View the first-ever 3D digital model of canals and waterways in Vietnam.

Xem mô hình số 3D kênh rạch lần đầu tiên thực hiện tại Việt Nam- Ảnh 1. — 3D digital model of the current state of Cong Ly Bridge and the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal.

During a working session in late September 2023 with Portcoast Engineering and Consulting Joint Stock Company, attended by leaders from various departments and agencies of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, requested Portcoast to cooperate with and support the city's departments and agencies in applying digital technology . The project to survey inland waterways for management and channel publication is the initial result of this collaboration. This project applies comprehensive digital transformation, 100% on a digital platform.

The survey product is a digital model of the current state of all 82 waterways in the city, with a total length of over 523 km and a total underwater area of over 5,500 hectares. In addition, the consulting unit also surveyed the canal and waterway banks, covering a total area of over 10,000 hectares of slopes and both banks, along with 217 bridges and culverts; 200 high/medium/low voltage power lines; and 146 inland waterway ports and wharves. The unit also designed the waterways and navigation buoy systems according to the plan and current situation; and designed typical riverbank landscapes for the 82 canals and waterways.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of Portcoast, stated that the technology and equipment used for the survey are the most modern in the world today (such as Survey/Scan to BIM-GIS equipment). Specifically, the unit conducts depth surveys using multi-beam and single-beam echo sounders applying Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology with survey vessels, combined with unmanned surface vessels (USVs) integrated with multi-beam echo sounders (underwater and Lidar - on the surface near the shore).

Next, land-based surveys will be conducted using UAV systems integrated with Lidar devices and cameras with 5 cameras (Photogrammetry technology); surveys of high-voltage structures (bridges, culverts), and detailed items using 3D laser scanning devices (scanning range from 130m to 1 km, accuracy to the millimeter, scanning speed of 2 million points/second); high/medium/low voltage power lines using UAVs integrated with Lidar and 3D laser scanning devices; and riverbank surveys using Mobile Mapping technology.

"This is the first time in Vietnam that digital technology has been fully applied to an inland waterway project of this scale. The application of technology with modern equipment shortens survey time by only 30-40% compared to current conventional surveying methods (100% 2D product), while the technology applied to this project has a much higher scale and accuracy (100% 3D product)," Mr. Pham Anh Tuan shared.

It is known that the digital model of the entire inland waterway system of the city is built on an integrated platform of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This digital model provides a visual 3D representation with full integration of data layers for managing the city's inland waterways: channel depth, current status of both banks, cross-river structures, inland waterway ports and wharves, inland waterway signaling systems, etc. It can be said that this is like a real world that can be used to plan related projects such as urban planning and beautification along the riverbanks, riverbank protection embankments, new cross-river projects, etc.

This digital model is decentralized in terms of management and access, making it easy to update any changes in real time and access information anytime, anywhere, and through any digital device (computer, tablet, smartphone). It serves not only the management work of administrative agencies but also provides information to the community and residents with easy access.

This digital technology application project fully meets the requirements of the Government and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City regarding the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the integration of BIM into Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Below are some typical images illustrating the comprehensive digital transformation of inland waterway surveying projects for the purpose of managing and publishing waterway information: