Newport 2009 Orion Demo
Rubble Reef Sites, Shipwrecks, and Bridge Structures Profiled in Substructure Demonstration of Hydrographic Survey Vessel Orion
NEWPORT, RI, July 24, 2009 -- Reefs created from rubble from the 2006 demolition of the Old Jamestown Bridge, as well as shipwrecks and the Claiborne Pell Bridge, provided varied and intriguing subsurface landscapes during a recent two-day demonstration of Substructure’s versatile hydrographic survey vessel Orion off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. Visitors during the June 11-12 demonstration represented a broad cross-section of the local marine science community, including the U.S. Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Rhode Island (URI), Rhode Island port management services, and commercial engineering, environmental, and underwater inspection companies.
During the demonstration, Orion acquired survey data over Gooseberry Island Reef and Sheep Point Reef, which were created from approximately 25,000 cubic yards of rubble from the Old Jamestown Bridge. These reefs are being monitored by the state of Rhode Island and have been the subject of research by the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. Although the sites have been the subject of several previous hydrographic surveys, none provided the level of detail of the Substructure survey. (see images below)
In addition to the reef sites, Orion also was used to survey several interesting shipwrecks, portions of the Claiborne Pell Bridge (also known as the Newport Bridge), various harbor features, and selected regions of a local Navy test range.
Chief Hydrographer Tom Waddington, who oversees Substructure’s surveying operations, noted, “Due to an increased focus on offshore wind energy, as well as continued interest in nearshore environmental issues, we see a heightened level of marine survey activity focused off Rhode Island. Orion is trailerable and able to efficiently acquire accurate, high-resolution multibeam data in a variety of different environments. We are hoping to show the local marine community that this platform is ideally-suited to support many of these local survey activities.”
Substructure’s standard suite of hydrographic survey equipment (e.g., Reson 8125 multibeam echosounder, Applanix POS MV motion reference unit, and HYPACK/HYSWEEP data acquisition and processing software) was used to acquire data during the demonstrations. In addition, a realtime kinematic (RTK) differential GPS base station was established at a recovered survey monument on Goat Island at the entrance to Newport Harbor, allowing the Orion to acquire very high resolution data for most of the demonstration.
Custom-designed by Substructure’s engineers and technicians, Orion features hull-mounted multibeam sonar and state-of-the-art electronics for bathymetric data accuracy and repeatability that meets or exceeds International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Special Order standards. The exceptional level of accuracy provided by Orion can be critical for a variety of applications, including dredging volume computations, seafloor change evaluations, site characterization surveys, and engineering structural assessments.
Newport Bridge survey area as seen on the relevant chart space.
Point cloud image of some of the structural supports of the Claiborne Pell (or Newport) Bridge, as well as the surrounding bathymetry, created from Orion multibeam data acquired June 11 and 12, 2009.
Hillshade bathymetry model developed from the 1-ft minimum grid based on multibeam survey data around a portion of the Newport Bridge acquired June 11, 2009.
