Hydraulic Sludge Dredging Consultant

Expertise

• Hydraulic sludge dredging.
• Dredging work, dredging machinery and dredging equipment design and construction.
• Scrap metal processing, including junk car disposal and scrap.
• Hydraulic fluid power; large machine lubrication.
• Rigging for construction and marine.
• Expert and legal consulting involving dredging operations, equipment, personal injury, fluid power hydraulics and machinery repair.

Experience

Independent Consultant, Present

Completed dredging, machinery design and fluid power, (hydraulic) consulting projects throughout the U.S., Canada, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico and for firms in Costa Rica, India and France. Projects for:

• Water & Air Research, Gainesville, FL
• Louisville Gas & Electric Co., Louisville, KY
• York Waste Water Consultants, Stamford, CT
• E. I. DuPont Company, Seaford, DE
• Certified Equipment Company, Tampa, FL
• C & H Sand & Gravel, Greenup, IL
• B & M Construction Co., Mattoon, IL
• Fort Cady Minerals Corp., Toronto, Canada
• Climax Mining Co., Climax, CO
• E. I. DuPont, Seaford, DE
• U. S. Steel, Gary, IN
• Terrasol SA, San Jose, Costa Rica

Private Firm, Owner, 1987 - Present

• Consulting services in civil, mechanical, hydraulic and fluid power engineering or large equipment.
• Dredging machinery design and construction.

Private Firm, Founder and Owner, 1974 - Present

• Manager and owner of dredging contractor business.
• Developer and builder of Sludge Vac Hydraulic Dredges.
• Clients Include:
• General Motors
• Ford
• Cargill
• E.I. DuPont
• Mobile Oil
• City of Philadelphia.

Additional Experience

• Drag scraper dredging system: Designed and built a unique system to remove silt, sand and driftwood under large barge flotillas while fixed in place.
• Fluid power hydraulic: Designed and built fluid power systems for hydraulic dredges, including drive systems (for cutterhead, dredge pump and winches).
• Fluid power technician: Diagnosed and repaired well systems, on dredges, construction equipment scrap metal balers, shears, car-crushers, refuge equipment and pumps.
• Machinist: Machine shop practice and operations, machine tools; lathes, drill presses, milling machines and shears.
• Water solution separation, dewater industrial and municipal sludge.
• Rigging: Engineered and implemented rigging operations with part of the operation of drag scraping dredging system.
• Service Equipment Co., Founder, Owner, Manager - J. I. Case Industrial Equipment Dealer.
• Service Disposal Co., Founder, Owner, Manager - Refuge contractor and operator of sanitary landfill.
• Reliable Auto Crushing Co., Founder, Owner, Manager - Scrap metal processing. Scrapped 24,000 cars in one year.
• Wide Range of experience in the maintenance and repair of heavy construction equipment; held position of Field Service Technician with two Caterpillar dealers in Central Illinois. Positions held, Master Mechanic and Shop Superintendent for two large highway contractors. While employed for Standard Paving Co., had responsibility for the repair and maintenance of 200 pieces of heavy construction equipment.

Honors & Publications

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Western Dredging Association
• Fluid Power Society

Credentials

• Dredge Pump Seminar: By Thomas Foundries, Birmingham, AL.
• Hydraulic Dredging: John Huston Course, First to pass course with a score of 97.5%-final exam.
• Human Relations and Public Speaking - Completed Dale Carnegie Course, received award for best speaker.
• Technical Training: Caterpillar Tractor Co: Trouble-shooting and repair of hydraulic systems, power shift transmissions, diesel engines and other heavy equipment components.

Publications

• Author of a book
• Author of articles in Hydraulics & Pneumatics Magazine
• Author of the following Lectures:
• Mining Sand and Gravel with a Hydraulic Dredge
• The Fundamentals of Hydraulic Sludge Dredging
• Maintenance of Construction
• Fluid Power Technology

Inventions

• Piranha diver cutterhead.
• Wire rope clip wenches.
• Hydraulic wire rope tensioning machine.

Education

• Graduate Hydraulic Dredging, (with Honors) John Huston Course
• Graduate Diesel and Gasoline Engine Mechanics, Bailey Technical School, St. Louis, MO