An excavation apparatus comprises a controlled flow underwater excavation apparatus. A housing thereof comprises at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The at least one inlet is provided on or at a side of the housing. A fluid flow path extends from the/each at least one inlet to the outlet. The fluid flow path comprises a first portion provided at or adjacent the/each at least one inlet. The first portion is included at a non-300 angle, e.g. is substantially perpendicular, to or converges towards a longitudinal axis of the housing and substantially straight. A second portion extends or continues from the first portion. A third portion extends or continues from the second portion. The third portion is substantially straight, contains at least part of a rotor, and is divergent away from the longitudinal axis of the housing in a flow direction from the inlet to the outlet.

Apparatuses that include a nozzle, vacuum units, and vacuum trucks for excavating material, for instance, around buried utility lines. Multiple embodiments include an (e.g., air and water) nozzle, for instance, that breaks up material (e.g., earth) that is picked up with vacuum. Various embodiments include vacuum, compressed air, and water systems. Various nozzles include two passageways or tubes (e.g., one inside the other), exit orifices (e.g., from each passageway), or a combination thereof. Tubes may be concentric or a passageway may be between inner and outer tubes. Nozzles may be configured to be hand guided by an operator while excavating the material. Embodiments may include air and water valves, controls, or both.

In order to meet the objective of providing a device (10) and a method for a sediment transfer in waters (80, 81, 90) that works efficiently, a device (10) comprising at least one suction line (12) and at least one receiving means (16) for receiving sediment (70), and furthermore, having at least one pressure line (14) for transferring the received sediment (70) is proposed. Following the at least one receiving means (16), at least one pump device (18) and at least one measuring device (20) for determining a sediment concentration of the received sediment (70) are arranged. The device (10) further comprises a control unit (22) having a first interface (25) for inputting target values (24) and a second interface (26) for the at least one measuring device (20), and determines a sediment concentration in the at least one suction line (12) and/or in the at least one pressure line (14). Depending on the sediment concentration, a power of the pumping device (18) is adjustable.

A vessel and vessel/barge systems for dredging underwater surfaces. The vessel includes a hull with a bottom, bow portion, stern portion, port side, and starboard side. The vessel also includes a deck supported by the hull and a pump system mounted within the hull. A drag arm pivotably couples to the pump system. The vessel additionally includes a void defined by contiguous watertight walls or bulkheads joined to and extending upward from the bottom of the hull. The contiguous watertight walls or bulkheads are (i) vertically extensive of a perimeters of an aperture in the bottom of the hull, (ii) outboard, astern, and forward the aperture, or (iii) some combination thereof. The barge is releasably coupled to the vessel. Moreover, the barge is in fluidic communication with the drag arm.

A cutter suction dredger includes a vessel, a ladder extending away from the vessel, a cutter head positioned at a distal end of the ladder and configured to contact a bed of the body of water to cut into the bed, and a bearing assembly. The bearing assembly includes a first spherical thrust bearing configured to resist thrust forces generated by the cutter head contacting the bed, a second spherical thrust bearing positioned opposite the first spherical thrust bearing, a symmetrical spherical bearing positioned between the first and second spherical thrust bearings, and a housing surrounding the first and second spherical thrust bearings and the symmetrical spherical bearing, the housing mounted to the ladder. A shaft extends along the ladder and through the bearings and the housing, the cutter head coupled to a distal end of the shaft.

A protective sleeve configured to be circumferentially disposed around a portion of a dig wand on a hydrovac excavation system. The protective sleeve includes a body that is planar in manner and flexible. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the body includes a first layer, a second layer and a third layer. The first layer and third layer are manufactured from a synthetic rubber or polymer plastic. The second layer is intermediate the first layer and third layer and is manufactured from an impact absorbing material such as but not limited to silicone gel. A plurality of fasteners are integrally secured on the body and are arranged in a first set and a second set. The plurality of fasteners are mateable and are configured to surroundably secure the protective sleeve around a portion of a dig wand.

A microtrencher having a vacuum system configured to clean spoil from a microtrench having a rotating brush. A method of using the microtrencher to cut a microtrench in a roadway and using the vacuum system to clean spoil from the roadway and microtrench.

Methods of reinforcing a functional component, which may include a support pole or an well casing. The methods include excavating a treatment section around the perimeter of the functional component. The methods may further comprise compacting a fill material up to a fill elevation. The methods further comprise casting a mortar mixture, including with UHPC up to an upper elevation above the ground surface. A forming structure may be implemented comprising a length that corresponds to the intended length of the UHPC pour. Another embodiment of the methods comprises installing a sealant component substantially around the perimeter of the functional component. The sealant component is structured to reciprocally move with the functional component during expansion and contraction thereof.

A system for dredging a seabed includes a trailing suction hopper dredger. The trailing suction hopper dredger includes a hull, a rail coupled to the hull, and a dredge arm coupled to the rail. The dredge arm includes an upper suction pipe coupled to a lower suction pipe. A pump is coupled to the upper suction pipe and is configured to draw material toward the upper suction pipe from the seabed. A visual marine life deterrent is coupled to the dredge arm and is configured to direct light toward the sea floor where marine life may be located. Another visual marine life deterrent includes a silhouette of a marine life predator. The visual marine life deterrents are configured to be observable by the marine life and cause marine life to move away from the dredge arm.

An underwater trenching apparatus and pumping apparatus includes: first and second pumps and a trench-cutting jetting tool with first and second sections, the first pump having an inlet for fluid connection with a source of water and an outlet fluidly connected to the first section of the jetting tool, the second pump having an inlet for fluid connection with a source of water and an outlet fluidly connected to the second section of the jetting tool, wherein the outlet of the first pump is fluidly connected to the inlet of the second pump by valve means that is operable to divert at least a portion of an outlet flow of the first pump to the inlet of the second pump.