Tried a new pump speed on the old Erie Sand Sucker and got a surprise

Back in the day on the Erie Canal project, we ran the dredge pump at a steady 450 rpm, no questions asked. Last month, I decided to bump it to 475 just to see if we could move more material. Instead of more sand, the whole line started shaking like crazy and we pulled up way more clay chunks than usual. Turns out the higher speed was breaking up a different layer we didn't even know was there. It messed with our screening plant for a solid day. Anyone else had a simple change on an old machine show you something totally new about the ground you're working?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevint4710d ago

It's like finding a new room in a house you've lived in for years.

david_palmer10d ago

Read a story once about a crew deepening a harbor channel. They swapped to a bigger cutter head and suddenly started pulling up perfect, ancient oyster shells by the ton instead of just mud. The new gear was just barely tapping into a layer nobody had records for. Totally clogged their spoil barge.

henry_anderson5410d ago

Yeah, that happens everywhere. You dig a new garden bed and hit a solid layer of bricks from some old walkway. Or they tear up the street to fix a pipe and find cobblestones under the asphalt. It's all just layers of stuff we forgot about, sitting right under our feet. We're always building on top of the past without even knowing it's there.