Sand Mining / Dredging
Sand mining and dredging is critical to infrastructure development around the globe. It is used in the manufacturing of abrasives, concrete and is mixed with salt to use on icy roads. Sand dredging can extract various minerals that contain useful elements like titanium. Sand mining can also be used in the replacement of eroded coastline.
If you would like to speak with someone about Versi-Dredge equipment and your sand mining & dredging needs, call (866) 483-0014 or click “Get Started” below to tell us about your project.
IMS Versi-Dredges Mining Sand Around The World
A Model 5012 HP Versi-Dredge mines sand for a beach restoration project in Florida. Note the full pipe.
A Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge mines sand at a mine in Florida.
A contractor performs a government contract to deepen a river in Northern Mali.
An IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge mines sand from the Niger River.
An IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge dredges silica sand at a mine in Malaysia.
Two IMS Versi-Dredge units operating at a sand mine in the U.S.
A Model 5012 LP Versi-Dredge mines sand from a river in the Ivory Coast.
An IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge operating at a sand pit in Barbados.
A contractor uses an IMS 5012 HP Versi-Dredge to mine sand at a pit in Delaware.
Groundscapes uses their IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge to convert an old sand mine to a luxury resort community in Nebraska. The sand is pumped onto the shore around the pit and multi-million-dollar homes are built for a beach type lifestyle in the middle of the U.S.
An IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge operates around the clock at a sand mine in North Dakota in close to freezing conditions.
Versi-Dredge Capabilities
IMS is a major supplier of one truck transportable sand mining dredge systems to private sector buyers. The IMS Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge is ideal for sand mining, as the system is the deepest digging one-truck transportable ladder pump dredge available at 9.1m (30 ft.). The Versi-Dredge is self-propelled, so there’s no need to set and reset anchor cables.
The maximum 305mm discharge line makes the discharge manageable when dewatering space is limited. The optional GPS system allows the operator to maneuver the dredge cutter into the existing channel design and remove no more than is necessary to fulfill the maintenance contract. The cuts can be tracked against the pre-dredging survey to show the client that the contract has been completed within scope.
With a 10” (254mm) x 12” (305mm) hi-chrome GIW Industries sand mining pump ladder mounted behind the cutterhead, solids intake between 20-25%. The easy to use joystick controls with CAN Bus diagnosing system and back up lever controls insuring minimum downtime when sand mining. The SolidsMaster will convey more sedimentary sand to the pump intake than any dredge in its class. Basket cutters will have reduced solids on the return swing as they take in more water.
For more compacted sand deposits and sand bars above the water line, the IMS JetMaster system can be added to the Versi-Dredge or Depth Master to enhance excavation capabilities and increase overall production output.
Learn why the IMS Versi-Dredge® is the right choice for your sand dredging requirements. See IMS’s global sand dredging experience.
An IMS Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge® cuts a river channel in India to prevent flooding of a village during the rainy season.
Two IMS Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredges® being used to dredge sand out of the Niger River.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District dredges Marina del Rey Harbor in Western Los Angeles County.
Discharge from an IMS Model 5012 HP Versi-Dredge® replenishing sand on Victoria Beach.
An IMS Model 5012 HP Versi-Dredge® dredges sand from a sand mine in Florida. The 5012 HP is equipped with an 8×10 GIW sand dredging pump.
An early 1990’s IMS 5012 LP Versi-Dredge® produces impressive solids at a sand mine in Texas.
Murjan Al-Sharq for Marine Services (MSMS) performs maintenance dredging at a major oil producer’s sea water plant in Saudi Arabia.
Am IMS Model 5012 HP Versi-Dredge® with Patented Starwheel self propulsion in the Phillipines.
Frequently Asked Questions
For underwater sand extraction, a hydraulic dredge is the most efficient choice because it cuts and pumps sand as a slurry directly to shore or a stockpile in one continuous operation. IMS sand-mining dredges — led by the high-production 7012 HP — run a hi-chrome GIW sand mining pump, ladder mounted behind the cutterhead, together with the patented self-cleaning Pump Defender® to handle abrasive sand with minimal wear and downtime. The right model is matched to your reserve depth and target output.
Sand output depends on the model, pump size, solids concentration and pumping distance. On the 7012 HP — IMS’s highest-production sand model — the ladder-mounted GIW sand mining pump typically draws 20–25% solids and pumps continuously rather than in cycles. Real throughput for your operation is best estimated from your material gradation and site layout. Contact IMS for a production estimate.
IMS dredges extract sand below the waterline to the model’s rated depth — up to 30 ft (9.1 m) on the 7012 HP Versi-Dredge, and up to 60 ft (18 m) with the DM-60 Depth Master for deeper reservoir-style sand reserves. For more compacted sand deposits, and for sand bars above the water line, the IMS JetMaster system can be added to enhance excavation. Share your reserve depth and IMS will confirm the right system.
Both use hydraulic dredging; the difference is site conditions. River sand mining targets in-stream and bar deposits where current, shifting channels and navigation must be managed, so a self-propelled dredge that repositions without anchors, cables or spuds is a real advantage. Coastal work more often involves moving sand to rebuild eroded shoreline. IMS supplies one-truck transportable dredges for both, with the model and cutterhead configured to the material and site — IMS Versi-Dredges mine sand in rivers, pits and beach restoration projects worldwide.
Dredged sand is pumped as a slurry to a containment or dewatering area where the water drains off and the sand settles for stockpiling; geotextile tubes, settling ponds and dewatering systems speed the process. IMS supplies GeoPool® dredge dewatering along with discharge accessories such as the Broadcaster attachment, and the 12 in. (305 mm) discharge line keeps discharge manageable where dewatering space is limited. Planning the spoil area early keeps the operation efficient.
For sand below the waterline, a hydraulic dredge removes and transports material in a single continuous slurry operation — no dewatering the pit, no excavating in stages and no trucking or double handling. Excavators are limited by their reach and by working in water, while an IMS dredge cuts and pumps sand straight to the stockpile. This makes hydraulic dredging faster and more efficient as project size and distance grow.
News & Press
IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge Deepens Port and Restores Beach in Martinique
In 2010 construction of a new port and sea wall in Grand Riviere, Martinique disrupted the natural sediment movement and transport patterns and resulted in beach erosion.
Sand Dredged from Cobourg Harbour Will be Moved to Victoria Beach (Canada)
The dredger, with the aid of GPS guided software, is working through a grid pattern that will result in a full 12-foot deep entrance to the Cobourg harbour.
Mayor of Olongapo City, Philippines Gives Thumbs up for IMS 5012 HP Versi-Dredge®
Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. proudly announced the arrival of the first Olongapo City-owned dredging machine to the residents of Abra St., Brgy. Barretto at the Gordon HELPS Caravan.
Burry Port Harbour Dredge
Land & Water were contracted with Carmarthenshire County Council to remove the build up of sand from the marina that had been washed in by the tidal currents.
IMS Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge® Used in Marina Del Rey
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, Los Angeles District, used an IMS Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge® in a beneficial reuse project at Marina Del Rey, California, the largest man-made marina in the United States.
Shoring Up: City Employees get Beach in Lake Forest Ready for Summer
The massive beach clean-up started with dredging in March and takes some three weeks to complete, based on weather and wave conditions.
