OPTIMIZING THE DESIGN USING MINIMIZING COST DURING THE LIFE CYCLE OF A DREDGE TOOL

摘要

It can be said that when the civil construction market demands a tool to perform a specific dredge job, that then the main discussion to define the tool most often concentrates on defining the technical parameters. It is stated that this approach often results in a design frame work defining a new dredge that is not optimum from an economic point of view. Optimizing the return of investment has proven to require a more careful evaluation of the dredge's mission through life. Issues such as type of fuel, optimum power and other capacities can be evaluated in an early stage. It is not uncommon that in designs however, a significant number of criteria, including the ones just mentioned are defined based on experience or copied from other vessels already in operation. Defining "How do we arrive near the maximum Return on Investment?" requires a more over all, in depth approach. This paper will address a number of parameters addressed in the design of a dredge, applying it here to a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge for the sake of a practical presentation. Cost per volume dredged (cubic meter/cubic yard) will be the vehicle used to evaluate the economic factors influencing efficiency from an economic point of view.