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3D Bathymetry via USV-the Application Case Published in Sea Technology
USV with Multibeam Echosounder for Shanghai Bridge Survey
The Donghai Bridge, located in Shanghai, China, is a key component of the Shanghai International Shipping Center’s deepwater port infrastructure. Conducting underwater surveys of the bridge piers’ conditions for maintenance purposes is an operational challenge. The bottom of the bridge piers is immersed in water and can be eroded by the action of sand and gravel. Hydrodynamic scour caused by rapid water flow can create scour holes and compromise the integrity of the structure.
The solution selected for the Donghai Bridge survey project comprises an unmanned survey vessel, the APACHE 6 of CHCNAV, carrying a NORBIT iWBMS STX multibeam echosounder.
Figure 1. The Apache 6 USV from CHC Navigation (the latest model).
When conducting multibeam bathymetric surveys with an unmanned surface vessel, marine survey professionals highlight three major points of concern:
- How secure is their investment given the cost of multibeam echosounders?
- Does the USV offer sufficient flexibility to handle a variety of bathymetric survey scenarios?
- What about the final accuracy of the high-resolution 3D bathymetric survey?
Figure 2. The bridge section piling data acquired by Apache 6 during the survey.
During underwater terrain mapping, marine survey professionals often need to map dense underwater structures, such as bridge piers, as in the survey case in Shanghai. One of the main problems encountered is how to survey the topography behind the piers and the internal topography of the dense structures.
When it is difficult to achieve this with traditional crewed boats, hydrographers now have the option of deploying USVs. USVs reduce survey time, improve work efficiency, and produce high-resolution 3D data to meet the requirements of the most demanding marine infrastructure projects. The CHCNAV APACHE6 USV is an innovative and fully integrated solution for 3D bathymetric surveys, underwater objects, and offshore construction.
By Taxiya Wang, “3D Bathymetry via USV: USV with Multibeam Echosounder for Shanghai Bridge Survey.” Sea Technology, June 2022, https://sea-technology.com/
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About CHCNAV
CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) creates innovative GNSS navigation and positioning solutions to make customers' work more efficient. CHCNAV products and solutions cover multiple industries such as geospatial, construction, agriculture and marine. With a presence across the globe, distributors in more than 120 countries and more than 1,500 employees, today CHC Navigation is recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in geomatics technologies. For more information about CHC Navigation [Huace:300627.SZ], please visit: https://www.chcnav.com/about-us/overview