Eliminating Over-Dredging and Maximizing Efficiency in Small Projects
The Problem: “Dredging in the Dark”
Before the integration of advanced positioning systems, operators on smaller dredging projects often struggled with a lack of real-time visibility regarding the cutterhead’s exact location and depth.
- Inefficient Over-Dredging: To ensure they met the required project depth, operators often removed significantly more material than necessary (over-dredging), leading to wasted time, fuel, and disposal space.
- Missing Targets: Conversely, “under-dredging” resulted in high spots that failed to meet navigational standards, requiring expensive and time-consuming “re-clearing” of the site.
- Cost Constraints: High-end survey systems were historically too expensive and complex for small-to-medium projects, leaving operators to rely on manual sightings and physical markers that were easily moved or obscured.
The Solution: Ellicott® DGPS-Integrated Survey Systems
Ellicott pioneered the integration of DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) and specialized survey software into its portable dredge line, bringing “mega-project” precision to small-scale dredging.
- The Equipment: The system utilizes a DGPS receiver mounted on the dredge, linked to a computer in the operator’s cabin running real-time tracking software.
- Real-Time Visualization: The operator sees a color-coded “top view” and “profile view” of the dredge on a screen, showing exactly where they have dredged and where material still needs to be removed.
- Vertical Precision: The system tracks the depth of the cutterhead with extreme accuracy, allowing the operator to follow the exact “design grade” of the project.
- Portability: Unlike bulky legacy systems, Ellicott’s DGPS solution was designed to be modular and easily installed on portable cutterhead dredges, making it accessible for municipal and private marina projects.
The Outcome: Quantifiable Savings and Surgical Accuracy
The transition from manual dredging to DGPS-assisted operations fundamentally changed the ROI for small-scale projects.
- 30% Increase in Productivity: By eliminating the “guesswork” of where the cutterhead was located, operators were able to complete projects significantly faster.
- Reduced Disposal Costs: By minimizing over-dredging, clients saved thousands of dollars in disposal fees and maximized the remaining life of their Dredge Material Management Areas (DMMAs).
- Automated Reporting: The system allowed for the generation of “as-dredged” maps, providing immediate proof of work for inspectors and environmental regulators without the need for a secondary post-dredge survey.
- The New Industry Standard: This technology—now a core feature of Ellicott’s modern fleet—transformed the Series 370 and 670 dredges into high-precision instruments capable of meeting the most rigorous civil engineering tolerances.