Port of Townsville - targeted dredging

As part of the ongoing desilting works at the Port of Townsville, Desilting Solutions has been undertaking targeted desilting works within the port adjacent to berthing pockets 9 and 10. A requirement of the works was to remove a layer of marine mud and silt, 400mm to 600mm from the berthing pocket profile, across its x-section to beneath the fenders and adjacent to the wharf.

To assist in minimizing over-cut, cranes were used to partially support the dredge and to maintain level, whilst the dredge managed the horizontal movement and silt removal.

The dredged silty marine mud was deposited into a hopper barge adjacent to the works, whilst liquid from the slurry was treated and disposed of through a series of GeoTubes, all housed in half-height shipping containers. Successful slurry dosing and waste management resulted in the released supernatant, being of extremely high quality, both in terms of turbidity and flow rate.

Working at the berthing pockets is constrained by shipping schedules, which meant that our dredging work needed to be undertaken within tight deadlines. Desilting Solutions' unique dredging process combined with its simplicity and compact footprint, enabled fast and efficient mobilization. We successfully managed to remove in excess of 250m3 of marine mud, and silty sediment slurry during a single-day operation.