As a hydropower corridor between the Tyrolean pre-Alps and the confluence with the Danube at Passau, the Inn is developed for hydraulic engineering throughout its length. ScanSustain inspects power-plant facilities, bridge piers, groynes and bank protection ROV-based — diver-free and audit-grade. Power-plant deployments require a coordinated shutdown or a drained inspection section.
These structure types can be inspected ROV-based on the Inn — subject to approval from local authorities and operators:
A large number of run-of-river power plants along the Bavarian–Upper Austrian section of the Inn. Inspected are intake structures, trash-rack systems, turbine chambers (from the outside), fish passes and outlet stilling basins.
Inspection of pier footings and pier shafts for scour, corrosion and flow damage. Inn bridges are particularly prone to scour due to heavy bedload.
Riprap groynes, sheet-pile banks and bed ramps. Assessment of flood scour, riprap displacement and sheet-pile corrosion.
Weir structures at the impoundment facilities. ROV inspection of weir bodies, lock gates (water side) and impoundment components.
What can be professionally captured on the Inn — a structured overview of the locally typical damage patterns:
High bedload volumes on the Inn lead to local bed erosion at the structure base. Capture and depth extent are relevant to structural stability.
Trash-rack systems, sheet-pile sections and steel connecting elements at hydropower facilities. Capture of wall-thickness loss, pitting corrosion and connector defects — the basis for assessing the remaining service life.
Riprap displacement, bedload deposits and washed-out structural elements after flood events — structured as-built capture as the basis for rehabilitation planning.
Flow velocity and bedload require the sonar workflow for the structural capture of the bed situation even with clear water conditions. ROV optics primarily in still impoundment sections (power-plant headwater), sonar primarily in flowing sections and at groyne heads. Deployment window typically during low-water periods (autumn, late winter).
Unlike a lake, a river has no uniform depth — deployment planning is governed by the respective structure type and the current discharge and flow conditions.
In the impoundment 4 to 12 m, at weir structures up to 18 m, in stilling basins up to 25 m — all values lie well below the ROV deployment limit.
Flow velocity and bedload require the sonar workflow for the structural capture of the bed situation even with clear water conditions.
Exact water levels, flow conditions and visibility ranges vary depending on discharge, season and power-plant operation. For projects with accuracy requirements, we coordinate the current situation in advance with the operator or the water management authority.
Beyond pure condition inspection, power-plant operators, water management authorities and engineering offices on the Inn are increasingly asking for geometric data — for example for scour-depth surveying at bridge piers, bed-profile mapping in the impoundment or stilling basins, or the as-built documentation of weir structures and groynes. With Survey & Mapping, ScanSustain offers photogrammetric and multibeam-sonar-based capture that delivers depth profiles, site plans and 3D models in CAD/GIS-ready formats.
On the Inn, flow velocity and bedload require the sonar workflow even with clear water conditions — the multibeam sonar component therefore carries the main share of the geometric data capture, complemented by photogrammetric recordings in calm impoundment sections. This combination is particularly relevant for power-plant facilities, bridge piers and groyne heads when a geometric baseline is needed for rehabilitation or monitoring.
The Inn as a federal waterway in Germany (Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration, Regensburg branch office). In Upper Austria, oversight via the BMK (Federal Ministry for Climate Action) or the state water management authority. Power-plant facilities often in operator hands (Verbund Hydro Power, BAWAG, Innwerk).
ROV deployments at power-plant facilities generally require a coordinated shutdown or low-water phase. Inspections at bridge piers, bank structures and impoundment areas outside the machinery facilities are possible during normal operation.
In the impoundment 4 to 12 m, at weir structures up to 18 m, in stilling basins up to 25 m. All values lie well below the ROV deployment limit.
From the Burgkirchen base the team reaches all Inn sections between Passau and Salzburg within 1 hour's drive. Response time for a first appointment typically 1–3 working days.
Yes, as part of Survey & Mapping — currently as a pilot service, with photogrammetric and multibeam-sonar-based capture for depth profiles, site plans and 3D models in CAD/GIS-ready formats.
As a rule, yes. On the German side the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (Regensburg branch office) is responsible, in Upper Austria the BMK or the state water management authority. At power-plant facilities, coordination with the respective operator (e.g. Verbund Hydro Power, BAWAG, Innwerk) is additionally required.
The high bedload volumes on the Inn lead to local bed erosion at the structure base, particularly at bridge piers. That is why, even with clear water conditions, the sonar workflow is used primarily to capture the bed situation structurally.
Describe your use case — within 1 to 3 working days you will receive a concrete initial assessment with method selection and an effort indication.
