A trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) is a highly versatile vessel widely used in land reclamation and port development projects. It combines the functions of excavation, transport, and placement of soil or sand in a single self‑propelled ship, making it efficient for large‑scale reclamation works in coastal and estuarine environments.The TSHD is equipped with one or two drag arms mounted along the sides of the hull. At the lower end of each arm is a draghead that rests on or near the seabed. During dredging, powerful centrifugal dredge pumps create suction, drawing a mixture of soil and water (slurry) through the draghead and up the drag arm into the vessel’s central hopper. The ship typically moves slowly along a pre‑defined dredging track, guided by GPS and survey systems to achieve the required depths and quantities.The hopper is an internal cargo hold designed to store the dredged material. As the mixture enters the hopper, heavier particles such as sand and gravel settle to the bottom, while excess water overflows through adjustable weirs. This overflow process allows the hopper to be filled efficiently with dense material while minimizing the volume of water carried. Modern TSHDs use sensors and monitoring systems to measure hopper load, density, and volume, ensuring optimal use of capacity and precise execution of the dredging plan.In reclamation works, the TSHD transports the dredged material from offshore borrow areas or navigation channels to the reclamation site. Placement of the material can be carried out in several ways, depending on project requirements and environmental constraints. The most common method is pump‑ashore: the vessel connects via a floating pipeline to a shore‑based discharge line, and powerful pumps discharge the hopper load as a sand‑water mixture onto the reclamation area. Bulldozers, excavators, and other earthmoving equipment then shape and compact the fill to create new land for industrial zones, housing, airports, or port terminals.Another method is rainbowing, where the TSHD uses a bow nozzle to discharge the sand in a high‑velocity arc, allowing material to be placed directly in shallow water or on emerging land without a pipeline. For some applications, the vessel can also bottom‑dump by opening doors or valves in the hopper floor, releasing the load to the seabed. This is more common for capital and maintenance dredging but can support reclamation when pre‑fill or bund foundations are required.Reclamation TSHDs are designed to operate in a wide range of sea conditions, with robust hulls, dynamic positioning or advanced autopilot systems, and environmental controls to limit turbidity and manage overflow. Their ability to dredge, transport, and place material efficiently over medium to long distances makes them central to coastal expansion and port infrastructure development worldwide.