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Special Dredges

The Corps of Engineers Dredge CURRITUCK, assigned to the Wilmington District, is an example of a special-purpose type of dredge. Designed to work the same projects as sidecasting dredges, the CURRITUCK has the additional ability to completely remove material from the inlet complex and transport it to downdrift eroded beaches. It is a self-propelled split hull type of vessel, equipped with a self-leveling deck-house located at the stern, where all controls and machinery are housed. The vessel is hinged above the main deck so that the hull can open from bow to stern by means of hydraulic cylinders located in compartments forward and aft of the hopper section. The CURRITUCK has one hopper with a capacity of 315 cu yd. The hopper section is clearly visible to the operators in the pilot house, making production monitoring an easy task.

The CURRITUCK operates in much the same way as a hopper dredge. The operator steers the vessel through the shoal areas of the channel. The dredge pumps, located in the compartments on each side of the hull, pump material through trailing dragarms into the hopper section. When an economic load is obtained, the dragarms are lifted from the bottom of the waterway and the dredge proceeds to the disposal area. A major difference between the operation of the CURRITUCK and that of a conventional hopper dredge is in the method of disposal; the CURRITUCK is designed to transport and deposit the dredged material close to the surf zone area.

The CURRITUCK provides a sand-bypassing capability in addition to improving the condition of navigation channels. The CURRITUCK excavates material from navigation channels, transports it to downdrift eroded beaches, and releases it where it is needed to provide beach nourishment, rather than wasting it offshore. After the material has been deposited in the near-shore coastal areas, the dredge backs away and returns to the navigation channel.

The CURRITUCK is an effective dredging tool for use in shallow-draft inlets. All of the dredged material is placed in the littoral zone. The CURRITUCK can also be used to supplement sidecasting dredges and to transport dredged materials from inlet channels to the near-shore areas of eroded beaches.

The production rate of the CURRITUCK is limited by its small hopper capacity. Therefore, it is not effective on major navigation channels. In addition, when the flotation depths are minimal it is necessary to use a sidecasting dredge to provide access into the project.