Italdraghe, the long-standing Italian dredger builder, is about to deliver the first of its new range of amphibious OCTOPUS dredgers.
This extremely versatile multifunctional dredger, set to start work in north east Italy at the end of March this year, boasts a whole host of innovative features that allow the dredgemaster trouble-free operation in a wide range environmental conditions.
The dredging arm, which can rotate at a 175° angle, is fitted with a BDC 250 dredging head, incorporating a dredge pump and 8 blade cutter head in a single unit. This head can be interchanged with a 500-liter excavator bucket as well as with a wide range of other accessories such as vegetation cutters and pile drivers.
With a dredging depth of 6.50 meters, the OCTOPUS is powered by an C13 Iveco 12.8-liter engine providing 510 HP continuous power at 2,100 RPM.
The easy-to-manoeuvre, self-propelled dredger is fitted with an Italdraghe-brand 100 HP rudder propeller with 40°+40° rotation, which allows the OCTOPUS to navigate independently between work sites.
In addition, the dredger features two spuds at the stern as well as two lateral stabilizer arms.
The immediate popularity of this decidedly flexible dredger can be seen in the fact that another two OCTOPUS dredgers are already under construction for a client in South East Asia.