HYPACK Hydrographic Tool to Improve Navigation Safety in Argentina and Uruguay

HYPACK® was selected as the main hydrographic tool for two international commissions responsible for important navigational areas of Argentina and Uruguay.

To the South of the American continent, ranging between Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay lies the Uruguay River, about 1750 km long. This river flows into the Rio de la Plata, which in turn is the boundary between Argentina and Uruguay. This river with is 300 km long and 219 km at its widest part; the widest river in the world, as well as an important navigational area for the ports of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

In the Rio de la Plata, the Martin Garcia Canal is one of the major waterways in these countries, which was formally opened in 1999 and allows navigation of vessels up to 245 meters long with a 32 foot draft.

To maintain such a route, multiple bathymetries are constantly needed to know the condition of the river and its waterways, so that the authorities can schedule dredging operations where necessary. They also need to collect data to conduct sedimentology studies that reveal the behavior of the river and allow them to schedule maintenance dredging and location of aids to navigation among other tasks.

For these studies, HYPACK®, HYSWEEP® and DREDGEPACK® are the tools selected, thereby providing a common platform that facilitates, not only hydrographic operations and standardized procedures, but also facilitates the exchange of data, conducting calibrations and the integration of a number of sensors used in the area to monitor these rivers. For this purpose, HYPACK Inc. is installing DREDGEPACK® in the hopper dredges of both countries. HYPACK® is also installed in their survey vessels and in their hydrographic offices to process the data and generate final products that will be made available to all users. HYPACK, Inc. will not only provide the licenses and sensors for the dredges, but it will oversee installations in the vessels and provide training to operators and surveyors.

Press Release, August 21, 2014