Utilizing Vessel Based Mobile Laser and Bathymetry Survey Techniques for Survey of Four Southern California Breakwaters

Traditionally, breakwater surveying is especially challenging and often dangerous due to weather conditions and the need to deploy personnel physically on the breakwater and generally lacking in terms of detail, especially spanning the water line. Utilization of mobile laser scanning and integrating with multibeam echosounder bathymetry allow the opportunity to produce models of the breakwater both above and below the water surface with very low health and safety exposure to personnel. These models are more accurate, more complete and more reliable than performing visual inspections, GPS surveys or using bathymetric methods alone. The comprehensive nature of the data products allows for vast improvements in the characterization of the breakwater condition and allow for better engineering decisions and design. Fugro and the US Army Corps of Engineers carried out surveys of four breakwaters in Southern California in 2009 and 2010 providing a detailed model for identifying damage, erosion and investigating required remediation.