In2Dredging’s (i2D) Director and Principal Consultant, Simon Burgmans, has over 20 years’ experience in the dredging industry. He has extensive experience running dredging projects in mining environments, having worked for many large mine operators such as Rio Tinto, FMG and indirectly for Newcrest.
Dredging and mining have some things in common. Both, for example, excavate rock or soil, but the two fields are very different. However, in mining the risk of subsurface rock is relatively low since rock is first loosened by blasting. In dredging, on the other hand, cutting and jetting techniques are used instead of blasting as these techniques are more effective in marine environments.
Dredging, however, also involves significantly more risks than mining because production rates vary significantly depending on the strength of the rock or soil encountered. “Besides the risk of possibly encountering adverse soil conditions, dredging always occurs underwater where progress can only be monitored with specialised survey equipment,” said Simon. “Therefore, accurate interpretation of survey data is key to monitoring a dredge’s performance.”
To help its clients interpret such survey data, i2D has combined extensive practical field experience with academic knowledge to develop several off-the shelf tools. These tools provide essential estimating, engineering and operational support for dredging projects in mining environments.
