Integrating dredging in sustainable development

The paper Integrating dredging in sustainable development outlines the philosophy and concepts of sustainability and its application to water infrastructure projects focusing on practical issues for dredging.

Integrating dredging in sustainable development

The International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) aims to inform the world about the fundamental need for dredging as well as advocating for an industry that makes the world a safer, better and more sustainable place to live. Adapted from the second chapter of the book, Dredging for Sustainable Infrastructure (2018), this article presents the concept of sustainability in relation to dredging projects. It describes the approaches and practices that are key to using dredging and dredge material to create more sustainable solutions and infrastructure – a modern way of thinking about dredging.

Sand as a resource: Best practices to conduct responsible dredging projects

On 5 September 2023, IADC published a paper by the same name in response to a 2022 United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report “Sand and sustainability: 10 strategic recommendations to avert a crisis”. In this report, UNEP calls for actions to set the global sand agenda in addressing environmental needs alongside justice, equity, technical, economic and political considerations. IADC’s paper highlights the dredging industry’s best practices for optimal use of scarce sand resources. This article is a condensed version of that paper.

IADC presents paper “Sand as a resource: Best practices to conduct responsible dredging projects”.

IADC presents paper “Sand as a resource: Best practices to conduct responsible dredging projects”. It presents best practices for optimal use of scarce sand resources, on both project and operational levels. Every stage of a project presents opportunities to increase the sustainability of sand extraction.

Sand as a Resource

The paper Sand as a resource: Best practices to conduct responsible dredging projects presents best practices for optimal use of scarce sand resources, on both project and operational levels. Every stage of a project presents opportunities to increase the sustainability of sand extraction.

Evaluation of a nature-based agitation dredging solution

The challenge of maintaining harbours and ports while conserving and sustaining coastal habitats, with all the rich resources they provide, requires that port and harbours do more to develop approaches to maintenance dredging that provide benefit to these neighbouring habitats. In this article, we describe an example from Harwich Harbour in the UK where Harwich Haven Authority (the Conservancy Authority) is looking to move to a more nature-based maintenance dredging methodology, using agitation dredging. Using the results of monitoring and sophisticated numerical modelling, we evaluate the likely benefit to the Stour/Orwell intertidal areas arising from the use of the agitation dredging.

The importance of flocculation in dredge plume modelling

Numerical models are often used to predict the magnitude and behaviour of dredge plumes to help assess and manage any environmental risks. To provide a realistic prediction of plumes resulting from dredging, numerical models require information on the rate at which sediment is suspended by the dredging, along with the characteristics of the suspended sediment. Previous investigations have shown that in the marine environment, fine-grained sediment suspended by natural processes and dredge-related activities are typically present as aggregated particles known as flocs. This article considers the importance of including the process of flocculation in dredge plume models.

Reinforced soil – the quay wall structure for the future?

Steel and concrete are the most common materials used in quay wall structures. The application of these materials contributes to a high emission of greenhouse gasses such as CO2 and the materials make up a large part of the construction costs. This graduate research examines whether alternative quay wall structures have the potential to be more cost effective and more sustainable compared to conventional structures for inland ports. An innovative quay wall of reinforced soil was designed and quay elements implemented to make a quay wall structure. A comparison was then made based on the criteria costs and sustainability between the innovative quay design and two conventional quays.