Dredging is a process that removes sediments and artificial debris from the bottom of freshwater bodies and shallow seawater. Various industries use dredging to excavate materials from the bottom of waterways, including rocks, refuse, contaminants, building debris and plants. The process makes water navigable, creates an adequate environment for building dams and constructing bridges and even makes it possible to recover minerals and marine life where they have commercial uses. 

Dredging dates back centuries. Ancient civilizations used crude resources like buckets to lift sediments from riverbeds. In modern times, we use a specialized boat called a dredger. There are different types of dredgers — hydraulic and mechanical. 

Keep reading to learn more about dredging history and how this technology has evolved.

The Beginning of Dredging 

Dredging is steeped in humble beginnings and has come a long way when we compare it to current processes. Most early civilizations established themselves on rivers, making it crucial for them to be able to navigate these bodies of water. Ancient peoples from around the world developed unique, innovative solutions to contend with the environment. 

Ancient Civilizations

Archeological evidence suggests dredging dates back to the Mesopotamians and ancient Egyptians. These civilizations had large river-based communities that used a rudimentary irrigation tool called a shadoof or shaduf. The shadoof suspends a long pole with a bucket or basket on the end from a frame. Inhabitants would lower the bucket into water, lift it and place it in another water source or on land. 

Furthermore, archeologists have found evidence of dredging in ancient Roman harbors. Romans, known for their advanced engineering projects like the aqueduct, likely used dredging to build canal gates to control water traffic and flow. 

Dredging in the Modern Era

Renowned Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci drew a design for a type of drag dredger around the 16th century. A few hundred years later, the Industrial Revolution began and marked noteworthy advancements in dredging techniques, including the beginning of motorized dredging. The invention of the steam engine in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the use of motorized steamboats. This new technology made dredging easier and far more effective than at any other time in dredging history. From there, dredging took off and was pivotal in land development and building and expanding ports and canals. 

In the early 20th century, dredging was also crucial for land reclamation, or constructing new land in the sea. For example, in 1932 the Dutch government drained the Zuiderzee, a shallow part of the North Sea bordering the Netherlands. Cutting this off from the North Sea made it possible to reclaim the shallow wetlands and led to the creation of the Flevopolderin, an island polder and one of its surrounding lakes, the IJsselmeer. 

Dredging techniques became more innovative and hydraulic dredging, which uses streams of pressurized water to remove sediment, increased in popularity during the 20th century. 

The Present of Dredging

The dredging industry today is one of continued innovation. Many present industrial developments highlight new and renewed interest in environmental considerations. This spurred further innovation as developers found ways to make dredging safer and more sustainable. 

Today, a branch of dredging known as environmental dredging removes contaminated sediment from underwater. The process is also used to treat these waters or to place the contaminated sediments in a new location. Environmental dredging helps reduce the risks associated with underwater contaminants for human and ecological health.

Technological advancements continue to make dredging operations as accurate as possible. We now have software for real-time monitoring and improved surveying and mapping techniques. These resources are crucial as they minimize the chances of environmental impact all while making dredging as efficient as possible. 

Dredging is now a significant part of an extensive industry. Governments, corporations and individual pioneers use state-of-the-art dredging equipment in large-scale projects, including offshore energy initiatives, land reclamation and the development and maintenance of ports and canals. 

The Future of Dredging

There is a rise in demand for highly specialized dredging equipment and techniques following an increase in dredging activities commercially and environmentally. Governments have more contracts for various infrastructure projects in place and bidding for these tenders is competitive. 

The ambitious market is an incredible driving tool for innovation — we will likely see breakthroughs in dredging equipment and techniques that make the entire process more customizable and efficient. New styles and designs will also become more prevalent as the demand for an efficient dredging operation grows and as the benefits of dredging become more apparent. 

For example, a recent study analyzing dredging practices on the Gulf Coast shows the beneficial use of dredged sediment to correct land and habitat loss. The study reports that large amounts of sediment is dredged from the Gulf Coast annually to maintain safe waterways. This sediment is a valuable resource in restoring coastal marsh habitats and has led to the creation of 800 hectares of new land in the Mississippi River Delta.

Sea-borne trade is also on the rise, and this may cause the dredging market to boom even more. Sea-borne trades don’t only require well-maintained waterways — as the industry grows, there will be an increasing need for expanding ports and building new ports and waterways. 

If the industry follows current trends, the dredging market could grow to $14.39 billion by 2027. 

The Present and Future of Dredging With GeoForm International

Dredging is the perfect example of how simple ideas and solutions can grow into revolutionary industries. The rudimentary technique of a bucket suspended from a pole has transformed into a billion-dollar market that requires expert engineering and a mind for the future commercially and environmentally. GeoForm International Inc. envelops this ethos and we provide you with premium dredging equipment for your industry needs. 

Our Dino 6 Sediment Removal System is a portable hydraulic dredge packed with power. The system is equipped with a 6-inch submersible pump and 66-inch-wide cutterhead, while a four-cylinder diesel engine powers the craft. At slightly over 22 feet long, 6 feet wide and less than 6 feet tall, this small boat is perfectly portable. 

The Dino 6 is ideal for projects that are inaccessible with bigger equipment. You can use the Dino 6 for maintaining golf courses and small marinas. It is also a powerful tool for homeowners associations. Our high-quality submersible pumps are proudly made in the USA. 

Keep up with industry trends with the Dino6! Contact GeoForm International today to learn more about our Dino 6 dredge and submersible pumps.

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The post The History of Dredging: Past, Present and Future appeared first on GeoForm International.

Jump To: Hydraulic Dredging | Mechanical Dredging | Sizing Your Dredge Appropriately

If you deal with a waterway in your business, you may need to dredge it on occasion. Doing so removes silt and other undesirable materials from the bottoms of lakes, lagoons, harbors, rivers, and other waterways, improving their functionality and aesthetic appeal. It can improve fish habitats, correct erosion, deepen ponds and make waterways more navigable. It can also help industrial operations like power plants, water treatment facilities, and mining sites increase their productivity.

If you’re like many people, though, you may not be sure where to start with dredging. That’s why we’ve created this helpful guide to common types of dredges and different types of dredging methods to help you get started.

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Hydraulic Dredging

Hydraulic dredging is the superior solution in many dredging scenarios. Hydraulic dredges are cost-effective, mobile, dependable, highly versatile and suitable for challenging conditions.

A hydraulic dredge works by sucking in water and material from the bottom of the waterway. It contains a centrifugal pump that creates a partial vacuum. Then, atmospheric pressure and the water’s weight combine to force the water and material through a pipe and into a pump. 

The dredge carefully controls the proportions of water and other material it takes in. A hydraulic dredge that takes in too much water will be inefficient, and a dredge that takes in too little water will eventually bog down under the volume of incoming sediment, mud or rock. 

Most modern dredges have computer-assisted onboard instruments. These instruments are rugged and durable to withstand the harsh, sometimes salty marine environment where dredges operate. At GeoForm International, we make two top-of-the-line hydraulic dredges — the Dino6 and the Dino8.

Cutter Suction Dredges

A cutter suction dredge is a specific type of hydraulic dredge. These dredges feature specialized rotating mechanical cutterheads that suck dredged material through an intake pipe at one end and flush it out a discharge pipeline directly into the disposal site. 

Because they pump directly to the placement site, cutter suction dredges are efficient and highly cost-effective. They can work at a range of water depths and dig their own flotation if the project site is very shallow. Additionally, their sharp, toothed blades make them suitable for a wide range of soils, even rocky and hard ground. These dredges are often useful for terrain where hopper dredges are less effective. Some are self-propelled, whereas others require towing.

Regarding size, cutter suction dredges come in many dredging depths and power options, generally producing 200 to 30,000 kilowatts and reaching 2 to 35 meters. As a result, cutter suction dredges are relatively versatile and well suited for tough jobs. 

Hopper Dredgers

These specialized hydraulic dredges have one or two suction pipes that descend to the ocean floor. The head of each pipe contains a trailing drag head that loosens and sucks in material. Then, the pipe discharges the dredged material into a hopper.

This type of dredger is highly mobile and best suited for softer materials like mud, silt, clay and sand. Because hopper dredgers are so nimble, they operate efficiently even in rough waters and high-traffic marine areas, so they often find use in deepwater environments and entrances to ocean channels. They have large pumps and engines, generally have their own power and do not require towing to the dredging site. 

Mechanical Dredging

Separate from hydraulic dredges are mechanical dredges. Unlike hydraulic dredges, which use suction and pumping, mechanical dredges use mechanical tools like buckets to remove material from water. Their internal mechanisms are simpler than those of hydraulic dredges, so mechanical dredges can sometimes be easier for crews to operate.

These dredges have several drawbacks, however. Unlike hydraulic dredges, they tend to have very limited mobility, and they are poorly suited for challenging environments. They also tend to be less cost-effective overall.

Sizing Your Dredge Appropriately

As you begin assessing how to dredge your waterway, make sure you have the right size dredge for the job. The right dredge size generally depends on the volume of water you have to dredge, along with other factors. 

An 8-inch dredge can usually pump about 2,500 gallons per minute. A smaller dredge like this is relatively compact, weighing about 35 tons. A 36-inch dredge, on the other hand, which weighs thousands of tons, can often pump up to about 70,000 gallons per minute. The engine in a larger dredge typically has much more horsepower to power the significantly higher volume of water passing through it.

Below are a few questions you should ask yourself as you figure out how large your dredge should be:

• What volume of water do you need to dredge? 
• What disposal method will you use?
• What dredging depth is required?
• What are the horizontal and vertical pumping distances to the disposal area? 
• What contaminant levels are in the material to be dredged?
• What maintenance, storage, labor costs and permitting will the dredge require?
• What time span do you have to complete the project?
• In what shifts will the dredging take place?
• What type of material do you need to dredge? Is it fine sand, coarse sand, gravel, mud, cobbles or something else?
• Will the dredged material be sediment or undisturbed material? 
• How high is the project location above sea level?
• What is the distance from the water’s surface to the lowest point of dredging?

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Consider the interplay of all of these factors as you choose your dredge size. In many cases, you may want to consult with experienced dredging professionals who can give you an expert opinion about the right dredge for your project.

Reliable Hydraulic Dredging From GeoForm International

Now that you know a few of the different types of dredging methods, you can make more informed decisions for your next dredging project. To gain the best value and performance, you’ll likely want to get a hydraulic dredger for your waterway.

For dependable, durable hydraulic dredges that get the job done every time, make GeoForm International your trusted partner. As one of the industry’s foremost dredging and pumping manufacturers, we have the insights and expertise to provide you with high-quality, long-lasting solutions. Our Dino6 and Dino8 power efficiently through mid-sized dredging jobs. 

The Dino6 is a dependable, affordable and portable diesel dredge. It’s lightweight and compact, so it’s easy to mobilize, launch and recover, and it can reach small spaces that are inaccessible to larger machines. It also leaves little lasting impact on launch and recovery sites, so it’s environmentally friendly. 

The Dino6 is essentially a small barge that features a 6-inch submersible pump and a 66-inch cutterhead. It can handle diverse tasks such as lakes, small marinas, golf courses, sediment lagoons and retention ponds. It boasts more durability than many machines of twice its size, easily offering superior dredging performance in harsh conditions.

The Dino8 is the Dino6’s larger cousin. It offers the relatively compact footprint and rugged performance of the Dino6 with a capacity for larger jobs. Its tremendous pumping capability of 3,000 gallons per minute means it can power through more dredging work in a shorter timeframe, often completing a job in half the standard time. It is ideal for mid-sized, more challenging projects or those with tight deadlines.

We also offer submersible pumps for sediment removal, as well as dredging services and rental equipment. Our friendly, knowledgeable dredging experts are always here to answer questions or consult with you about tough projects.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help meet your hydraulic dredging needs or learn more about dredging with our complete dredging guide.

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People Also Read:

What Is Dredging? A Complete Guide.

Complete Guide to Submersible Pumps

When Should I Dredge My Pond?

The post Common Dredging Methods appeared first on GeoForm International.

Jump To: Options for Sludge & Muck Removal |  Large Muck Removal Jobs | Mid-Size Muck Removal Jobs | Small Muck Removal Jobs

There are few things more unappealing to the eye than a large pond or a lake covered in sludge. If muck is covering the bottom of your pond, it can transform what would otherwise be a beautiful spot into a place no one wants to visit. Beyond looking unpleasant, muck can also be damaging for your pond’s eco-system by shutting out the oxygen needed to keep your pond-life healthy. Sludge can even smell bad, making it unpleasant to be around the water.

It should come as no surprise that, for most people, getting rid of lake muck is high on their list of priorities. Unfortunately, this can be easier said than done. It isn’t as simple as scooping this organic matter out of the water and disposing of it. Jobs like this often require a professional touch and the help of a high-quality submersible pump.

If you’ve never worked with these types of pumps before, it can be tricky to know where to start. With many different models available, how is a person to know which is best for their particular situation? Which pumps are best for small jobs and which are best suited to more complex tasks? Which are great for open areas and which are better for tight, hard-to-maneuver spots? Today, we want to walk you through some of the top pumps out there, as well as which jobs they’ll be best suited to.

Ways To Remove Sludge and Muck 

Thinking about clearing some of the muck out of your pond? There are many different ways to do this. Submersible pumps are one of the best options, but they aren’t the only one. Depending on your situation, a few of the pond muck removal tools you’ll choose between include:

• Large dredges
• Aeration
• Submersible pumps
• Portable dredges
• Mud and muck shovels
• Bacteria and enzymes

View Our Muck Removal Equipment

Let’s talk about each of these options in more depth, including what they are, how to use them, and where you can best apply them.

What Should You Use for Small Muck Removal Jobs?

For the very largest jobs, you’ll need to use heavy-duty equipment. There aren’t many ways of getting around this fact. Even for the mid-sized jobs, you’ll still need fairly hefty equipment, although they don’t often need to be quite so extreme. For small tasks, however, the solutions become much more diverse. Rather than relying on heavy machinery, there are several more creative solutions to choose from.

1. Mud and Muck Shovel

If you’re working with a small backyard pond or a small body of water, there’s no need to drag out a large submersible pump, which will be an absurdly heavy-duty solution for a very small-scale project. Instead, why not turn to a less technical solution? With a mud and muck shovel, that’s precisely what you’ll get. 

Mud and muck shovels are specifically designed to facilitate the removal of sediment from a body of water in a simple and non-technical way. These tools look like an ordinary shovel, but with a perforated design featuring dozens of small holes punched through the shovel’s bowl. These holes are small enough that they allow water and air to pass through, leaving nothing but the sediment behind in the shovel and allowing the user to scoop the shovel through the sediment without having to deal with the suction that would ordinarily be created by the mud.

These shovels will not be practical for anything but a very small-scale job, but for these projects, they’re the perfect solution. When pumps, dredges and heavy machinery are too big for the small body of water where you’re working, sometimes the best answer is one that may seem a bit old-fashioned on the surface. The innovative design of these shovels is far from old-fashioned, however, and provides just the solution you need for your small muck-removal job.

2. Muck Removal Bacteria and Enzymes

The second small-scale muck removal project solution may initially seem equally old-fashioned. You’ll find, however, that these simple solutions are more practical for small settings where heavy machinery would be more of a bother than a help and would obstruct the scene more than it would be of assistance. This second solution is to use pond bacteria and enzymes.

These enzymes come in the form of pellets, which you can purchase from relevant retailers. Using them is extremely easy. All you need to do is open the container and deposit the pellets into the water you’re hoping to clean. These pellets will sink into the water, releasing indigenous bacteria and bio-stimulants that immediately work to begin cutting through the muck and buildup. Through the use of bacteria that stimulates healthy local growth and enzymes that eat away at the muck, these pellets are the perfect natural solution to end pond sludge.

Perhaps best of all, bacteria and enzyme pellets are entirely safe and natural. They’re 100% biodegradable, all-natural and incredibly high-performing, doing their work without endangering the native plant or animal life around your pond. They’re also designed as a slow-release capsule, meaning they’ll work slowly over an extended period instead of releasing all at once and only destroying half the sludge.

With these eco-friendly pellets being such a hands-off solution, it’s easy to wonder why you shouldn’t use them for every project. Unfortunately, these pellets are only effective in small areas. For large or mid-sized projects, the number of pellets you would need to use would be impractical and likely not extremely useful. For these other projects, you’ll have far greater luck using a pump or dredge.

What Should You Use for Mid-Sized Muck Removal Jobs?

Mid-sized jobs are still sizeable but are not quite as extreme as large jobs. This may be because the size of the pond is smaller or because there’s less muck to dredge up. In either case, the task will be less difficult, meaning that while a large dredge would certainly do the trick, it may also be more powerful than is necessary for this work. Instead, there are less powerful tools you can turn to for solutions. Let’s examine them now.

1. Aeration

Aeration is just one of several options available to you for your mid-sized projects. And while there are many aeration systems on the market to choose from, you’ll find our system offers a unique custom approach that you won’t find anywhere else.

Our aeration system uses your choice of a power take-off (PTO) or a diesel hydraulic power unit to power a wheel pump or submersible pump. You’ll back this pump into place or suspend it over the specified location, where it feeds the riffle box and completes the aeration process. For your convenience, this system is available in two different sizes, one of which processes more than 50,000 gallons per hour and another which handles more than 150,000. Decide which size makes more sense for your situation and move forward from there.

Aeration systems are particularly effective in septic conditions responsible for unpleasant smells and wildlife death caused by chemicals, vegetative activity or ice. You can also use it for process enhancement in situations where higher levels of dissolved oxygen show proven production gains.

2. Submersible Pumps

As the name suggests, submersible pumps are designed to be immersed in water, where they work to drain out sludge or other solids from the water. While our submersible pumps are certainly more than capable of working in your lake or pond, there are plenty more applications for them. You can also use these handy tools to pump rice farms, waste lagoons, mines, gravel pits, cranberry farms and other agricultural and municipal settings. While many submersible pumps you’ll find on the market today are electric, these pumps are typically designed for different applications. For the purposes of sludge and muck removal, most pumps aren’t electric. Instead, submersible pumps for this application are powered by alternate sources such as PTO-drives. All pumps manufactured by GeoForm International are powered by sources other than electric, such as PTO drive or diesel engines.

What exactly is the difference between PTO and electric pumps? Electric submersible pumps need an electric motor to run, meaning they must connect to an electrical power source. PTO pumps, on the other hand, work by transferring mechanical power to the pump from a remote engine, such as the ones you’ll find in trucks or tractors.

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3. Portable Dredges

Finally, another option for your mid-sized sludge removal job is a portable dredge. These work in much the same way as the Dino8 we looked at earlier, but on a smaller scale. This smaller and more portable dredge is known as the Dino6 and is an ideal choice for your mid-sized projects.

The Dino6 Dredge, known in full as the Dino6 Sediment Removal system, is unique for its extreme portability. Unlike other dredges, which are too big and heavy to move easily, the Dino6 weighs just 3,800 pounds. This small size makes it more portable and better able to access smaller spaces where a large dredge would struggle to fit. The Dino6 is the perfect choice for sludge removal in spaces like sediment lagoons, marinas, golf course ponds, home association lakes and retainer ponds.

In addition to this small size, convenience and portability, the Dino6 is also easy to operate. The controls are simple, intuitive and no-fuss so you don’t need to waste time being confused by operational concerns. It’s also highly durable, often outlasting and outperforming much bigger and bulkier machines that don’t offer the compact toughness of this portable dredge.

One of the major benefits of this small and portable dredge is that it’s cost-effective. Rather than spending a significant portion of your project budget to mobilize, set up and then demobilize a large dredge, you can easily transport the Dino6 at a fraction of the hassle and cost.

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What Should You Use for Large Muck Removal Jobs?

Are you dealing with a large pond or lake? Worried that there’s an exceptionally high amount of sludge and muck to clean up? We classify this as a large job. For this type of situation, we recommend using a large dredge.

1. Large Dredges

For a large project, you’ll need an equally large tool to get the job done. Industrial dredges are generally the route people will go when it comes to large dredging projects. Some of these dredges are designed to dredge oceans and other large bodies of water, and the vessels used can be larger than an entire football field.

If your project is smaller scale and doesn’t recommend an industrial dredge, the Dino8 may be a good fit. As our largest and most powerful dredge yet, the Dino8 is built to remove muck from lakes, large ponds, or other bodies of water. The Dino8 is designed to function in the same way you’ll already be familiar with if you’ve ever worked with smaller dredges, but with greater power and performance than that of these smaller machines. This makes them equal to the task of bigger projects than you might safely attempt with a small dredge.

Among the most notable features of the Dino8 are its simple and serviceable system, proven diesel reliability and consistently excellent performance, all of which work together to make your job shorter and more manageable. The Dino8 can pump 3,000 gallons in a minute, even over long distances, all while still maintaining the simple controls which make it easy and intuitive to use. With an 8-inch pump and an 18-inch draft, this dredge sacrifices none of the power you’ll need all while still staying contained in an efficient package perfect for your large scale dredging project.

Because the Dino8 is our largest machine, you may find it more challenging to maneuver in tight areas that the Dino6 can easily get to. For this reason, it’s intended for larger-scale projects that the Dino6 may not have the depth or size to handle. There are a lot of benefits to the Dino8’s larger size. It has twice the pumping capacity of its smaller counterpart, the Dino6, making it extremely practical where increased volumes of liquid and sludge need to be removed.

As mentioned above, if your project portfolio contains mostly muck removal jobs for seas and oceans, a larger vessel may be the better option, despite its heavy environmental impact.

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Contact GeoForm International for Sludge Removal Solutions

Are you tired of staring at your sludge-covered lake, marina or pond? Are you looking to boost your curb appeal and property value through clean and clear water? The first step is to clear away all the muck and sludge preventing your pond from being its most beautiful self. Here at GeoForm International, we want to help you with this crucial step.

With over 20 years of experience in the business, we’ve had the time to perfect our high-quality designs, resulting in our top-selling dredges and pumps. And we’re not content to just sell products and then walk away, either. We’re also proud to offer excellent customer support and product services, where we make answering your questions and concerns a priority.

With our experience serving a broad swath of industries, including but not limited to agriculture, industrial manufacturing, excavating, wastewater management and community water systems, we feel confident that we have the knowledge and expertise to help guide you through your project. We’ll point you towards the correct solution and provide you with the information you need to set your operation in motion.

Are you ready to get started clearing the sludge away from your pond? There’s no better time to get started than the present. Contact GeoForm International today to learn more about how we can help you.

People Also Read:

What Is Dredging? A Complete Guide.

Complete Guide to Submersible Pumps

When Should I Dredge My Pond?

The post Sludge and Muck Removal appeared first on GeoForm International.

When temperatures drop but there’s dredging work still to be done, what do you do? In many cases, especially in areas where colder temperatures can result in reduced water traffic and fewer moored boats and other seasonal obstacles in your way, dredging in the winter can be more productive than it is when the weather is warm.

Of course, there are certain wintertime dredging considerations you want to be aware of so you and your equipment are safe and perform well. Since GeoForm International is one of the premier pump and portable dredge manufacturers in the country, we want to share these winter dredging tips with you. We have more than two decades of experience supplying high-quality dredges — like the Dino 6 and Dino 8 — and related equipment, such as our submersible pumps.

Personnel Safety and Comfort

When working on or near water during winter, your first consideration must always be to ensure the safety and comfort of your operators and support crew. As long as they can dress appropriately and weather conditions allow, dredging can be performed. To support comfort and productivity, however, you may want to consider adding some weather protection equipment, such as an umbrella, windbreak or even an enclosure to the operator’s area on the dredge.

Dredging Equipment in the Winter

As far as the dredge itself is concerned, it really doesn’t matter what the external temperature is. For both our Dino 6 and Dino 8 dredges, the onboard Cummins diesel engine includes glow plugs for cold starts, and a block heater is available for extremely frigid conditions.

Environmental Considerations

When temperatures drop below freezing and ice begins to form, the dredge will still be capable of working through a thin ice coverage. However, be advised that your anchor points and cable rigging will suffer strain as the ice gets thicker. Eventually, your ability to break that ice will be limited by your anchor points.

Naturally, a certain amount of ice can be broken up using the cutterhead. However, once the cutterhead is submerged, you’ll eventually be limited by the windlass system. Also, depending on the weather forecast, you don’t want the dredge to get frozen in place overnight or for long temperature drops.

A word of warning: Winter storms can create ice buildups on floating equipment. When ice accumulates in this manner, it can be detrimental to the equipment’s buoyancy.

Freezing Pipelines

You never want water to freeze inside your pipeline overnight — mostly because you want to be able to pump the following morning. To help prevent this from happening, the low spots in your onshore pipeline can be uncoupled to drain standing water at the end of the day. In extreme conditions, you can leave the dredge engine idling overnight with the pump running to keep water continuously flowing through the pipeline. In some situations, the pump can also push a limited amount of ice out of the line.

Discharge and Dewatering

You may need to take some considerations regarding your dewatering method into account. Geotextile dewatering bags are typically not affected by freezing temperatures. In fact, freeze-thaw cycles on geotextile bags actually aid the dewatering process. The ice coverage is usually displaced by the commencement of pumping operations. In contrast, polymers suffer heavily reduced effectiveness as temperatures drop. You’re best advised to consult your polymer distributor for these temperature limits. Keep in mind, however, that since almost all dewatering processes require a certain amount of flow, icing conditions will affect all these operations to some degree.

If you have further questions about dredging in winter or would like more information regarding any of our GeoForm International products, contact us today. An expert member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Interested in learning more about dredging? Check out the resources below:

• Sediment Removal & Dredging Guide
• Industries that Use Dredging
• Photo & Video Gallery
• What to do With Dredged Sediment
• Mechanical vs. Hydraulic Dredges
• Pond Dredging Considerations

View Our Products

The post Winter Dredging appeared first on GeoForm International.

Since the inception of GeoForm International Inc. over two decades ago, the core of our business has been the design and manufacture of highly durable pumps that allow our dredging platforms like the Dino 6 and Dino 8 dredges to reliably remove sediment and other unwanted materials from ponds, lakes and water reservoirs.

In that time, we’ve learned a great deal about the versatility our customers want in their pumps. That’s why, to provide you with the information you need to make a sound decision regarding which type of pump to purchase, we’ve put together this article on whether an electric motor or PTO water pump is the best fit for your needs.

Electric Water Pumps

As its name implies, an electric submersible pump requires an electric motor — running straight from an electrical source — to power the pump. This also means that when you choose an electric motor, you must make sure it can handle the horsepower required to run the pump. The quick math on this is that you’ll need approximately double the amount of horsepower inrush current per motor rating to properly turn the pump over.

For example, if your pump needs 65 horsepower to run at optimal efficiency, you’ll need a power source that’s twice the size of its normal running capacity in order to handle all inrush and startup demands.

It’s important to keep in mind that most electric motors cannot be run underwater. For this reason, they’re most often limited to powering wheel pumps or sewer bypass pumps, where the motor never needs to be submerged.

There are specially designed submersible electric motors that run larger motorized submersible pumps, but they’re extremely expensive.

PTO Submersible Water Pumps

PTO — or power take-off — pumps work through the highly efficient transfer of mechanical power from remote engines, like those found in tractors or trucks. In other words, once a PTO hookup is established with a commercial vehicle’s engine — or by making use of the hydraulic systems found on mechanical loaders or any equipment with hydraulic taps — a PTO pump is ready to go.

In addition, unlike the math involved in calculating sufficient power for electric pumps, if your PTO pump needs 65 horsepower to run efficiently, then you only need a 65-horsepower motor to run it.

PTO pumps are much easier to match up. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about whether the pump’s motor is submerged.

Availability of Power

If you choose an electric-powered pump, you’ll obviously need access to electricity wherever you’re pumping. This means you’ll either need an outlet or a generator to supply the necessary electricity. Naturally, you can choose to run long electrical cable, but energy expenses can quickly add up. Depending on the size of the pumping job you have ahead of you, this option may not be cheap.

The dual benefits of a PTO pump are that it can move with you around a jobsite and will continuously and cost-effectively run off the power supplied by whichever engine you hook it up to.

Cost to Run

When choosing between an electric motor and PTO pump, it’s advisable to calculate and compare the cost ratio to run them. It’s worthwhile to figure out a cost analysis that looks at kilowatts per hour and matches that against the diesel used to run a PTO pump.

For more information on our pumps or for answers to any questions, contact us today.

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A power take-off (PTO) is a device that transfers an engine’s mechanical power and uses it to power another device. It can be used as a mechanical source to power another mechanical unit, such as a water pump or auger/screw conveyor, that doesn’t have its own power supply. PTO drive can commonly be found on farming equipment, trucks and other commercial equipment.

PTO Water Pumps from GeoForm International

A PTO water pump allows you to utilize the power of one of our pumps, without the addition of a seperate power supply unit to run it.  Generally our pumps are diesel over hydraulic, but by using a PTO our pumps will be driven mechanically, not hydraulically. This means there won’t be any hydraulic hoses or pumps to worry about while pumping.

Utilizing one of our Wheel Pumps, simply connect the wheel pump to your tractor or truck that sports a PTO and back the pump into the water. These water pumps are cost effective if you already own a machine that’s PTO driven.

Benefits of using a PTO Water Pump

The first benefit of PTO water pumps is the ease of use. There is relatively little you need to do to use a PTO water pump. Simply hook the pump motor up to the PTO. For wheel pumps, simply back the pump into the water or set the pump where you want to begin siphoning, then connect your discharge and you’re ready to begin pumping.

Another major benefits is that maintenance is much simpler for PTO pumps than it is with an all-in-one pump. There are less moving parts and no power units to troubleshoot when problems arise.

Lastly, our pumps are made from steel, then powder coated. This results in a durable unit that can be used many times, without much maintenance.  

Contact Us for Your PTO Water Pump Needs

If you’re interested in learning more about PTO options for GeoForm International pumps, contact us today!

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How much do you know about submersible pumps? Since you’re reading this, we’re willing to bet that you know a little. As it turns out, there’s a lot more to know about these pumps than might initially meet the eye. They’re carefully constructed devices that have very specific tasks to perform — and they have a lot going on beneath the surface that you might not realize at first glance.

Beyond this, submersible pumps are appropriate for use in a whole host of situations and settings that you might not have thought of. While you might be used to seeing and thinking of these pumps in one setting, it might never have occurred to you that you can use them for other purposes.

Whatever your level of knowledge about these pumps, today we’re giving you our ultimate guide to submersible pumps. Whether you’re an absolute novice on the topic or you just need a quick brush-up on some of the details, we hope you can learn something interesting here.

What Is a Submersible Pump?

Just as the name implies, a submersible pump is one that is specifically designed to be submerged in the very liquid it is going to be pumping. This makes these pumps immensely practical, efficient and usable in a variety of applications. They can be used in numerous industrial and commercial applications as well as many homes, schools and businesses.

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How Did Submersible Pumps Originate?

Submersible pumps were built and first appeared in Europe. They did not appear commonly in the U.S. until the 1950s. There were initial doubts about whether or not these pumps could be reliable, since they were fully submerged, but doubters were soon convinced and the submersible pump began to become more popular throughout the 1960s.

The popularity of the pump continued to grow as more and more companies saw the benefits of its submersible capabilities. Today, they’re a valuable and irreplaceable part of many pumping stations and other applications.

How Are Submersible Pumps Used?

At GeoForm International, Inc., our submersible pumps power our entire line of equipment, from our dredges and aerators to our sewage digester packages. None of this equipment would run without the power of the submersible pump behind it.

The basic idea of a submersible pump is that it can pump large amounts of liquid while fully submerged. This gives these pumps a large advantage over other types of pumps.

Whether the machine in question is a dredge, an aerator or something else entirely, the submersible pump is the base technology. Each machine looks and operates differently, since they are equipped and outfitted as best suits their unique tasks and intended applications. But the basic functionality of each machine is based on the submersible pump.

Because they can be used for so many applications, submersible pumps also come in a variety of sizes and capacities. The smaller models are more appropriate for home use and small-scale commercial applications, but there are also heavier models available. These larger pumps are typically used for industrial and construction applications.

Common Applications for Submersible Pumps

Now that we’ve gone over a basic overview of what the submersible pump is, how it works and how it’s constructed, let’s look at some of the most common applications for this device:

• Deep wells, including water and oil
• Drainage
• Sewage pumping
• Irrigation systems
• Sand recovery
• De-watering
• Washing plants
• Areas that frequently flood
• Agricultural applications
• Any place surface pumps can’t access

In addition to the submersible pump’s ability to work while entirely submerged in water, there are additional benefits that make this pump attractive for many different settings. One of these benefits is its ability to operate in areas with limited amounts of space. It’s also able to pump contaminated water that might damage other types of pumps, making it well-suited to more hazardous environments.

Because the submersible pump is so versatile and durable, it might be tempting to assume it is equipped to handle any situation. However, this is not the case. One example of an inappropriate application for submersible pumps is any type of highly corrosive environment. If you use your pump in this type of setting, it may cause damage.

Different Types of Submersible Pumps

All submersible pumps have the same basic features and purposes. However, there are slight variations that make some pumps better-suited to certain tasks than others. Here are two different types of submersible pump:

1.) Vertical Pumps

Vertical pumps are highly powerful submersible pumps designed for situations where large quantities of clean fluid need to be moved. They’re powerful enough that they can get the job done even in situations where typical electric submersed pumps and large atmospheric centrifugal pumps would be ineffective.

Because the applications for these pumps vary, they come in a variety of sizes. No matter the size, however, these pumps are designed to be extremely efficient at moving large amounts of fluid.

2.) Slurry Pumps

Slurry pumps are designed to pump material that is a mixture of liquid and solid particles. This half-solidified material cannot be handled by most other pumps, so the slurry pump is usually employed to take care of it. It’s extremely effective in applications such as drainage and de-watering.

These durable machines are often called into situations where the water or fluid that needs to be drained is too thick and sludgy for a typical vertical pump to manage.

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Submersible Pumps

Like any heavy-duty tools or equipment, submersible pumps need to be operated with care. When handled correctly, they’re a wonderful tool and indispensable in many different industries. When handled incorrectly, however, they become a safety hazard and have the potential to cripple operations and hurt the people nearby.

With this caution in mind, here is a brief list of some of the top do’s and don’ts regarding slurry pumps. Remember to always read any instructions and safety guides that come with your submersible pump before setting it up and operating it.

Do:

• Do make sure the pump is undamaged before using it.
• Do read all pertinent installation information and instructions.

Don’t:

• Don’t use the pump to pump hydrocarbons such as diesel, petrol and other fuel oils.
• Don’t operate the pump in any highly corrosive settings that might damage it.

If you’re ever in doubt about how to operate, set up or care for your pump, always refer to any instructions or manuals that came with it.

Submersible Pumps at GeoForm International, Inc.

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Here at GeoForm International, we understand that companies and industries across the globe depend on reliable and durable submersible pumps. That’s why we take our responsibility as manufacturers seriously. Our submersible pumps are carefully crafted with many industries in mind. We’re proud to distribute our top-notch hydraulic pumps to partners around the world and we’re passionate about creating products that can help your company reach its highest potential.

That’s why submersible pumps are at the core of our international business operations. Our highest priority is crafting the finest pumps and distributing them to countries both near and far.

The Dino6 and Dino8 Dredges

Our Dino6 and Dino8 dredges are top-of-the-line pieces of equipment that wouldn’t be possible without the technology of the submersible pump.

These Dino dredges are designed to remove sediment and sludge that has accumulated in a body of water. Essentially, both machines perform the same function. The only difference between them is that the Dino6 is a smaller machine while the Dino8 has double the power of its smaller counterpart.

The Dino6 Dredge weighs in at 3,800 lbs., making it appropriate for small-scale dredging jobs in locations like golf courses, home association lakes, marinas and more. The Dino8, on the other hand, is far more powerful and is best used for mid-sized dredging projects.

Submersible pumps are ultimately what power these Dino dredges, as they are submerged in the water and pump all the pieces of sediment. Because this type of work necessitates the pump being underwater, the submersible pump makes these dredges effective in a way no other type of pump technology could manage.

Our Aerators

Our unique and customizable aerator works by using a hydraulic power source to fuel a wheel pump or a submersible pump. This pump is then dropped into a location to do its work. We offer two pump sizes depending on your needs so you can choose which is best for your project.

The aerator is an excellent solution to many seasonal or emergency situations. In these tasks, some type of septic situation may cause damage to fish, vegetation and water. The aerator is used to help correct these situations. It also would not be possible without the technology of the submersible pump.

The Digester Package

The digester package is a solution to call in when the situation can’t be fixed by a small pump or drain. If ruined equipment, broken plumbing or some other type of blockage is clogging up a digester tank, it may be unable to be emptied from the bottom.

In situations such as these, our pump can be lowered in from the top and will sink to the bottom of the tank. From there, it will pump straight back up into the truck. Again, this piece of equipment is available in multiple sizes depending on the scale of the project.

Learn More Today

At GeoForm International, we’re proud makers and manufacturers of the highest-quality submersible pumps. We not only create dependable and durable systems, but we also back them up with unparalleled customer service. If you have questions or concerns or want to talk to anyone at all about your submersible pump, we’re glad to assist you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re from the agricultural industry, excavating industry, wastewater management industry or something else altogether. We consider you a valued customer and it’s important to us that you experience the very best in both the product you receive and the customer service you expect.

If you have any questions about our products, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today on our website or give us a call at 913-782-1166.

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The post GeoForm’s Complete Guide to Submersible Pumps appeared first on GeoForm International.