DREDGING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST
30 Years Ago – 1981
The Gulf Coast chapter of the Western Dredging Association met in New Orleans on November 12 and 13 in conjunction with the Texas A&M Annual Dredging Seminar. The existing officers were re-elected for second terms. They were: Carl Hakenjos president; Steve Benton first vice president; Lou Mathews second vice president; and Eric Tanzberger secretary/treasurer.
The dredge Hydro-Pacific hit a submerged rock ledge in Outer Los Angeles Harbor stopping the harbor deepening and giving rise to a review of soil samples and borings in order to discover the extent of the rock formation.
20 Years Ago – 1991
Fraser River Pile and Dredge of Richmond B.C. Purchased GPS systems for their hopper dredge Fraser Titan. This was the first time GPS was used to position a dredge.
To address change of condition claims based on material strength changes the Corps of Engineers developed a database of rock test results that enabled more extensive use of the point load test in dredging applications. The point load test provides a strength index for hard rock materials in the field using a portable test apparatus. The Unconfined Compressive Strength Data Base System (PLUCS) stores retrieves summarizes and compares rock test data.
10 Years Ago – 2001
Weeks Marine continued with their contract to remove all the debris from the World Trade Center attack by barge to Staten Island. By Monday November 19 they had removed 100000 tons of structural steel and 200000 tons of debris trucked from the Ground zero site. This represented more than 26000 truckloads loaded onto barges in two locations.
The barges were moved to a staging area in Brooklyn then delivered in tows of three or four barges – the debris to Staten Island and the steel to recyclers in New Jersey.
The Panama Canal Culebra Cut widening program was completed on November 7 – a year ahead of schedule. The project allowed simultaneous transit of two Panamax-type vessels increasing the canal’s operating capacity by 20 percent.
