On-demand Webinar
Learn more and register

View Important Policies and System Requirements for this course.

This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Coastal, Oceans, Ports & Rivers Institute and ASCE Continuing Education

Instructors: 
James E. Clausner, PE
Joe Wagner, P.E., BC.NE

Course Length: 1 Hour

Purpose and Background

The dredging process is defined as “removal, transportation and placement of dredged material for constructing new waterways, maintaining existing waterways or obtaining fill for beach nourishment, land reclamation, etc. ” Dredging is used primarily to create and maintain navigable channels to coastal, estuarine ports, and riverine ports for shipping commercial freight, national defense, environmental enhancement and recovery, and recreation. The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) performs the vast majority of US dredging, approximately 150 to 200 M m3 annually, to maintain 40,000 km of federal waterways serving 400 major ports with another 75 M m3 dredged privately. Once dredged, the material is placed in open water, upland confined disposal facilities, or along the banks of the waterway. Instead of being “disposed of,” dredged material is being used more frequently for beneficial uses, but increased costs often limit the percentage of material that can be used in this manner. The Corps, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the states regulate dredging and dredged material placement, for environmental compliance including impacts to water quality and biota.

This webinar presents the basic concepts of dredging, including dredge types, governing laws and regulations, the various placement options, environmental and water quality concerns for each dredge type and placement options, beneficial use options, permits required to conduct a dredging project, and sources of information.

This webinar is one in a series designed by the Waterways Navigation Engineering Task Committee of COPRI. The series presents an overarching picture of Navigation Engineering practice and principles and is tied to a similar series of ASCE Manuals of Practice. The webinars presently offered are:

  • Navigation Engineering- Understanding the Basics of This Growing Specialty
  • Introduction to Navigation Channel Design (new)
  • Dredging Fundamentals (new)
  • River Information Services - Basics of RIS and plans for US implementation
  • Navigation Engineering – Challenges for the New Decade

Primary Discussion Topics

  • Types of dredging
  • Laws and regulations
  • Placement options
  • Environmental and water quality concerns for dredge types and placement
  • Beneficial uses
  • Permits required
  • Sources for more information

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify the basics of dredging, including key definitions and statistics
  • Recognize the pertinent laws and regulations that govern dredging and disposal
  • Determine the permit process required to conduct dredging
  • Describe the different types of dredges and the advantages and disadvantages of each dredge type from a sediments and environmental impacts perspective and the various disposal options for each type of dredge
  • Discover the various dredged material disposal options and environmental issues associated with each type of placement including beneficial use options
  • Observe the sources of more detailed information on dredging

Webinar Benefits

  • Learn the basics of inland and coastal dredging and disposal and what it means for your application
  • Learn the governing laws and regulations for dredging and the starting point and path for obtaining permits
  • Learn about the pros and cons of each dredge type and dredged material disposal options to allow selection of the most appropriate options, and where practical use dredged material beneficially
  • Learn where to go for more information or assistance

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

This seminar benefits those who work in the private sector, states, and other government agencies involved with dredging and navigation and also to those who advise these organizations, such as attorneys. The discussion, though technical, involves no equations. Non-engineers can follow the material.

Webinar Outline

  • Dredging definitions and statistics
  • Pertinent laws and regulations that govern dredging
  • Dredge types, advantages, and disadvantages
  • Dredged material placement and beneficial use options
  • Dredging permit process basics
  • Sources of additional information, conferences, seminars, on-line

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]