Survey Services
HydroSurvey Australia provides detailed, high-accuracy hydrographic survey services to private and public sector clients, with mid to large-scale projects, in South Australia and interstate.
Our hydrographic expertise includes, ocean, coastal and inland waterway surveys
To maintain reporting accuracy for clients we always use our own vessels, rather than a ‘Vessel of Opportunity’ (VSO).
We only use hydrographic surveyors accredited by the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute Accreditation Panel.
Nautical Charting Hydrography
With our Nautical Charting Hydrography services, HydroSurvey Australia has the capability to chart berths, port waters and shipping channels.
Recurrent Bathymetry – Channels, Berths and Waterways
HydroSurvey Australia carries out regular recurrent hydrographic surveys of channels, berths and waterways at all main shipping ports (approximately 100 kilometres of channels and 50 berths) in South Australia.
This work also involves the positioning and placement of navigation aids (i.e. beacons, buoys, sector lights and leads).
Port Bonython
Extensive sounding coverage was carried out for the approach and departure lanes for this deep-sea gas and fuel port in South Australia.
Channel marker buoys were accurately positioned and laid in the centre of Spencer Gulf.
Major Dredging of Shipping Channels
In association with Flinders Ports, HydroSurvey Australia has been involved in dredging works conducted at major South Australian ports.
Pre, progress and post dredge surveys have been undertaken as part of major upgrade developments of the shipping channels at South Australian ports including the deepening of the shipping channels at Port Adelaide and Port Giles to take panamax vessels.
Investigation Into Deep-Sea Ports
Bathymetric surveys were conducted over extensive areas of Germein Bay, Wallaroo Bay, Ardrossan, Port Le Hunte and Goat Island in South Australia to determine the suitability of each for a deep-sea port.
Details of sub-strata were plotted and dredging volumes calculated for various depth scenarios.
Marina Developments
HydroSurvey Australia has been involved in various marina developments in South Australia including Lincoln Cove, North Haven, Copper Cove, Ceduna Keys and Cape Jaffa in the south-east of South Australia.
These have involved conducting pre, progress and post dredge soundings to calculate volumes for cost estimates, and record actual dredged volumes for payments.
Supporting the Australian Defence Force
HydroSurvey Australia has conducted various project works on behalf of the Australian Naval Infrastructure and the Australian Submarine Corporation, including the provision of sub-metre guidance and position fixing for scientific instruments and ship tracking, as well as supporting sea trials and shock trial moorings.
We have also been involved in the design of the new Air Warfare Destroyer berth and ship lift site at Osborne as part of the TechPort Australia project.
Tide Measurement & Reporting
HydroSurvey Australia manages the tide data for the whole of South Australia and we represent the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) on the Ports Australia Tides and Sea Level Working Committee. Tidal data information is collected, measured and managed by HydroSurvey Australia.
Tide gauges have been established at all standard ports in South Australia. The measurements recorded are supplied to the Tidal Unit of the Bureau of Meteorology for the calculation of tidal predictions for future years.
An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) unit is used to record wave heights and current flow throughout the water column. It has been used to measure the movement of coastal sands and assist in marine dredging operations by determining the current flow through shipping channels.
Project Planning
HydroSurvey Australia provides expert and specialised consultancy services to a range of new and regular clients each year. A responsive and flexible approach ensures that we are able to meet client requirements, providing solutions designed to accommodate large and smaller projects.
All survey work undertaken is conducted in accordance with Quality Assurance Standards, with systems and procedures conforming to AS/NZS ISO 9001 certification.
Prior to each job and in consultation with the client, the survey area and degree of coverage is determined. Survey run-lines are then calculated and a site plan produced.
Log sheets for each survey are kept and critical calibration settings such as draft, squat, speed of sound and elements of the position fixing equipment, such as the height of the instrument, are recorded.
A record of each run-line, and events on that run-line, are noted so that any ambiguity in the depth or position measurement can be correctly determined during the editing process.
Tidal datums and their references are routinely maintained and checked, with portable field tide gauges calibrated and checked against the standard gauge over the range of tide.
Tide gauges are deployed as closely as possible to the survey site or on either side of it to ensure reliable water levels are recorded. Visual tide board readings are also made to verify logger data.
Data Processing
With specialised computer technology, HydroSurvey Australia is able to edit data, prepare plans, undertake 3D modelling, calculate volumes and provide a variety of textual or graphic based outputs.
Data processing is undertaken utilising design software, image scanning and various output devices, with customised GIS application software enabling the sophisticated analysis and modelling of diverse data sets.
Recurrent surveys are compared with previous surveys to check against any possible errors.
Data Delivery
Project data can be provided in a variety of plan and chart formats, and in both hardcopy and digital outputs.
A number of CAD programs are used to prepare plans and charts. Plans may be plotted on both paper and plastic medium and are scanned, filed and registered for storage.
Approximately 200 plans are produced for registration each year, with project data archived as a permanent record for retrieval.
Data Formats
- Data may be acquired in any grid/datum system. HydroSurvey Australia uses software that supports a wide range of grid transformations, including those to and from GDA 94.
- Data can be supplied in any ASCII format required by the client, including DWG and DXF.
- Plans and charts may be prepared at any required scale or orientation and can be annotated with contours and shore detail.
- Cross section plots with multiple layers can be produced as well as surface difference models and plots. These models are used to calculate changes in volumes between successive surveys. HydroSurvey Australia has extensive experience in performing these calculations, which are used in the normal course of operations to monitor dredging and sediment movements.
- All digital data, both raw and reduced, are filed and archived as a permanent record for retrieval and future reference. A quality assurance procedure ensures the safety and integrity of all data.
Equipment
In association with Flinders Ports, HydroSurvey Australia has been involved in dredging works conducted at major South Australian ports.
Pre, progress and post dredge surveys have been undertaken as part of major upgrade developments of the shipping channels at South Australian ports including the deepening of the shipping channels at Port Adelaide and Port Giles to take panamax vessels.
Investigation Into Deep-Sea Ports
Bathymetric surveys were conducted over extensive areas of Germein Bay, Wallaroo Bay, Ardrossan, Port Le Hunte and Goat Island in South Australia to determine the suitability of each for a deep-sea port.
Details of sub-strata were plotted and dredging volumes calculated for various depth scenarios.
Marina Developments
HydroSurvey Australia has been involved in various marina developments in South Australia including Lincoln Cove, North Haven, Copper Cove, Ceduna Keys and Cape Jaffa in the south-east of South Australia.
These have involved conducting pre, progress and post dredge soundings to calculate volumes for cost estimates, and record actual dredged volumes for payments.
Supporting the Australian Defence Force
HydroSurvey Australia has conducted various project works on behalf of the Australian Naval Infrastructure and the Australian Submarine Corporation, including the provision of sub-metre guidance and position fixing for scientific instruments and ship tracking, as well as supporting sea trials and shock trial moorings.
We have also been involved in the design of the new Air Warfare Destroyer berth and ship lift site at Osborne as part of the TechPort Australia project.
Equipment
HydroSurvey Australia maintains a comprehensive range of equipment to enable it to undertake a variety of hydrographic and land based surveys.
Our core business is surveying navigation channels as part of a regular program of port coverage. We have the commitment and support from our parent company, Flinders Ports, to continually improve our practices through an investment in leading edge technology.
We have access to state-of-the-art data acquisition systems, which have been enhanced with the purchase of a second Multi Beam Echo Sounding (MBES) system. This allows us to provide rapid coverage over large areas, resulting in significant productivity gains and efficiencies.
The Pathfinder is an 11 metre twin hulled NoosaCat built to USL (Uniform Shipping Law) code 2B certification.
It has an extended cabin to accommodate a fully integrated hydrographic survey system in a custom designed office layout on the port side.
The vessel was chosen for its stability characteristics and flexibility to operate in both shallow water and open sea conditions.
It has been designed so that only two personnel are required to perform most survey work and is fitted with a modest galley, two bunks, a shower and a toilet. The vessel’s cruising speed enables rapid deployment to project sites.
We have recently installed a R2Sonic 2022 wideband high resolution multi-beam system and QINSy data processing software for the Pathfinder.
Tidal Measuring Equipment
Yeokal, CeeTide and Mindata Portable Tide Gauges are deployed in survey areas that fall outside the influence of the standard gauges.
An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) is used to measure water current and direction throughout the water column. It also records wave heights.
Positioning Equipment
The Applanix POS MV is a Position and Orientation System for Marine Vessels. The system provides accurate navigation and attitude data for use by equipment on board the Pathfinder, such as swath sonar, to correct for the effects of vessel motion during survey operations.
Trimble RTK is used to provide centimetre height and position accuracy for both topographic and hydrographic surveys. The system is ideal for beach levelling and can be readily deployed on all vessels.
Trimble HydroPro software is used to provide real time guidance, log data from various ancillary devices such as single beam echo sounders and output positional information into the MBES system.
An extensive library of coordinate systems and geoid models are available to orientate the survey from transformed GPS positions. The online graphics display not only shows the runlines and site details, but also monitors the progress of the survey by showing the vessel track during the course of logging data.
Display screens can be customised to any desired layout to provide information for both the helmsman and surveyor.
Depth Information
The GeoAcoustics GeoSwath Plus sounding system is an interferometric sounding system enabling wide swath areas to be covered in a single pass of the vessel (up to eight times water depth), achieving total isonification of the seabed over large areas. The sounding data captured exceeds the IHO S44 special order survey standard for depth accuracy.
Echo sounders employed include an Odom Echotrac MK1 (200/24khz), an Echotrac Mk2 (200/24khz) and a Bruttour CeeStar (200/30khz) dual frequency echo sounder. All single beam depth data is logged and processed using HydroPro software. Provision has also been made to operate an echo sweep array on both vessels by installing outrigger mounting points and an internal opening between the hulls to attach extra transducers. The outrigger mounting points are also used to suspend the bar check equipment when calibrating the single beam echo sounders.
The velocity of sound in water is measured using Swift Sound Velocity Profiler (SVP). Changes in salinity and water temperature affect the speed of sound. The sound velocity profiles taken throughout the water column are also used by the GeoSwath system to compensate for ray bending.
Other Equipment on the Pathfinder
Communication
Contact with the vessel can be maintained anywhere via an Iridium 9505 satellite phone. A gimbal antenna ensures optimum signal strength, even while the vessel is under way. Communication via fax and e-mail can also be sent and received by the phone to the computer.
Power Supply
A 5 KVA diesel generator powers survey equipment requiring 240V supply.
Jetski
The Jet Ski is a fully customised hydrographic survey vessel. It has been fitted with ruggedized notebook computer (with an integrated touch screen), a dual frequency echo sounder and GPS/RTK positioning equipment. It has been designed to operate in the active surf zone during beach and near shore survey areas.
Felix
Felix is a trailerable, customised five metre NoosaCat with a code 2C certification.
Transducer wells have been built into the hull for the deployment of a multiple transducer echo sweep array and a mounting plate for the GeoSwath transducer arm is located between the engines. Power and data cables are concealed in ducts. Outlets for 12, 24 and 240 volts are available for various equipment. We installed an Autopilot unit to assist in running long sounding lines and a diver’s access ladder is mounted between the hulls. Recently we have also added QINSy data processing software.
Data Analysis
Software Trimble HydroPro software not only drives the acquisition system, but is used in the reduction of the single beam echo sounding data through the application of tides, cleaning or editing routines and other adjustments.
Terramodel software is used to process captured data to produce sounding plans, cross sections, contours, calculate volumes and 3D visualisations.
The CAD Packages used to provide high quality hardcopy output include AutoCAD, Terramodel, HydroPro and in-house ESRI GIS.
Recently Fledermaus visualisation software has been installed and forms part of our data analysis capability.
