How TIMS Is Changing Cutter Suction Dredge Mobilization
How TIMS Is Changing Cutter Suction Dredge Mobilization Before a cutter suction dredge can begin moving material, it must reach the project, enter the water and be assembled safely. That sounds obvious. In practice, mobilization can become one of the most complicated and expensive parts of a dredging operation. Large components must be transported within legal-load requirements. Cranes, crews and assembly areas must be coordinated. Traditional launch procedures may require substantial lifting capacity, complex sequencing and work performed at or below the waterline. VMI Dredges approached that challenge by reconsidering the machine from the beginning. The result is TIMS, the patent-pending Transformable Integrated Modular System used with VMI’s Titan cutter suction dredges. TIMS is not simply a dredge boom that can be made longer. It is a modular approach to transportation, assembly and operating depth designed around the realities of getting a serious dredge to work...
