SCOUR MONITORING
“Essentially, scour holes around the base of underwater structures are caused by storms, fast flowing water or wave action. These can happen over a significant period of time or, especially during very extreme weather, can occur instantaneously.
“Therefore, we recommend that a long term programme of inspection and monitoring is undertaken as this allows for ongoing assessment and early warning on the potential loss of integrity. Most organisations will carry out post-storm surveys of structures, but evidence or scour holes are not always apparent in the immediate aftermath of a storm.”
PROFILING TOOL
As part of its scour monitoring operations, the company uses the Kongsberg Mesotech Dual Axis Scanning sonar as a profiling tool. It is deployed to detect possible erosion around the structure and potential loss of integrity. This continuous real-time data can be transmitted and
displayed at a remote monitoring station via wireless telemetry infrastructure.
The information gathered by DAS, which is designed to cover a large area of approximately 300m, provides a snapshot of the dynamics of scour and sediment aggregation. It also provides a 3D profile point acquisition for digital records.
Mark adds, “The fact that the DAS can be deployed on a wide range of structures, for example, bridges, piers and offshore wind turbines, has meant that we are also now working with clients that are not in Kongsberg Maritime Ltd’s traditional markets, such as civil engineers, local authorities and highways agencies to provide monitoring services.
“While diving inspections can be costly and there are often inconsistencies in the data being reported, the DAS system accurately visualises the base of the underwater structures and relays that information to engineers to allow them to
make a full assessment as to the loss of supporting capability in the sea bed.
“The continuous monitoring of the structure is extremely important as sediment may quickly refill the scour hole, but, as it is not consolidated, it will have very little or indeed no load-bearing capacity. The ongoing assessment allows operators to take immediate protective measures such as rock dumping.
“Not only is DAS more cost-effective than frequent diving inspections, the continuous monitoring results in lower intervention costs for maintenance and increases the lifespan of the structure.”
Kongsberg Maritime Ltd
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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