Route Survey

System installations must be reliable and should be cost effective. The data collected during the Cable Route Survey allows identification of seabed hazards by the Cable Route Survey engineers. This precision seabed mapping allows the engineers to amend the proposed cable route and cable types, if necessary, to avoid potential risks. These precautions mitigate the potential for costly and time-consuming repairs.

SubCom conducts detailed Cable Route Surveys to collect bathymetric and geomorphologic data using single- and multi-beam bathymetry systems, side-scan sonar (SSS), and sub-bottom profiler (SBP) equipment. This information is enhanced by seabed samples and, when necessary, cone penetrometer tests (CPTs), to determine the composition and geotechnical properties of the seabed. This data is used to identify risks such as rocky seabed, reefs, and steep slopes. The Cable Route Survey engineers then refine the route and cable type selection as appropriate to mitigate risks. A combination of side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and cone penetrometer test data enable the SubCom engineers to predict burial feasibility.