What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to evaluate a UAV-mounted single-beam echosounder for rapid and cost-effective bathymetric monitoring of coastal infrastructure.

UAV-mounted single-beam sonar for rapid bathymetric monitoring of coastal infrastructure: implications for structural health assessment

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Randomized trial reveals effective bathymetric monitoring of coastal structures using UAV technology, highlighting innovative assessment methods.

This research aims to evaluate a UAV-mounted single-beam echosounder for rapid and cost-effective bathymetric monitoring of coastal infrastructure.
Fieldwork conducted in an operational dry dock during draining and filling phases.
Use of UAV-mounted single-beam echosounder (ECT400) to collect sonar data with geometric validation against a high-resolution photogrammetric DEM.
Analysis of 16,137 sonar returns to depths of approximately 8 m.
Mean depth difference of 0.15 m (SD = 0.58 m) compared to the photogrammetric reference.
Estimated 95% minimum detectable change (MDC 95 ) of approximately 0.5 m for detecting changes with repeated passes.
Workflow identified as suitable for detecting metre- to decimetre-scale changes for structural health monitoring.

Santos et al. (2026) studied this question.

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Randomized trial reveals effective bathymetric monitoring of coastal structures using UAV technology, highlighting innovative assessment methods.