Some statistical relationships among dredger particulars observed in the Indian dredging fleet

Abstract

Cutter suction dredgers (CSD), Trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD) and Grab dredgers form 88% of the total Indian fleet size, respectively in the order of individual share. Indian yards have achieved 90% indigenization in design and construction of grab hopper dredgers. However, there is a techno-economic backlog in India to manufacture some vital components for CSDs and TSHDs and companies are increasingly looking to buy foreign made dredgers at a high price. Dredging demand in India at ports and in navigable inland water ways is set to grow with the encouragement for water transport. Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India has sponsored studies at Indian Maritime University-Visakhapatnam (formerly, NSDRC) for indigenization of dredger design and manufacture. The present paper aims to illustrate the existing dredger fleet of India and bring out some interesting correlations that aid the design of dredgers. Dredgers are built for a specific function. Due to this design objective, they differ from other marine vessels on the aspects of principle particulars, hopper capacities, powering and other functional data such as cutter power for CSD and dredge pumps power etc. The identified correlations among such parameters observed from the Indian dredging fleet are discussed. Certain ratios among the main dimensions for a TSHD such as length/breadth, breadth/dredge depth and breadth/draught, also known as ship ratios, are a key to dredger design and are known to vary with market conditions or time. They indicate design trends for future dredgers and require to be kept updated.