Beach Restoration & Maintenance Dredging
Erosion of beach front property is a reality around the world. Nature always finds a way to erode a pristine beach and the owner, whether public or private, is required to restore the beach to maintain its real estate value or appearance for tourism.
Beach maintenance can be expensive, especially when contracted out to large regional dredge contractors. If annual beach maintenance is required for a beach property, IMS recommends investing in a transportable dredge to deploy during the low season and restore the beach to its top condition.
IMS Versi-Dredges Restoring Beaches Around The World
An IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge performs beach restoration after a hurricane. Note the area on the port side of the dredge where sand has been removed.
A 7012 HP Versi-Dredge performs backfills an island to build a resort development.
A 5012 HP Versi-Dredge performs routine beach maintenance at a 5-Star beach resort in the Turks and Caicos.
A 5012 LP Versi-Dredge cleans out a lagoon at a manmade beach resort in the Middle East.
A private land owner dredges his beach front residence with an IMS 7012 HP Versi-Dredge. Note the dredging handled the seagrass without clogging due to IMS’s patented Pump Defender technology.
A Model 7012 HP creates a beach front in the Bahamas.
A Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge performs beach restoration in Aruba.
A Model 5012 LP Versi-Dredge cleans the Pearl of Kuwait luxury development.
A Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge deepens a beach front with dense seagrass in Belize.
Versi-Dredge Capabilities
Investing in a one-truck transportable Versi-Dredge for beach restoration and dredging can provide significant cost savings for a resort or beachfront property owner. Hiring a beach restoration contractor can cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands of dollars to several million dollars annually, depending on the size of the beach. For well under $1 million, a turn-key dredging system can be purchased and used for the next few decades, allowing the owner to continually control the shape and condition of their beach. The sand is typically pumped directly onto the beach and then a grader or bulldozer is used to spread the sand evenly or shape the beach to the owner’s specification.
The Versi-Dredge is also capable of building a beach by pumping sand onto low lying land. The Versi-Dredge has been successful with beach creation and replenishment on multiple beaches in Turks and Caicos, Belize, and Mexico.
The Versi-Dredge’s unique horizontal cutterhead design makes it ideal for coastline cleaning. When artificial islands or beaches are created in places like Dubai and Qatar, there is a tendency for silt and organics to accumulate after several years. The high dollar real estate must be maintained to preserve its value. The horizontal cutterhead, called the SolidsMaster, can remove layers of silt and organics from the coastlines to restore clarity, depth and property value. GPS is available for precision dredging.
An IMS Model 7012 HP Versi-Dredge® pumps sand from a marina channel to build a beach nearby.
An IMS Model 5012 HP Versi-Dredge® backs up and repositions for the next cut in the navigation channel using its dredging GPS system.
Discharge from an IMS Model 5012 HP Versi-Dredge® replenishing sand on Victoria Beach.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District dredges Marina del Rey Harbor in Western Los Angeles County.
News
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beach restoration and renourishment use a hydraulic dredge to pump sand from an offshore, channel or marina borrow area onto the beach through a pipeline. IMS one-truck transportable dredges — led by the 7012 HP, with the 5012 HP often used for routine resort beach maintenance — are ideal for resorts, marinas and municipalities that need to rebuild eroded beaches efficiently. The patented Pump Defender® debris guard also lets them work through dense seagrass without clogging. The system is configured to your sand source and pumping distance.
Beach dredging works by hydraulically cutting sand from a borrow area — a channel, marina or offshore deposit — and pumping it as a slurry through a pipeline to rebuild the beach; in sand bypassing, sand that accumulates on one side of an inlet is moved to the eroding side. IMS dredges perform both, restoring shorelines without trucking sand. The discharge layout is planned to your beach profile.
Renourishment frequency depends on local wave energy, storms, currents and how quickly sand erodes — some beaches need maintenance every year or two, others less often. Owning a transportable dredge lets resorts and municipalities renourish on their own schedule and respond quickly after storms. IMS can help plan a maintenance approach for your shoreline.
The pumping distance for beach renourishment depends on the dredge model, pump size, solids concentration and elevation, and can be extended significantly by adding an IMS booster pump to the pipeline. IMS calculates the achievable distance for your borrow area and beach. Share the layout for an exact figure.
Yes. By pumping sand onto low-lying land and placing it precisely, IMS Versi-Dredges are used to build up shorelines, create or restore islands and backfill resort developments — the same hydraulic placement used in beach renourishment. IMS dredges have carried out beach creation and replenishment projects in Turks and Caicos, Belize, Mexico, the Bahamas, Aruba and Martinique. The approach and discharge method are tailored to the site and environmental requirements.
Beach and coastal dredging usually requires environmental permits from local, state or national and sometimes federal authorities covering the borrow source, turbidity control and sand placement; requirements vary by location. Engaging regulators early and having a turbidity-management plan keeps the project on schedule. IMS can advise on equipment that supports low-turbidity, compliant operation.
