: Sounding ship "DEEPENSCHRIEWER III" in side view on the water in Hamburg.
Under water

Our sounding ships get to the bottom of the Elbe

We ensure the safety and smooth flow of shipping traffic on the Elbe River and in the Port of Hamburg by continuously surveying the riverbed. This allows us to quickly identify and remove obstacles, thereby ensuring that the water maintains the required minimum depth for ships.

Surveying the bottom of the water with the help of sounding vessels

The riverbed is constantly changing due to the tides and currents of the Elbe. In order to determine whether the required depth still exists in the navigation channel or the harbor basins, the bottom of the water is continuously surveyed by our special ships, the so-called sounding ships. In this way, very precise mining depths are detected, i.e. the points in the Elbe that are not deep enough for shipping traffic. These can be caused by constant sedimentation throughout the port area. Ground obstacles, such as large stones or scrap metal, can also be precisely localized in this way.

The data collected during the survey is processed digitally and made available to all customers via the HPA's own web application - the Hydro Portal. The Nautical Center, the pilots, port companies, construction companies and all other customers can then access the Hydro Portal for their work.

<p
Zweidimensionale Grafik eines Peilschiffs mit HPA-Flagge. Sichtbar ist sowohl der Teil über als auch unter Wasser. Vom Schiffsrumpf ausgehende Fächerlinien zeigen die Vermessung des Gewässerbodens mit Echolot-Technik.
An echo sounder is used to sound and measure the bed of the Elbe. The data is then transmitted ashore for analysis.

If, when surveying the fairway, a sounding vessel detects that shallow depths have formed due to silt or sand, for example, or that scrap or stones are protruding into the fairway at certain points, these are removed by targeted dredging work using the appropriate special equipment. The data collected by the sounding vessel is used to precisely locate the obstacles in the water and to plan the dredging work. Sounding is the first step in water depth maintenance, through which we ensure that shipping traffic runs safely and smoothly on Hamburg's territory.

In total, our four sounding vessels survey around 250 square kilometers of water surface every year. For comparison: the total water area of the Hamburg port area is around 30 square kilometers. Recently, a sounding drone has also been used for this purpose, especially when surveying very shallow areas of water.</p

„DEEPENSCHRIEWER III“ in Seitenansicht auf dem Wasser vor grüner Landschaft.
The continuous sounding provides data on possible obstacles or sediment deposits and thus helps with the planning of dredging operations.
Peilschiff „DEEPENSCHRIEWER III“ auf dem Wasser im Hamburger Hafen.
In the Port of Hamburg, the water bed changes due to the influence of the tide. The sounding ships regularly check whether the ships can reach their destination without restrictions.

Surveys using sound signals in the Elbe

Various echo sounder systems are available on board the sounding vessels for surveying the Elbe and the harbor basins. The echo sounder enables the so-called hydroacoustic measurement of water depth, i.e. the measurement of the depth of the Elbe using sound signals that propagate evenly in the water.

How exactly does this work? 
The echo sounder system on board the sounding vessel sends out a sound signal, which is then reflected at the bottom of the Elbe and then sent back to the echo sounder system. The longer the sound signal takes to return to the echo sounder system, the deeper the water is at this point. High-precision satellite navigation, better known as GPS, is used to take centimeter-accurate measurements. This determines the exact position of the sounding vessel during the water survey.</p

Find out more in our new we-make-port video!

FAQ on the subject of sounding ships

The most important questions and answers at a glance.

 

The riverbed of the Elbe is constantly changing due to tides and currents. Regular surveying ensures that shallow depths or obstacles are detected at an early stage so that dredging can be planned and the required water depth for shipping can be maintained.</p

 

 

Sounding vessels measure the bottom of the water using echo sounder systems. This involves emitting sound signals that are reflected and evaluated at the bottom, similar to a medical ultrasound examination. This allows the depth of the Elbe and the location of obstacles to be determined precisely.</p

 

 

The measurement data is processed digitally and made available via the Hydro Portal. They are used for the safe navigation of ships and the precise localization of shallow depths and obstacles for the planning of targeted dredging work.</p

 

Back to overview

Weitere Artikel

Der Laderaumsaugbagger james Cook mit aus der Vogelperspektive im Hamburger Hafen, links am Kai liegt ein Kreuzfahrtschiff, das
Under water

How does dredging work? Always with the right equipment - from hopper dredgers to silt plows

To ensure that ships from all over the world can call at the Port of Hamburg, we dredge many tons of silt and sand from the navigation channel and the harbor basin. To do this, we flexibly deploy the appropriate equipment: from hopper dredgers and grab dredgers to silt plows.

Read more
Blick über das Deck eines Spezialschiffs (Hopperbagger) mit vielen Rohren, gelben Kränen in einem Hafenbecken mit Kränen und Containerschiffen
Above water

No ports without dredging - this also applies to the universal port of Hamburg

Hamburg is one of the top three ports in Europe. One key requirement for an overseas port of this size is that it must be accessible at all times. To ensure safe access, our dredgers must regularly clear sediment from the shipping channel.

Read more