Hydraulic dredgers use moving water to transport the dredged material. The material is picked up by the suction of a pump, then transported through a pipeline in the form of a slurry.
Mechanical Dredgers use a bucket , clamshell or other mechanical means to scoop the material from the bottom. If the material cannot be discharged close to the dredger, then it must be stored for subsequent transport.
Usually ship-form in design, a hopper dredger deposits the dredged material in an on-board hopper for transportation. Both mechanical and hydraulic designs are common for loading the hopper as well as for discharging the dredged material.
This category encompasses the component parts of a dredger such as dredger pumps, including booster pumps, cutter heads, hull modules, ladders, anchors, spuds and the like.
Cargo Barges are vessels whose hulls are maximized for carrying cargo. Deck barges carry all their cargo on the deck. Hopper barges have funnel shaped holds that can be emptied through the bottom of the vessel. Hold barges have box shaped holds with no provision for bottom dumping.
Work barges are specialized for performing some marine work, such as pipe or cable laying, providing accommodations, pile driving, dive support or to support general marine works. Crane barges are floating platforms for fixed or rotating canes.
Working boats are vessels that are specialized for performing some work function on the water, such as pushing and towing, supporting dive operations, transporting personnel and equipment, surveying and similar operations..