On-Line Data Processing for Dredging Work by Automatic Tracking Optical Communication System

A great number of large scale marine construction projects have been undertaken in Japan. One example of such a project, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, wil be the largest suspension bridge in the world when complete. One of the great projects of the century, it has gigantic main tower foundations 81 m in diameter which have to be sunk in water deeper than 50 m. When such large deep structures are to be constructed on the seabed, it is necessary to finish the seabed to a high accuracy in advance. This paper describes a method of automated management in which navigation and dredging information is communicated by means of an automatic tracking optical method. This is an on-line contruction management system which combines position information optically transmitted from a land station and seabed topographic data measured from a boat.