DREDGING Highlights from the Past

30 years ago

The Port of Portland requested that the Corps of Engineers build a new dredge capable of maintaining the mouth of the Columbia River after it was deepened to 55 feet.

The 6300 cubic yard capacity hopper dredge Eagle I was christened in New Orleans by joint venture owners Royal Volker Stevin and C.F. Bean Corp. operating under the name Bean Dredging Corp. The Eagle I was the world’s largest split-hulled trailing suction hopper dredge built at Avondale Shipyard at a cost of $30 million.

Bob Austin Mud Cat director of sales announced that the company had introduced a new line of eight-inch basket-type cutterhead dredges which can excavate everything from sand to hard-packed clay with a digging depth of 34 feet.

20 years ago

Steve DeLoach reported that the Corps of Engineers had embarked on an R&D project using GPS to achieve hydrographic survey positioning accuracy of one decimeter in real time predicting that the technology would be available in two or three years.

Saudi Petrochemical (SADAF) purchased an electrically-powered bucketwheel dredge from Ellicott Machine Corporation for mining hard rock salt in Jubail.

10 years ago

Amerimex developed a blower that removes impurities from air used for cooling motors and electrical systems especially useful in dredging because of the dirty wet environment where dredging projects occur.

The AAPA issued an objection to the Bush Administration’s decrease in the Civil Works budget–to $3.9 billion from the previous year’s $4.54 billion. Kurt Nagle AAPA president said international trade was expected to double by 2020 and that 95 percent of U.S. exports are shipped through federal navigation channels.

HAM Dredging Ltd. contracted with IHC Holland to build a 23700-cubic-meter trailing suction hopper dredge a sister vessel of the HAM 318. The new vessel was scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2003.