Repair, Evaluation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation Research Program: Underwater Inspection of Coastal Structures Using Commercially Available Sonars
Abstract
A general introduction to side scan sonar (SSS) and its uses in coastal engineering studies is given, including some operating rules-of-thumb and suggestions based on the author's experience. There is also a section evaluating several systems currently on the market. SSS is a valuable tool for coastal engineering, with uses likely to multiply as the technology and our experience with it improve. However, quantitative applications are limited. Information on structure slopes, condition of individual armor units, and percent of units displaced (to name a few examples) is not currently measurable in a repeatable, quantitative way. Nevertheless, the semiquantitative sonograph record can be very informative, particularly to someone who has developed a familiarity with the structure or feature being viewed from repeated SSS surveys. It is a safer, and in many cases, superior alternative to visual inspection by divers, especially in murky water. Keywords: Coastal structure inspection; REMR(Repair, Evaluation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation); Side scan sonar; Underwater inspection.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA224169
Entities
People
- James E. Clausner
- William M. Kucharski
Organizations
- Coastal Engineering Research Center