1. Method protocol
Which procedure was used? Which sensors? Which route? Which reference points? The method protocol is the foundation of every reproducibility. Without it, no delta comparison and no time series is defensible.
Knowledge Hub · Cluster 04 · Documentation & Authorities
Documentation Standards for Authorities
An underwater inspection is only worth its documentation. A report that holds up in inspection or expert proceedings follows a clear standard: traceable methodology, position- and time-referenced evidence, consistent classification, and long-term archivability. This article is the expert reference — for inspectors, expert witnesses, planners and commissioning bodies.
Why documentation quality decides
A verbal diver protocol is no longer sufficient in modern inspection and expert contexts. Municipal and federal structural inspection guidelines, EIA procedures, insurance files and court reports demand evidence that remains traceable years later — to people who were not present during the original mission. That is the core of every documentation quality: third-party usability.
A report is authority-capable exactly when it enables an external expert to reconstruct the finding solely from the document.
The four pillars of audit-grade documentation
2. Position and time reference
Every finding carries coordinates and a timestamp. Only this allows damages to be precisely located, re-found in follow-up inspections and linked into planning documents.
3. Consistent classification
Damage patterns are categorised by an agreed schema — depending on asset type and inspection guideline. Consistency makes findings comparable and carries the trends of a time series.
4. Archivability
Raw data and report are stored in standard formats that remain readable and citable long-term. This is the prerequisite for legally defensible use in procedures spanning years.
What belongs in the report — the components
A complete ScanSustain findings report contains the following elements. Scope and structure are agreed in briefing with the reviewing body:
- Cover page & assignment data — client, asset, date, mission ID, responsible parties
- Question and objective — what needed to be clarified, which results were expected
- Method protocol — sensors, routes, reference points, weather, constraints
- Findings overview — tabular with position and time reference, classification, image references
- Detail findings — per damage location: image, coordinate, description, classification, recommendation if applicable
- Image and video annex — chronologically ordered, with timestamp and position reference
- Reproducibility memo — method and route information for later follow-up surveys
- Summary and action recommendation — factual, without speculative interpretation
Each component is built for external review and expert handover — third-party usability is the guiding principle.
What distinguishes a good from an audit-grade report
| Feature | Minimum documentation | Audit-grade report |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology | Verbal description | ✓ Formalised method protocol |
| Finding position | Textual description | ✓ Coordinates and reference points |
| Timestamp | Mission date | ✓ Second-precise per finding |
| Classification | Free text | ✓ Agreed schema |
| Reproducibility | Barely given | ✓ Full, third-party traceable |
| Archivability | Office formats | ✓ Archive-capable standard formats |
What ScanSustain reports deliver in every mission
- Structure by agreed template format
- Raw data archive chronological, time and position referenced
- Method and reproducibility memo
- Damage classification by agreement
- Action recommendations without speculative interpretation
- Archive-capable handover including raw data backup
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes an underwater report authority-capable?
Four properties: traceable methodology, position and time-referenced evidence, consistent classification, and long-term archivability. If any of these is missing, the report becomes contestable in inspection or expert proceedings.
What format requirements apply to authority reports?
Format and structure are typically agreed in advance with the reviewing body. Common municipal and federal inspection guidelines define mandatory fields that ScanSustain reports cover as standard. We deliver the format the file demands — not our own.
Why is the method protocol so important?
Because it secures reproducibility. Only when route, timestamps, sensors and reference points are documented can a follow-up inspection reproduce the same path and sustain a delta comparison over years. Without a method protocol no time series is possible.
How is the raw data archived?
As a structured package: video, photo and sonar data chronologically ordered, with timestamp and position reference, in archive-capable standard formats. The client receives the full raw data archive plus the processed report — both datasets are third-party usable.
Related pages
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