Environmental Effects of Dredging Technical Notes EQUIPMENT MOBILITY IN CONFINED DREDGED MATERIAL DISPOSAL AREAS; FIELD EVALUATIONS

tions and presents data on mobility of this equipment in confined dredg material containment areas. The equipment evaluation included newly developed four- and six-wheeled low-ground-pressure vehicles. This equipment is typi-cally used to tow a rotary ditching device to create surface trenches to enhance drainage and dewatering of confined dredged material disposal sites. BACKGROUND: Studies were conducted during the Dredged Material Research Pro-gram (DMRP) (1973-1977) to identify and evaluate various pieces of low-ground-pressure construction equipment for use in dredged material containment areas. Procedures were developed (by modification of the existing NATO Refer-ence Mobility Model (NRMM) and subsequent Army Mobility Model (AMM)) to predict the performance of this equipment for conducting various work func-tions (Green 1977, Willoughby 1977, 1978). Since completion of the DMRP, new equipment which can be used to trench the surface of dredged material contain-ment areas has become available. The newly developed low-ground-pressure equipment is being used or is being considered for use by several Corps of Engineer (CE) Districts to conduct trenching operations in confined dredged material disposal areas. A number of questions have been raised regarding performance of this equipment and comparison of its performance to other available equipment. These recent studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of this newly developed low-ground-pressure equipment on soft soils in dredged material containment areas