Dredged material confnement facilities as solid liquid separation systems.

Toward this end, a comprehensive study was conducted to develop a methodology for selecting a system to control the suspended solids in the effluents from dredged material confinement facilities, and the salient features of this methodology are described herein. Each aspect of solid liquid separation technology, as applied to this problem, is considered, and an extensive experimental study was conducted. With due consideration given to the beneficial effects of sedimentation and flocculation, as well as the compatibility, advantages, and disadvantages of conventional filter systems, new concepts are developed for the design of appropriate effluent filtering systems, such as previous dikes, sandfill weirs (with and without backwash), and granular media cartridges. Nomographs are presented to aid in (i) assessing the extent of clarification that is achieved by sedimentation and (ii) designing conceptually new granular media filters for disposal area effluents. A general methodology in the form of flow charts is proposed to guide the designer in selecting the techniques that are most appropriate for a given situation. (from paper)