Simple Cost Estimator for Environmental Dredging in the Great Lakes

Abstract

To evaluate ex situ contaminated sediment remediation alternatives, an equation or algorithm for estimating the costs of environmental dredging is required. Simple estimators exist in which the total dredging cost is based on the volume of material dredged. Unfortunately, these empirical estimators cannot accurately predict the cost of an environmental dredging project where production rates are slower than normal. An equation was developed for estimating the costs of hydraulic dredging that contains variables to accommodate the lower production rate of environmental dredging and empirical cost coefficients that were derived from the actual costs of 18 navigational dredging projects in the U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes. A similar equation was developed for mechanical dredging based on 20 Great Lakes dredging projects. The sensitivity of the total dredging cost predicted by these equations with respect to the input parameters was determined. The cost predictions of these equations compared favorably with those of the simple empirical estimators for navigational dredging projects.