Sediment Barrier While Dredging in Port Saint-John, New-Brunswick

When the Port of Saint-John, New-Brunswick, Canada, were ready to proceed with the modernization of their harbour, they included in the tender requirements that a sediment barrier be used during the dredging process. Ocean Group investigated various options for this sediment barrier. A physical barrier like a fixed boom was consider as it is widely known in the industry however it had a few downfalls namely that boats could not travel thru easily.  This traditional method required a lot of management to permit the free passage of barges which would also invariably release potential sediments in a restricted area. Conversely, a bubble curtain using Bubble Tubing® was a more effective solution to keep the sediments within the required area while allowing free passages of vessels going through at any time without the need for a team to open and close a gate.

Ocean Group in close contact with Canadianpond.ca opted for a bubble curtain. The bubble barrier strategically placed prevents suspended sediments from redispersing in the harbor while dredging. The sediments were found to be clay silts.

An optimal design used a double curtain of 130 meters long was installed in the harbour. Two sectors were being dredged, due to the portable nature of the Bubble Tubing® it was easy for the dredging crew to move the bubble curtain to the second area once the first location was complete.

CanadianPond.ca Products Ltd was also consulted on the compressor sizing to ensure a consistent and effective bubble curtain.

The client was very satisfied by the effectiveness of the Bubble Tubing® solution provided by CanadianPond.ca Products Ltd. It allowed the client to respect the local dredging regulations without hampering the movement of boats and wildlife to the site.  In the end all stakeholders were able to achieve an environmentally and economically successful project. Contact us to discuss your bubble curtain project.