Multibeam Bathymetric Surveys
Our team undertake hydrographic surveys including multibeam and single beam bathymetry across the UK. We specialise in multibeam surveys in the near shore, estuarine and shallow water environments and are capable of accessing intertidal areas.
Multibeam surveys are routinely carried out in support of dredging projects for ports, harbours and marinas and facilitate the accurate calculation of dredge volumes. The large swath of the multibeam echosounder can usually reach under moored vessels and pontoons. Bathymetric surveys also enable the rapid identification of high spots or wreckage. Difference plots between surveys can be produced to highlight areas of sediment deposition or erosion to the client.
An increasingly important use of the multibeam is its ability to measure acoustic backscatter. This property can be utilised to undertake acoustic ground discrimination surveys (AGDS). When suitable ground truthing (using drop down video and/or benthic sampling) is undertaken this enables Habitat maps of the seabed to be produced extremely cost effectively. Multibeam water column capability can be used to detect and monitor suspended sediments produced from Water Injection Dredging (WID) or effluent discharges.
Ecospan Environmental can comply with UKHO and IHO accuracy standards including special order. We are also members of the UK Hydrographic Society. Survey outputs are available in multiple formats to meet with the client’s individual needs.
Applications
• Bathymetric surveys of ports, harbours, marinas and the open coast
• Dredge volume calculations
• Nautical chart production
• Ground discrimination and seabed mapping
• Underwater search and hazard identification
• High resolution wall and structure inspection
• Reservoir volume calculations
Equipment
• R2Sonic 2020 multi-beam high performance echo-sounder that runs at 200 to 400kHz with backscatter and water column capabilities.
• SMC 108 Motion high performance roll, pitch, heave surge and sway motion sensor
• Hemisphere VS330 GPS with modem for RTK corrections
• Sonarmite single beam high frequency echo-sounder
• Valeport sound velocity sensor and mini sound velocity profiler
• Hypack survey acquisition and processing software
