Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/7123
Title: Characterization of underwater sounds produced by trailing suction hopper dredges during sand mining and pump-out operations
Authors: Bowhead Information Technology Services
Wallops Flight Center
United States. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Dredging Operations and Environmental Research Program (U.S.)
Reine, Kevin J.
Clarke, Douglas G.
Dickerson, Charles
Wikel, Geoff
Keywords: Dredging
Pump-out operations
Sand mining
Sediment
Trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD)
Underwater sounds
Underwater acoustics
Wallops Island
Virginia
Publisher: Environmental Laboratory (U.S.)
Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.: Technical Report (Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)) ; no. ERDC/EL TR-14-3
Abstract: Underwater sounds were characterized for three trailing suction hopper dredges (TSHD) during the removal of 3.1 million yd³ of sand from an offshore borrow area and during offloading of the excavated sediment at the pump-out stations in support of the Wallops Island, Virginia Beach Stabilization Project. Sounds were recorded simultaneously at two depths, 3 and 9.1 m from the surface. Sound sources included sediment removal, pump-out of material, pump-out of clear water during pipe flushing, and transit to the borrow site (hopper empty) and to the pump-out stations fully loaded. Received and 1/3-octave Sound Pressure Levels (dB re 1 μPa, rms) are reported for each sound source. Source Levels (dB re 1μPa-1m, rms) were back-calculated using fitted regression (15.788LogR). Source Levels (SL) ranged from 161.3 dB to 176.7 dB re 1μPa-1m rms. Highest SL were obtained for the dredge Liberty, which is nearly twice the size (e.g. hopper volume, displacement) of the dredges Padre and Dodge Islands. Sounds emitted during transit produced the highest SL, whether the hopper was empty or full. Attenuation to ambient was dependent on the sound source, and ranged from 0.85 km (flushing pipes) to 2.65 km during transit with the hopper at maximum capacity.
Description: Technical Report
Gov't Doc #: ERDC/EL TR-14-3
Rights: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11681/7123
Appears in Collections:Technical Report
Technical Report

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