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Press Release
NEW MULTIBEAM SONAR GUIDELINES
New Guidelines for the Use of Multibeam Echosounders for Offshore Surveys have been published by the Offshore Survey Division of IMCA - The International Marine Contractors Association.
The growth in the use of multibeam echosounders (MBES) over the last ten years has been, in part, due to the ability of these instruments to cover wide swathes of the seafloor in a single pass.
With high-resolution bathymetry obtainable over wide areas and with acoustic frequencies ranging from 10kHz to over 500kHz, multibeam echosounders offer the potential for great accuracy and provide detailed seafloor imagery with scales of economy unavailable from traditional single-beam echosounders.
At this time, some 700 systems have been built, of which more than 40% have gone into commercial operations. There are at least ten manufacturers world-wide.
Although multibeam echosounders have been in use since the 1960s, their track record in commercial marine operations can be traced back to the early 1990s. Despite their familiar use in offshore surveying, no specifications or guidelines have been found in the public domain that specifically address their use for offshore surveying. To remedy this situation, IMCA's Offshore Survey Division established a working group to oversee the preparation of these guidelines as a means of augmenting existing documentation and to provide a guide for future specifications.
The guidelines draw heavily on a number of existing standards and published papers by persons eminent in their particular field. Preparation of the guidelines has also involved the Survey & Positioning Committee of UKOOA.
It is the intention of the Working Group to review and update the guidelines on a regular basis, and users of the document are encouraged to comment on it. Further information available here.
Notes to Editors (common)
- IMCA is an international association with well over 800 members in 60 countries, as at September 2011, representing offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies. IMCA has four technical divisions, covering marine/specialist vessel operations, offshore diving, hydrographic survey and remote systems and ROVs, plus geographic sections for the Asia-Pacific, South America, Europe & Africa, Middle East & India and Central & North America regions. As well as a core focus on safety, the environment, competence and training. IMCA seeks to promote its members' common interests, to resolve industry-wide issues and to provide an authoritative voice for its members.
- IMCA publishes some 200 guidance notes and technical reports. These have been developed over the years and are widely distributed. They are a definition of what IMCA stands for, including widely recognised diving and ROV codes of practice, DP documentation, marine good practice guidance, the Common Marine Inspection Document, safety recommendation, outline training syllabi and the IMCA competence scheme guidance. In addition to the range of printed guidance documents, IMCA also produces safety promotional materials, circulates information notes and safety flashes.
- Judith Patten is here to help you if you want any additional information on IMCA; would like to discuss a feature article; want to organise interviews with key members of the IMCA team, etc.
Press releases issued by:
Judith Patten at JPPR
34 Ellerker Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6AA, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8241 1912
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8940 6211
judithpatten@wwmail.co.uk
For more details, please contact Hugh Williams, IMCA Chief Executive
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