Port Dredging Operations and Marine Construction Project Management Intensive Course

Course Introduction

Port dredging and marine construction projects are essential for maintaining navigable waterways, accommodating larger vessels, expanding port capacity, improving berth accessibility, and developing resilient maritime infrastructure. Increasing vessel sizes, sediment accumulation, changing navigation requirements, coastal development, and the need for efficient cargo handling place growing demands on port authorities, marine contractors, engineering consultants, and infrastructure developers. The Port Dredging Operations and Marine Construction Project Management Intensive Course provides participants with practical knowledge for planning, coordinating, executing, supervising, and delivering complex dredging and marine construction projects. The programme integrates dredging engineering, hydrographic surveying, marine logistics, construction planning, contract administration, environmental management, and project controls to help participants improve delivery performance and protect long-term port functionality.

Successful dredging projects require a detailed understanding of bathymetry, seabed characteristics, sediment behavior, tidal conditions, currents, wave climate, vessel movements, navigation requirements, and the intended operational depth of port facilities. Dredging may involve capital dredging to create new channels or deepen berths, maintenance dredging to restore required depths, reclamation dredging to generate fill material, or specialized excavation to remove unsuitable or contaminated sediments. Participants will examine the technical and operational differences between these activities and learn how to evaluate site conditions, establish dredging quantities, interpret hydrographic surveys, assess sediment characteristics, and coordinate dredging requirements with port development objectives. The course emphasizes the importance of accurate baseline information, suitable dredging methods, realistic production assumptions, and effective coordination between marine engineering, navigation, and construction teams.

Marine construction projects frequently involve the installation or rehabilitation of quay walls, jetties, breakwaters, berthing structures, dolphins, revetments, navigational aids, marine pipelines, and other infrastructure exposed to demanding coastal and marine conditions. Delivering these assets requires careful management of geotechnical uncertainty, underwater construction, temporary marine works, specialized equipment, material transportation, and restricted access within active ports. Participants will explore how to integrate dredging and construction schedules, coordinate marine plant and support vessels, manage underwater excavation and placement activities, control piling and concrete works, and maintain safe navigation around construction zones. Particular attention will be given to interface management between dredging contractors, marine construction teams, port operators, shipping agents, surveyors, environmental specialists, and regulatory authorities.

Commercial and operational performance is strongly influenced by the productivity of dredging equipment, the availability of marine plant, weather windows, sediment characteristics, disposal distances, vessel traffic, and the accuracy of quantity measurement. Participants will examine the operational characteristics of cutter suction dredgers, trailing suction hopper dredgers, backhoe dredgers, grab dredgers, and other equipment used in different dredging environments. The course addresses production planning, cycle-time analysis, dredging quantity verification, equipment utilization, fuel consumption, pipeline logistics, spoil transport, material placement, and the management of downtime. Participants will also learn how to develop realistic schedules, monitor productivity, evaluate contractor performance, assess variations and claims, manage payment measurement, and maintain transparent commercial records throughout project execution.

Environmental protection and regulatory compliance are fundamental to modern dredging and marine construction management. Dredging can influence turbidity, sediment transport, underwater habitats, water quality, fisheries, coastal morphology, and the stability of nearby infrastructure. Sediment disposal and reclamation activities may also require careful assessment of contamination, material suitability, placement methods, and receiving-site capacity. Participants will examine environmental assessment requirements, sediment sampling, water quality monitoring, turbidity controls, marine biodiversity protection, spoil management, and the selection of appropriate disposal or beneficial reuse options. The programme also considers climate resilience, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, digital hydrographic surveying, geospatial data integration, remote equipment monitoring, and emerging technologies that can improve construction verification and operational decision-making while maintaining appropriate environmental and safety controls.

By completing the Port Dredging Operations and Marine Construction Project Management Intensive Course, participants will strengthen their ability to manage marine infrastructure projects from initial investigations and feasibility assessment through procurement, mobilization, dredging, construction, commissioning, and handover. They will develop practical capabilities in dredging method selection, hydrographic survey interpretation, marine construction sequencing, contractor coordination, project controls, environmental management, quantity verification, and commercial administration. The course uses realistic project scenarios to examine how weather delays, unexpected seabed conditions, equipment breakdowns, navigation restrictions, sediment contamination, and changing construction quantities affect delivery outcomes. Participants will gain a structured approach to improving schedule reliability, controlling costs, protecting the marine environment, and delivering port infrastructure that meets operational, technical, and regulatory requirements.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Port project managers responsible for dredging contracts, berth deepening, navigation channel development, port expansion, and marine infrastructure delivery.

• Dredging engineers and marine construction engineers involved in excavation planning, dredger selection, seabed preparation, reclamation, and underwater construction.

• Port authority engineers and infrastructure managers responsible for maintaining navigation depths, coordinating capital works, and managing port development programmes.

• Civil, coastal, and geotechnical engineers working on quay walls, breakwaters, jetties, berthing structures, revetments, and marine foundations.

• Hydrographic surveyors and geomatics professionals responsible for bathymetric surveys, seabed mapping, dredging quantity measurement, and as-built verification.

• Marine operations managers coordinating dredgers, support vessels, pipelines, towing arrangements, marine traffic, and offshore construction logistics.

• Construction managers and site supervisors overseeing dredging operations, reclamation works, piling, concrete placement, rock placement, and marine equipment installation.

• Quantity surveyors, cost engineers, and project controls professionals responsible for production measurement, schedule monitoring, cost forecasting, payment certification, and variations.

• Procurement and contract management professionals handling dredging tenders, marine equipment procurement, contractor performance, claims, and commercial risk.

• Environmental specialists responsible for sediment assessment, water quality monitoring, marine biodiversity protection, spoil disposal, and environmental compliance.

• Health and safety professionals managing vessel operations, diving interfaces, lifting operations, marine traffic, confined spaces, and offshore construction risks.

• Port operations and terminal managers coordinating construction activities with cargo handling, vessel berthing, navigation restrictions, and ongoing port operations.

• Consultants and engineering advisers supporting dredging feasibility studies, hydrographic investigations, marine construction design, supervision, and project assurance.

• Reclamation and coastal development professionals involved in land creation, shoreline stabilization, sediment placement, and marine infrastructure development.

• Development project professionals working with port authorities, maritime agencies, infrastructure investors, contractors, and development partners on port modernization projects.

Course Objectives

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of port dredging operations and marine construction project management, including technical planning, marine logistics, construction coordination, commercial controls, and environmental requirements.

• Evaluate dredging project requirements by examining bathymetry, seabed conditions, sediment characteristics, tidal variations, currents, navigation requirements, and target depths.

• Select appropriate dredging methods and equipment based on material properties, required production rates, water depth, site access, disposal arrangements, operational constraints, and project economics.

• Develop integrated project execution plans covering hydrographic surveys, dredging quantities, marine plant mobilization, construction sequencing, reclamation, environmental controls, and commissioning.

• Apply practical production planning and monitoring techniques for assessing dredger output, equipment utilization, cycle times, downtime, pipeline performance, transport distances, and daily progress.

• Strengthen marine construction management capabilities for coordinating quay walls, breakwaters, jetties, piling, underwater concrete works, rock placement, and associated infrastructure interfaces.

• Establish reliable quantity measurement and payment verification procedures using approved hydrographic surveys, dredging records, measurement rules, and transparent documentation.

• Improve contract administration and project controls through realistic scheduling, cost forecasting, variation management, claims assessment, procurement coordination, and contractor performance monitoring.

• Apply environmental management techniques for sediment characterization, turbidity control, water quality monitoring, contaminated material handling, disposal planning, and marine habitat protection.

• Identify and manage technical, commercial, operational, geotechnical, weather-related, navigation, equipment, and regulatory risks affecting dredging and marine construction delivery.

• Integrate hydrographic data, geographic information systems, digital survey platforms, equipment monitoring, and construction reporting tools into project planning and performance verification.

• Develop commissioning, handover, maintenance, and performance verification arrangements that confirm navigation depths, structural requirements, environmental commitments, and long-term port operational readiness.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Port Dredging and Marine Construction Project Delivery

• Examine the strategic role of dredging and marine construction in port development, vessel accessibility, berth operations, navigation safety, reclamation, and maritime infrastructure modernization.

• Distinguish capital dredging, maintenance dredging, environmental dredging, reclamation dredging, and specialized excavation according to project objectives and sediment characteristics.

• Review common marine infrastructure assets, including quay walls, jetties, breakwaters, berthing dolphins, revetments, navigation channels, turning basins, and marine pipelines.

• Establish an integrated project delivery framework covering feasibility, investigation, design, procurement, mobilization, execution, environmental monitoring, commissioning, and handover.

Module 2: Hydrographic Surveys, Bathymetry, and Seabed Investigation

• Examine hydrographic survey methods used to establish seabed levels, identify shoaling, verify existing depths, define dredging boundaries, and support construction planning.

• Interpret bathymetric charts, digital terrain models, survey control information, sounding records, and cross-sections to determine existing seabed conditions and required excavation limits.

• Evaluate the role of multibeam and single-beam echo sounders, positioning systems, tide corrections, sound velocity measurements, and survey quality assurance.

• Plan geotechnical and sediment investigations involving boreholes, grab samples, sediment cores, laboratory testing, and characterization of materials likely to affect dredging productivity and disposal options.

Module 3: Dredging Design, Quantities, and Technical Specifications

• Define dredging design levels, channel alignments, berth depths, side slopes, allowable tolerances, overdepth allowances, and other technical requirements according to project-specific engineering criteria.

• Calculate preliminary dredging quantities using baseline bathymetry, design surfaces, cross-sectional methods, and appropriate digital terrain modeling techniques.

• Examine the influence of sediment density, grain size, cohesive behavior, rock content, obstructions, and geotechnical variability on excavation methods and production assumptions.

• Prepare dredging specifications covering equipment suitability, production reporting, survey requirements, quantity measurement, material classification, disposal procedures, environmental limits, and acceptance criteria.

Module 4: Dredger Selection, Equipment Productivity, and Marine Plant Management

• Compare the operating characteristics of cutter suction dredgers, trailing suction hopper dredgers, backhoe dredgers, grab dredgers, and other equipment used in port and coastal projects.

• Select dredging equipment according to seabed material, excavation depth, required production, navigation constraints, maneuvering space, disposal distance, and available support infrastructure.

• Assess production efficiency using cycle times, excavation rates, hopper capacity, pipeline flow, transport time, sediment loading, equipment availability, and operating conditions.

• Develop marine plant mobilization and maintenance plans covering vessel availability, crew requirements, fuel supply, spare parts, technical inspections, equipment reliability, and contingency arrangements.

Module 5: Dredging Operations Planning and Execution Control

• Develop dredging work plans that define excavation zones, operating sequences, daily production targets, survey intervals, dredger movements, transport routes, and material placement requirements.

• Coordinate dredging operations with tides, currents, weather windows, vessel movements, port operating schedules, navigation restrictions, and marine safety requirements.

• Establish daily progress reporting procedures covering dredged quantities, equipment utilization, downtime, fuel consumption, sediment conditions, weather interruptions, and work completed against plan.

• Apply production variance analysis and corrective action methods to address underperformance caused by hard material, unexpected obstructions, equipment failure, restricted access, pipeline limitations, or excessive disposal distances.

Module 6: Marine Construction Methods and Infrastructure Interfaces

• Examine construction methods for quay walls, sheet piles, combi-walls, piled decks, jetties, breakwaters, revetments, and other marine structures associated with port development.

• Coordinate foundation preparation, seabed leveling, piling, underwater excavation, rock placement, precast installation, concrete works, and structural connections with dredging activities.

• Evaluate geotechnical and hydraulic interfaces involving scour, settlement, foundation stability, sediment migration, wave loading, and interaction between new structures and existing infrastructure.

• Establish construction sequencing and interface management procedures to prevent conflicts between dredgers, piling rigs, cranes, support vessels, concrete operations, survey teams, and active port traffic.

Module 7: Reclamation, Sediment Placement, and Ground Improvement

• Develop reclamation plans covering fill material requirements, placement areas, bund construction, containment systems, drainage, dewatering, settlement, and final platform levels.

• Evaluate the suitability of dredged materials for beneficial reuse based on grain size, geotechnical properties, contamination status, drainage characteristics, and intended land use.

• Examine hydraulic filling, pipeline discharge, mechanical placement, sediment containment, geotextile applications, and other placement techniques according to site conditions and environmental requirements.

• Coordinate ground improvement, preload placement, consolidation monitoring, drainage installation, settlement verification, and platform acceptance for future port buildings and infrastructure.

Module 8: Marine Logistics, Navigation Safety, and Port Interface Coordination

• Develop marine logistics plans covering vessel movements, dredger positioning, tug support, anchorage, crew transfers, equipment delivery, fuel supply, and emergency access.

• Coordinate construction activities with port control, vessel traffic services, shipping agents, terminal operators, pilots, tug operators, and other marine users.

• Establish navigational risk controls involving exclusion zones, temporary channel restrictions, vessel clearance, signaling, communication protocols, emergency towing, and safe passage arrangements.

• Manage operational interfaces in active ports by planning work windows, coordinating berth closures, maintaining access routes, communicating schedule changes, and protecting essential cargo and vessel operations.

Module 9: Environmental Management, Sediment Quality, and Disposal Planning

• Identify environmental risks associated with dredging, including increased turbidity, sediment resuspension, underwater noise, habitat disturbance, shoreline changes, and effects on aquatic organisms.

• Plan sediment sampling and characterization to determine whether dredged material is suitable for unrestricted placement, beneficial reuse, controlled disposal, or specialized treatment.

• Evaluate disposal and placement alternatives, including approved offshore sites, confined placement areas, reclamation projects, beneficial reuse schemes, and other permitted management options.

• Establish environmental monitoring and compliance procedures covering turbidity, water quality, sediment containment, sensitive habitats, spill prevention, waste management, incident reporting, and permit conditions.

Module 10: Project Planning, Scheduling, and Marine Construction Controls

• Develop integrated schedules linking surveys, design approvals, dredger mobilization, excavation, material placement, structural construction, testing, environmental monitoring, and final acceptance.

• Apply critical path analysis, work breakdown structures, resource loading, milestone tracking, look-ahead planning, and weather allowances to establish realistic delivery forecasts.

• Identify schedule dependencies involving vessel availability, tides, seasonal weather, permits, long-lead equipment, port access, geotechnical investigations, and environmental restrictions.

• Establish project control dashboards covering physical progress, dredging quantities, production efficiency, budget performance, equipment utilization, risks, safety indicators, and forecast completion dates.

Module 11: Procurement, Contract Administration, and Commercial Management

• Develop procurement strategies for dredging services, marine plant, survey equipment, geotechnical investigations, construction materials, marine structures, and specialist subcontractors.

• Review tender documentation, technical evaluation criteria, contractor qualifications, equipment schedules, production assumptions, method statements, and environmental commitments.

• Apply contract administration techniques for measuring completed work, verifying dredging quantities, certifying payments, managing variations, assessing claims, and maintaining contractual records.

• Evaluate commercial risks involving quantity uncertainty, differing seabed conditions, fuel price changes, weather delays, equipment breakdown, disposal restrictions, and changes in navigation requirements.

Module 12: Quality Assurance, Survey Verification, and Measurement Certification

• Establish inspection and test plans for dredging operations, reclamation works, geotechnical improvement, structural construction, material placement, and associated marine infrastructure.

• Verify dredging progress through repeat hydrographic surveys, approved survey control, agreed measurement surfaces, tolerance checks, and documented comparisons with design levels.

• Apply quality assurance procedures for pile installation, concrete works, rock grading, geotextile placement, fill compaction, underwater connections, and structural acceptance.

• Maintain traceable quality records, equipment certificates, survey reports, inspection requests, nonconformance reports, corrective actions, and payment measurement documentation.

Module 13: Marine Safety, Operational Risk, and Emergency Preparedness

• Identify hazards associated with vessel operations, dredging pipelines, lifting activities, diving interfaces, underwater obstructions, confined spaces, heavy equipment, and work near navigable channels.

• Establish safe systems of work covering permit-to-work arrangements, marine communication, exclusion zones, lifting plans, personal protective equipment, equipment isolation, and emergency response.

• Develop project risk registers addressing adverse weather, unexpected seabed conditions, equipment failure, vessel collisions, pipeline ruptures, pollution incidents, and delays caused by access restrictions.

• Prepare contingency plans for marine emergencies, severe weather, man-overboard incidents, fuel or hydraulic oil spills, equipment breakdown, and disruptions affecting port operations.

Module 14: Digital Dredging, Geospatial Data, and Emerging Marine Technologies

• Examine the use of digital hydrographic surveys, geographic information systems, positioning technologies, digital terrain models, and integrated data platforms for dredging planning and verification.

• Evaluate real-time equipment monitoring, dredger production dashboards, automated reporting, positioning sensors, and telemetry systems for improving operational visibility and performance management.

• Explore drone surveys, remote sensing, digital construction records, machine guidance, and emerging automation technologies where suitable for marine construction and reclamation activities.

• Establish data governance practices covering survey accuracy, coordinate reference systems, version control, equipment calibration, data exchange, cybersecurity, and traceable approval of digital records.

Module 15: Climate Resilience, Commissioning, and Marine Asset Management

• Examine the effects of sea-level rise, storm surges, changing wave conditions, coastal erosion, sediment redistribution, and extreme weather on port infrastructure and navigation requirements.

• Evaluate resilience measures involving breakwater improvements, shoreline stabilization, adaptive dredging plans, improved drainage, flood protection, and monitoring of changing coastal conditions.

• Develop commissioning and handover procedures covering final bathymetric surveys, navigation depth verification, structural inspections, equipment testing, environmental closeout, and confirmation of contractual acceptance criteria.

• Establish lifecycle asset management arrangements for maintenance dredging, berth inspections, sediment monitoring, structural maintenance, equipment servicing, hydrographic updates, and long-term performance reviews.

Module 16: Integrated Port Dredging and Marine Construction Project Simulation

• Develop a delivery plan for a representative port deepening project involving hydrographic investigations, dredger selection, excavation quantities, marine logistics, reclamation, and environmental requirements.

• Prepare an integrated programme connecting dredging operations, quay wall construction, equipment mobilization, navigation restrictions, procurement milestones, quality inspections, and final acceptance.

• Simulate project disruptions involving unexpected rock, contaminated sediment, adverse weather, dredger breakdown, survey discrepancies, and claims over measured quantities, then develop appropriate responses.

• Present a final project management plan incorporating technical decisions, schedule and cost controls, environmental safeguards, risk ownership, quality verification, commissioning requirements, and long-term maintenance arrangements.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.