Geological Surveys for Dredging Activities

One of the main applications of Innomar's shallow water SBP models ("Innomar compact", "Innomar light", "Innomar standard") are surveys for dredging projects.

During various dredging projects the Innomar sub-bottom profilers proved itself as being a valuable tool in predicting:

the presence of hidden rock outcrops that can severely damage dredgers,
the dredging depth in soft sediments,
the extension / volumes of a sand reserve on top of a lateritic clay layer,
the exact location of objects such as pipelines and ship wrecks.

Determining the dredging level during dredging activities

Echoprint examples of the same survey line using linear and parametric acoustics
Echoprints from the same survey line obtained using a conventional linear dual-frequency echosounder (top; 15kHz; red dots show automatic bottom track) and using a Innomar standard parametric SBP (bottom; 12kHz; color lines show automatic bottom track on 100kHz (red), 12kHz (purple) and after removing spikes (blue)). Please note the unriable bottom track in the top echoprint and the much better signal quality and defined bottom track in the lower Echoprint from the Innomar SBP.

Innomar SBP echoprint data example obtained during dredging activities
Innomar parametric SBP echoprint data example obtained during dredging activities to detect the dredged level (top: HF data, frequency 100kHz, bottom track shown as red line; bottom: LF data, frequency 12kHz; LF bottom track shown as black line; HF bottom track shown for reference as red line as well).

Related Publications

Oomen, T. (2009): The use of the parametric echo sounder in the Middle East and South East Asia – A successful venture. 4th Workshop "Seabed Acoustics", Rostock / Germany, 19-20 November 2009, 13 pages.
Müller, S. et al. (2005): High-Resolution Sub-Bottom Profiling for the "Shallow Survey" Common Data Set using the Parametric Echosounder SES-2000. Proceedings 4th Int. Conference "Shallow Survey", Plymouth / UK, 12-15 September 2005, 5 pages.
Wunderlich, J.; Wendt, G. (2001): Advantages of parametric acoustics for the detection of the dredging level in areas with siltation. Proceedings 7th Workshop on Dredging and Surveying, Scheveningen (The Haag), 7-8 June 2001, 8 pages.
Lowag, J.; van den Heuvel, M. (2000): Advanced Sub-bottom Profiler Equipment for Soil Investigation Campaigns During Dredging Projects. Port Technology International, Vol. 17, 2000, 4 pages.