Hydraulic Backhoe Dredger

The main feature of this type of vessel or barge is that it has a fixture, such as a backhoe dredger, that increases stability and safety during construction operations. Excavators generally have a large movable arm and, generally in some cases, a larger bucket at the end of the small arm than is used on land. The movable arm can extend to the front of the dredge and reach underwater; the bucket will move toward the boat, and the sediment at the bottom of the river will be scooped up by the backhoe and moved to another location or disposed of to ensure that the river is clean.

Backhoe dredgers are capable of digging depths in excess of 30 meters. Most backhoe dredge models are not so large that they can dig that deep, however, they can still easily reach the bottom of the riverbed and generally the bucket can carry material many times larger than the arm of the excavator, however, for smaller rivers, smaller backhoe dredges are usually used.