I stopped dumping spoil off the side and started using a settling pond, and my pump stopped dying every 3 months | Dredge Operators - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
I stopped dumping spoil off the side and started using a settling pond, and my pump stopped dying every 3 months
For years I did what most guys on the crew do, just throw the spoil off the side of the cut and keep moving. My 6 inch pump was eating grit and I was swapping wear plates about every 90 days, which gets old fast when you're paying for them yourself. Last August on a job outside St. Louis I finally tried a small settling pond behind the cut, maybe 20 feet by 30 feet, and let the fines drop out before the water hit the pump. Same pump, same river muck, and I pulled the first wear plate at 11 months instead of 3. I know everybody says ponds slow you down, but I was down 4 days last year on pump repairs and maybe half a day digging the pond. If you're on a job with room for a shallow pit, just try it once and watch your plate clearances. What is your real reason for skipping a pond, space, or just the way you were taught?