CEDA Dredging Days 2017 Approaches

The Central Dredging Association has announced that their upcoming trademark biennial event – CEDA Dredging Days, is set to take place from 9-10 November 2017 at Ahoy Rotterdam.

“In nearly 40 years, CEDA Dredging Days has grown to become the primary event for dredging professionals in the CEDA region. It’s where they expect to meet relevant people from the sector and hear the latest industry developments,” said Polite Laboyrie, CEDA President.

“At Dredging Days 2015, we had our first interactive session which was an open debate for more than 150 delegates. If you missed it last time, it will be back by popular demand and promises to be even bigger. Organized by the Dredging Management Commission, particularly for those involved in contracts, it will focus on contractual problems and how to avoid them,” added Laboyrie.

Some highlights will include:

• The launch of CEDA’s new book on the subject. Prepared in association with IADC members, it will be the next standard guideline for the dredging community;
• A technical program of 19 peer-reviewed papers presented by international experts on: Environment and monitoring; Developments in instrumentation; Sustainable working methods and equipment; Innovative solutions. Plus an Academic Session showcasing up-to-the-minute research papers;
• The brand new, and already very active, Dredging Management Commission will be presenting their first work: CEDA’s Checklist for Successful Dredging Management;
• A site visit to the largest monumental inland waterway lock in the Netherlands, the Princess Beatrix Lock, which is to be expanded after 77 years, hosted by project consortium member Jan De Nul.

The theme

For hundreds of years dredgers have been used to shape and manipulate the interface between land and water in order to support a variety of human activities.

The list is long and includes navigation, coastal protection, flood risk management, water body restoration and remediation, as well as residential, commercial, agricultural and hydropower development.

Dredging in marine, estuarine and freshwater environments affects the ecosystem and its associated services to nature and humanity either in a positive or in a negative manner.

New insights in the natural processes, in the potential impacts and benefits and new, adapted methods and technologies allow the modern dredging industry to provide sustainable solutions for developing and maintaining essential infrastructure, while securing the continuity of ecosystem services.

CEDA Dredging Days 2017 aims to demonstrate the sustainable character of modern dredging projects.