RESERVE, LA, May 1, 2015 -- DSC Dredge, LLC, a company specializing in the engineering, automation, manufacturing, and quality of cutter suction and underwater pump mining dredges, recently announced that it has provided an 8-inch Badger Class dredge to J.E. Borries Inc., a full-service marine construction and dredging company based on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to assist in an ongoing barrier island reconstruction project along a section of the Mississippi coast following the siltation that occurred during Hurricane Isaac in 2012.
Prior to this dredge purchase, J.E. Borries had completed all of its dredging work by mechanical means, using a long-reach excavator or a clamshell friction crane. The company was recently awarded a project by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to complete the dredging of three bayous in and around the city of Gulfport, Miss. A change in the plans and specifications for the project necessitated the combined use of both hydraulic and mechanical dredging.
With environmental and other regulatory concerns, in addition to concerns about the very shallow waters of the area, J.E. Borries' owner, Jason Borries, conducted extensive research on hydraulic dredges. Ultimately, he chose to work with DSC based on the company's design capability, the Badger dredge's availability and affordability, and DSC's customer service and training. The delivery of the new Badger unit plays an important role in completing this project, as well as providing additional opportunities for J.E. Borries' future dredging endeavors.
Known as the "SUDS" project, the dredging of the Stark, Upper Davis and Simmons bayous includes initial mechanical excavation, with the fines being deposited into a 200-cubic-yard shallow-draft barge, which transports the material to Deere Island, a barrier island in close proximity to Gulfport. The material comprises sandy silt with minor amounts of "gumbo" clay (sticky black, gray or green-colored clay) and shells. After reaching Deere Island, the spoils are offloaded into a holding cell, deepened and turned by the Badger Dredge, which re-excavates the material and pumps it approximately 2,000 feet away. Its depth obtainable to the natural hard sand bottom in the holding cell is over 9 feet. By the end of the project, approximately 170,000 cubic yards of material will be deposited for use as fill.|
The Badger Class 8" x 8" Cutterhead Dredge is manufactured by DSC at its Greenbush, Mich., facility. It is ideal for smaller dredging jobs where more compact equipment is required due to work area limitations. With a working width of just under 10 feet and an overall length of 54 feet including the ladder, the Badger Class dredge can be maneuvered by contractors into harder-to-reach waterways not accessible by larger crafts, yet it still can dig to a depth of 20 feet at a 60-degree down angle on the ladder. The lateral cut achieved by the dredge at maximum depth is approximately 50 feet. The Badger Class dredge is 9 feet, 2 inches tall and can be transported on a single truckload.
Offered in a discharge/suction configuration, the sturdy Badger Class dredge leverages a three-compartment hull, centered by the engine and pump compartment, which is molded to the two iron-framed side tanks to form a single heavy-duty piece reinforced with 10-gauge plate throughout. The unit's lever room and pump/engine room enclosures are built with 12-gauge plate for long service life. Meeting Tier III diesel emissions requirements, a Caterpillar C7 ACERT engine provides 250 horsepower at 2,200 rpm, and is supported by a 150-gallon fuel tank.
About DSC Dredge, LLC
DSC Dredge advances the engineering, automation, manufacturing and quality of cutter suction and underwater pump mining dredges. The company operates from three major manufacturing facilities located in Reserve, Louisiana; Poplarville, Mississippi; and Greenbush, Michigan. For more information, visit www.dscdredge.com.
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