Structures such as shipwrecks, bridge abutments, dam faces, cables structures, docks, and other underwater objects can be imaged using both standard side scan and 3D side scan output from the 3DSS sonar. The 3D sidescan point cloud image can be rotated and manipulated to provide 3D views of object geometry in sidescan imaging detail.

Underwater structure and revetment surveys require full water column coverage and accuracy to within specified engineering limits and tight sounding variance tolerances. Achieving full coverage using single head multibeam systems can be challenging and may require multiple passes with different sonar head orientations. 3DSS™ swath bathymetry systems as well as costly dual head MBES systems are able to perform these same surveys in fewer passes, without having to reorient or calibrate the sonar head on each pass, saving crew time and money to complete the survey.

The 3DSS sonar produces detailed images of complex structures with only a single pass. This is an an abandoned, submerged lock in the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. The image includes a full view of the wall geometry down to the floor of the lock as well as the tie points and flooding inlets. Stairs and pedestrian passageways can also be seen, giving a clear visual of the entire structure in a single real-time pass.