The ROV in civil construction

DISA International is known in the market as a renowned provider of marine and underwater services for civil construction, offshore wind, offshore oil & gas and shipwreck recovery. In doing so, since 2006 the company has been using so-called Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV), unmanned and remote-controlled underwater robots that DISA develops entirely in-house for specific work. Managing Director Didier de Graaff gives us a glimpse into this high-tech kitchen and tells us that they are also increasingly relying on the use of ROVs in civil construction.

An ROV is basically an underwater robot controlled by cable from the surface, from a wharf, ship or platform. Depending on the version, it is equipped with cameras, steerable robotic arms (manipulators), sonar(s) and other sensors, allowing it to collect images and data to great depths and in environments dangerous or inaccessible to human divers. DISA International developed its first ROV to support subsea operations back in 2006: the LEDI Subsea Drilling. "It is a fully remotely operated subsea drilling unit. The unit is designed for horizontal directional drilling from the seabed in order to place another cable, chain or wire under wrecks, pipelines and cables, as well as for installing anchors in the seabed," explains De Graaff. 

Own ROV department

An ROV is an indispensable tool for underwater research and operations, where safety and efficiency are paramount. DISA International has extensive experience in operating and maintaining ROVs and even established its own ROV department for that purpose in 2011. "We do nothing but operate ROVs and develop tooling, large and small, to support our underwater operations," says De Graaff. "And all with an eye on the 'drive' to do as much work as possible without divers." DISA now has a wide variety of subsea tooling available for all kinds of operations. According to De Graaff, such tools are also increasingly being used in "regular" subsea operations in civil construction. Especially for this purpose, DISA International has purchased several compact units, such as the SEAEYE PANTHER, the SEAEYE LYNX, the SEAEYE COUGAR, the SEAEYE FALCON and the VIDEORAY PRO4. "With these units, performing work, measurements and visual or sonar inspections is a piece of cake. And with the various multibeams and subbottom profilers, we accurately 3D image the bottom, quay walls or banks."

Drone Solutions

In the field of ROVs, DISA International has now built up quite a bit of experience, but the company is also holding its own in the air. "We have been a shareholder of SKEYE, a leading expert in airborne drone solutions, since 2022 and have integrated their innovative services into our portfolio," says De Graaff. "From offices in the Netherlands, Romania and the UK, they offer advanced solutions in aerial support, including geographic data collection, industrial inspections, premium imagery and LUC-approved remotely operated aerial operations. These techniques, combined with the ROVs, help us perform our work ever more efficiently and safely. Because safety is our top priority. Our strong track record in this area reflects this, as does our certification for Step 4 on the Safety Culture Ladder (SCL)."