Dredging Equipment Modifications for Detection and Removal of Ordnance

MR-200321

Background

The Department of Defense is responsible for numerous dredging projects in bays and harbors throughout the United States. Many of these occur in locations associated with past and current military activities. One unforeseen complication when dredging has been the discovery of military munitions within sediments, especially in dredging projects involving the first attempt to remove sediment over extended periods of time.

The presence of ordnance in dredged material presents two unique challenges. First, it poses a potential explosive safety hazard to dredging personnel and potential damage to equipment. Second, any subsequent beneficial use of dredged material must also address the possibility of the presence of ordnance presence and/or its removal.

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Objectives of the Demonstration

MR-200321 Project Graphic

The objective of this project was to demonstrate separation of military munitions from dredging material on a dredge while minimizing the impact on dredging production rates and/or operations and applying appropriate safety precautions. The researchers set out to identify an appropriate technology that would provide in-situ separation of entrained military munitions from dredge material in such a way as to reduce the need for dredge slurry post-dredging separation efforts in a feasible and cost efficient manner.

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Demonstration Results

The demonstrators surveyed the domestic and international dredging community to determine if technology was available to accomplish in-situ separation of munitions from dredging material. The researchers determined that there is not a commercial off-the-shelf technology available that could accomplish the project objectives.

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Implementation Issues

Until a technology is identified and successfully demonstrated to separate munitions from dredging material in-situ, current dredging practices will be implemented.

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Project Documents

Points of Contact

Principal Investigator

Mr. William Wild

SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific

Phone: 619-553-2781

Fax: 619-553-6305

Program Manager

Munitions Response

SERDP and ESTCP

Project Documents

Document Types

  • Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
  • Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
  • Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
  • Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
  • Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
  • Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
  • Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
  • Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
  • Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.