Mechanical dredging to install underwater cables
Northumberland Strait, 2016 – Ocean Dredging DM is awarded a contract from Jan De Nul to dig trenches for the laying of new electrical cables to replace the current ones in the Northumberland Strait, between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Work begins simultaneously on both sides and the excavation has to be done according to very specific criteria and in waters up to 10 m deep. The extracted sediments are set aside to be used later as filling material. Once the cables are installed, a layer of gravel has to cover them due to the type of filling material (till and blocks).
Two mechanical dredges are sent from Québec, as is a significant amount of support equipment including workboats, tugs and barges. Multibeam bathymetric surveys are also conducted to ensure that the work conforms to all standards.
Mechanical dredging to install underwater cables Images
