DSMC own and operate an Ethernet based Profiling Sonar. This sonar is designed to take accurate cross-sections from liquid filled and silted shafts, boreholes, tunnels, pipes and drains – often in hard to reach or toxic environments. It allows us to check for and measure structural defects such as silt build up, flattening, cracking, displaced masonry and other structural issues.

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The Ethernet Profiling Sonar can be fitted to any of our ROVs with ethernet capacity or run from a standalone umbilical allowing long tether deployment or for the ROV to fly it deep inside structures.

This survey method does not require draining of the pipes as with some camera surveys, therefore providing accurate quantified data which could not be obtained from a camera display alone.

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The sonar displays the cross-section image in real-time as well as recording the data for later analysis.

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The Ethernet Interface Unit connects to the host PC running under the Windows operating system. The Ethernet Interface has inputs for a cable payout encoder so that the distance travelled may be displayed to 0.1m resolution allowing accurate determination of where flaws exist in the pipe relative to the deployment position. The Ethernet Interface is powered from the AC mains supply and is electrically isolated from the supply generated for the underwater scanner.

This technical capability is especially valuable in Victorian and other subterranean brick-built environments where small, single brick movements can remain undetected by visual non-acoustic profiling equipment.