Primary service · Acoustic sensing
Sonar & Scanning — Acquisition in Turbid Water
Acoustic acquisition when optical methods reach their limits. Multibeam, side-scan and profile sonar for object detection, object location and geometric verification — even at visibilities below 30 cm.
Problem & Triggers
In industrial basins, treatment plants, harbour basins with high sediment content or rivers after flooding, visibility for classical ROV inspection is absent. A diver would feel and guess — neither produces an audit-grade finding. Yet the question remains: what lies on the bottom? What is the structural geometry? Where are foreign objects?
ScanSustain is engaged when an object needs to be located, when structural geometry must be captured without visibility, when an area must be safely surveyed before diver deployment, or when a search strategy must be documented with acoustic reference.
Method & Technology
Depending on the task we use different sonar methods: multibeam for areal depth acquisition, side-scan for large-area seabed surveying, profile recording for geometric detail surveys. Sonar data is linked to position telemetry and overlaid with video where optical segments are possible.
The output can be processed directly in GIS or CAD systems. For search strategies we generate raster-based paths with documented coverage — so every point of the search area is demonstrably captured.
Typical Applications
- Industrial and treatment basins with high sediment content
- Harbour basins and river stretches with limited visibility
- Object search underwater (pre-recovery)
- Geometric verification of sheet piles and quay walls
- Reservoirs, retention basins and bathymetric mapping
- Pre-assessment for diver or ROV deployment
Mission Workflow
- Briefing
Target object, water body type, sediment and visibility, desired resolution. - Sonar selection
Choice of multibeam / side-scan / profile depending on task and expected environment. - Execution
Systematic coverage of the target area with documented overlap and position log. - Data processing
Processing of raw sonar data into interpretable images, maps or point clouds. - Handover
Delivery as GIS-/CAD-compatible files, accompanied by findings report and search protocol.
What You Receive
Raw sonar data
Multibeam/side-scan data with position and timestamp, GIS-/CAD-exportable.
Analysis imagery
Processed sonar images with marked features and measurements.
Findings report
Written analysis with image references and geometric interpretation.
Benefits for the Client
- Audit-grade findings even in zero visibility
- GIS-/CAD-compatible geometry data for planning and expert reports
- Demonstrable coverage for search assignments
- Complement or replacement for costly diver probing
- Combinable with ROV video for a complete dataset
Relevant Sectors
Sonar scanning is particularly relevant in these contexts:
Adjacent Services
When visibility is available, ROV Inspection remains the primary tool — sonar then complements as needed. For geometric surveying of larger structures, Survey & Mapping is the correct path (sonar is a sub-tool there). For systematic searches for lost objects see Search & Recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is sonar better than a camera?
Whenever visibility is absent or the area is too large for optical capture. At visibilities below 30 cm sonar is often the only practical method.
What resolution does sonar deliver?
Depends on the system and distance to the target. Typically: a few centimetres with multibeam at close range, 10–50 cm with side-scan over larger areas.
Can sonar data be processed in our GIS system?
Yes. We deliver analysis in standard formats accepted by common GIS and CAD systems. The target format is agreed in the briefing.
How is it demonstrated that the search area was fully covered?
Every sonar pass is logged with position and timestamp. Coverage is part of the search protocol.
Related pages
Would you like to discuss this service for a specific case?
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