered. These factors should be considered in the selection of dredgers.

  • Dredging volume and working hours

If the dredging project is small, if the use of high productivity dredger, because the deployment and deployment will reduce the utilization of time, it is not economic. Other factors such as velocity, wind and waves, weather, depth of navigation, bridge clearance, and fuel supply should be taken into account when selecting a dredger.

  • Dredger performance

Dredging characteristics and suitable engineering of various dredgers are the basic knowledge of dredger selection, but the specific ship structure and basic performance of various dredgers should also be deeply understood. For example, the minimum, maximum, and most advantageous dredging depth limited by the dredger itself, the minimum width that the dredger may work, the most effective mud thickness and maximum thickness, the maximum draft depth of the dredger, and the productivity of the dredger under various construction conditions, etc.