Methodology for manufacturing topsoil using sediment dredged from the Texas gulf intracoastal waterway

Each year nearly 23 million m3 (30 million cy) of sediment are dredged from the Texas waterways and ports. A majority of the dredged material is disposed in confined disposal facilities. As these sites reach capacity, land must be purchased to build new disposal sites, and constructing these sites is becoming difficult. Therefore, alternatives to confined disposal facilities are being considered. One alternative is to convert dredged material to manufactured soil using dredged material and recyclable organic waste materials such as bio-solids (sewage sludge), animal manure, and bio-mass (cellulose). The applicability of converting dredged material to topsoil as a beneficial use is described, and a methodology is presented that determines the costs. Economic factors such as excavation, transportation, and manufacturing costs are considered, and for two selected examples, the estimated costs ranged from $17 to $26 per m3 ($13 to $20 per cy).

Methodology for manufacturing topsoil using sediment dredged from the Texas gulf intracoastal waterway Academic Article