Flexible friend

The big float dredger, a combinedvehicle consisting of excavator and pontoon undercarriages, has recently been working on a job site in Estonia. The machine replaced the previously used excavators, which became stuck in the mud.

The Big Float is ideal for use in marshlands and shallow water areas, according to a company spokesman and is available in three different excavator sizes 10, 13 and 19 tonnes. The outreach of the machine's boom varies from 10 to 15 m and the maximum digging depth is from 4,5 to 10 m depending on machine type, the spokesman said.

He added, “Stability of the machine is good, there are no problems reaching 10 m with a 0.6 m³ bucket. In addition to the standard bucket, various types of attachments can be used for pile driving, suction dredging and removal of aquatic vegetation. The machine can be equipped with extra pontoons and support legs for use in deep water.”

Big Float can be used in construction applications such as building causeways, bridges, piers and observation towers. Other main applications for the machine are reconstructing and maintaining waterways, landscaping, cleaning and building shorelines as well as making drainage trenches on wetland, swamps and industrial waste areas, the spokesman said