A fish farm needed to install solar piles. But the pond bottom was covered in thick, soft silt. No machine could reach the firm layer. Pile driving was impossible.
The solution came as an excavator-mounted hydraulic dredge pump. This attachment pumps sand slurry quickly, clearing a path for construction.
This article shows how RIVER designed a custom dredge pump for a SANY excavator. The result: fast silt removal and successful pile driving
Custom Quick-Coupler Dredge Pump Solution for Excavators
The job site was a shallow fish pond with water depths of only 1-2 meters. However, the silt layer was over 3 meters thick. A standard excavator bucket cannot remove such soft material efficiently. It stirs up mud but does not pump it away. The pond remained too unstable for pile driving.
RIVER proposed a better method. Engineers custom-built a 7.5-meter dredge pump attachment with a hydraulic motor and a cutter head. This attachment fits directly onto the excavator’s arm using a quick coupler. The operator lowers the pump into the silt, and the cutter loosens the material. Then the slurry pump (a high-performance variant of the dredge pump) sucks the sand-water mixture and discharges it to a nearby dewatering unit.
The host machine was a SANY excavator. After fitting the RIVER dredge pump, the crew achieved:
- Faster silt removal:The pump moves up to 150 cubic meters of slurry per hour.
- Precise cleaning:The operator controls the cutter head position, removing only the required area.
- Ready for piling:Cleaned areas become firm enough to support solar pile driving.
With this setup, the contractor completed the fish pond remediation in just 10 days. The same dredge pump also worked as a slurry pump when the slurry needed longer distance transfer.
Other Applications of the Dredge Pump
The dredge pump is not only for fish pond cleaning. It adds value to many water and sand slurry projects. RIVER offers customized slurry pump configurations for different environments.
Application 1 – River and Canal Dredging
Shallow rivers often accumulate sand and silt, reducing water flow. An excavator with a dredge pump can work from the bank or from an amphibious excavator platform. This removes sediment without expensive stationary cutter suction dredger units. For large water conservation projects, RIVER’s pumps serve as cost-effective supplements.
Application 2 – Water Conservation Reservoir Cleaning
Reservoirs lose storage capacity over time due to siltation. A mobile dredge pump attached to an excavator reaches hard-to-access corners. The pump transfers sand slurry to disposal areas or geotextile tubes. Many water conservation projects now prefer this flexible method over fixed dredging plants.
Application 3 – Construction Site Dewatering and Slurry Handling
When excavating foundations in sandy soil, water mixed with sand becomes a problem. A slurry pump version of the dredge pump handles abrasive mixtures without clogging. This keeps the site dry and safe.
RIVER tailors every dredge pump to the job. We offer different cutter shapes, pump sizes, and discharge hoses. Whether you need a slurry pump for fine sand or a heavy-duty dredge pump for clay, RIVER delivers.
Summary
Soft silt and sand slurry should not stop your project. A standard excavator cannot pump away liquid mud. But with a RIVER dredge pump attachment, the same machine becomes a powerful dredging tool.
In the fish pond case, a SANY excavator fitted with a 7.5-meter dredge pump cleared thick silt in days. The cleaned area then allowed solar pile driving. For rivers, reservoirs, or construction sites, RIVER’s slurry pump and dredge pump solutions save time and money.
Contact RIVER’s engineering team to discuss your sand slurry dredging needs. We will design a dredge pump that fits your excavator and your site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I mount a RIVER dredge pump on any excavator?
A: Yes. RIVER provides custom quick coupler plates for CAT, SANY, Komatsu, Hitachi, XCMG, and other brands. Check compatibility.
Q: What is the maximum pumping distance for sand slurry?
A: With a standard dredge pump, expect 150-200 meters. With a booster slurry pump configuration, distances can exceed 500 meters.
Q: How does a dredge pump differ from a cutter suction dredger?
A: A cutter suction dredger is a dedicated floating vessel. A dredge pump attachment turns your existing excavator into a mobile dredging unit – lower cost, easier transport, and more flexible for small to medium jobs.
Q: Can the same pump handle both silt and sand?
A: Yes. RIVER designs the cutter and impeller to handle up to 20% sand content by weight. For pure sand slurry, we recommend our slurry pump model with hardened wear parts.
Contact RIVER today for a custom dredge pump or slurry pump solution. We deliver worldwide.