6.

TSHD:
TRAILING SUCTION HOPPER DREDGER
BY PAUL VERCRUIJSSE

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 1

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Jumbo 30,000 m3
Small & Jumbo, 975 m3 & 23,000 m3

Mid-size, 4000 m3

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

• Main characteristics
• Most important parts of the dredger
• Process description
• Production limiting factors
• Some characteristic figures

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 2

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Main characteristics
• Free sailing
• Self-propelled
• Self-loading when trailing
• Self-unloading or -discharging
• Seagoing or inland waterway vessel
• All “non-rock type” soils
• Relatively insensitive for waves
• Not vulnerable for shipping

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

wheel house
swell compensator
service
crane

propulsion

engine room hopper

suction pipe
pump room

bow-coupling for
draghead pumping ashore or
- 70m rainbowing

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 3

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Most important parts, machinery

• Dragheads
• Dredge pump(s)
• Hopper, loading and unloading system

TSHD Process Description

Dredging cycle
• Loading at the dredging- or borrow area
• Sailing (loaded) to the unloading area
• Unloading (bottom opening or pumping)
• Sailing (empty) to the dredging area

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 4

TSHD Process
4

Dredging cycle

2
• 1,2,3 Loading at the dredging / borrow area 5

• 4 Sailing (loaded) to the unloading area

• 5 Unloading (bottom doors or by pumping)

• 6 Sailing (empty) to the dredging area

1
6

TSHD Process Description

Excavation (Erosion & Cutting)

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 5

TSHD Process Description

Suction

TSHD Process Description

Loading Loading (overflow)

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 6

TSHD Process Description
Loading: Basic Principle

Top view hopper

Longitudinal section

TSHD Process Description

Full Load: Basic Principle

Top view hopper

Longitudinal section

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 7

Hopper loading (mud)

Total Volume [m3]

Max. volume

Draught [m] (=tons)

Max.
draught

Mud [m3]

Hopper loading (sand)

Total Volume [m3]

Max.
volume

Draught [m] (=tons)

Max.
draught

Sand [m3]

Overflow losses

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 8

TSHD Process Description

Sailing loaded

TSHD Process Description

Discharge

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 9

 TSHD Process Description

Hopper Bottom Discharge

Split-hopper

TSHD Process Description

Hopper Self-discharge: system

Water
Sand
Jets Jets Jets

Discharge
Water inlet Dredge pump

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 10

 TSHD Process Description

Hopper Self-discharge: system

Jets Jets Jets

Discharge
Water inlet Dredge pump

TSHD Process Description

Hopper Self-discharge: system

Jets Jets Jets

Discharge
Water inlet Dredge pump

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 11

 TSHD Process Description

Hopper Self-discharge: system

Jets Jets Jets

Discharge
Water inlet Dredge pump

TSHD Process Description

Hopper Self-discharge: rainbow

Rainbowing

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 12

TSHD Process Description

Hopper Self-discharge: Pump ashore

TSHD Process Description

Sailing empty

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 13

TSHD Load Graph
(emptying by bottom door disposal)

DRAUGHT (m)
TOTAL LOAD (ton)

start overflow sailing

loaded emptying hopper

stop next
loading trip

sailing
VOLUME SAND (m3) empty

TIME IN MINUTES

Cycle-time per trip

start
dredging

TSHD Load Graph

(discharging to shore)

DRAUGHT (m)

start overflow sailing

loaded unloading
hopper next trip
stop
loading

sailing
VOLUME SAND (m3)
empty

TIME IN MINUTES

Cycle-time per trip

start
dredging

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 14

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Process related topics

• The hull
• The hopper
• Dragheads, suction pipes and belongings
• Centrifugal pumps

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

The hull
• Sailing characteristics
• Resistance
• Small keel clearance
• Maximum carrying capacity versus
draft, length and width
• Strength
• Stability

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 15

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

The hopper
• Carrying capacity
• Volume
• Weight
• Filling system
• Overflow system
• Bottom door disposal system
• Self-discharge system

Hopper: carrying capacity

Restriction by Restriction by weight
volume (full hopper) (max. draught)

MUD
5,000 m3
6,000 ton
SAND
3,500 m3
HOPPER 7,000 ton
HULL HOPPER
HULL
Low density soils
e.g.: Mud - 1.2 ton/m3 High density soils

5,000 x 1.2 = 6,000 ton e.g.: Sand - 2.0 ton/m3

3,500 x 2.0 = 7,000 ton

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 16

Hopper: loading & dumping facilities

Overflow System Bottom-doors

Conical bottom-valves

Dragheads

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 17

 Draghead
Sand Draghead

Different dragheads

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 18

Suction Pipe

Draghead 2
The drag heads

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 19

 Workability – Weather Delay

Swell Compensator

Swell
Compensator
Draghead Winch

Oil

Pressure
Draghead Jar

Seabottom

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 20

Centrifugal Pumps

Hardware
• Types & sizes
• Basic parts

inboard pump under water pump

Centrifugal Pumps

Working principle
• Energy Distribution
• Propulsion
• Pumps
• Boardnet
• Centrifugal pump

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 21

Centrifugal Pumps

Density & velocity meter

Engine-room with 2 pumps in line

TSHD

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 22

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Production limiting factors

• Soil characteristics
• Available propulsion power
• Drag head size and weight
• Keel clearance when loaded
• Dredging depth
• Pumping distance (pump- and pump drive characteristics)
• Waves and currents
• Dirt and debris

Production may vary a lot due to these factors

Limiting factors

A drag head grid damaged by boulders

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 23

Limiting factors

Dirt and debris

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger

Characteristic Figures

trailing suction small mid-size large

hopper dredger

dimensions 55*10*4 m 90*18*7 m 130*23*9 m

(L*W*Dr)

max. dredging 10-35 m 25-55 m 25-75 m

depth

hopper capacity <4,000 m3 <8,000 m3 <15,000 m3

sailing speed 8 knots 12 knots 14 knots

propulsion power 400 kW 3,500 kW 8,000 kW

diam. suction-pipe 0.35-0.9 m 0.80 m 0.90-1.00 m

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 24

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger
Characteristic Figures

trailing suction jumbo mega

hopper dredger

dimensions 180*32*13 m 225 x 38 x 12 – 15.5 m

(L*W*Dr)

max. dredging 50-120 m 55 - 155 m

depth

hopper capacity <30,000 m3 30,000 - 46,000 m3

sailing speed 17 knots 16 - 18 knots

propulsion power
(while dredging) 18,000 kW 26,000 kW

diam. suction-pipe 1.20 m 1.2 - 1.4 m

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 25

Centrifugal Pumps
Working principle

6 Bar 

3 Bar 

0 Bar 
-1 Bar 

Chapter 6 - Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - p. 26