Monitoring and Registration System (MARS)

MARS is a state-of-the-art measurement and registration system for salt dredging works carried out by the national dredging programmes Zee and Delta A Dredge & Salvages and Zee and Delta A Coastal Nourishment Program. MARS stands for Monitoring And Registration System and is managed by the MARS Support Group (MSG). With this system, certified by the National Audit Office (ADR), of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat monitors to what extent the dredging contractors meet their contractual obligations. The system measures and calculates the number of cubical meters sand or tonnes of dry substance (TDS) dredged at each dredging trip and shows from and to which location the dredged material has been transported.

The 4 crucial products and services that MARS provide for the dredging programmes and projects of the Department of Waterways and Public Works are:

• Registration of production data of dredged quantities with the seagoing dredgers for payment purposes.
• Historical production data for cost estimates.
• Location data of dredging locations and landfill sites for the asset management.
• Location data for the purpose of checking if the contractor complies to licensing conditions for dredging.

MARS Operation

MARS weighs the (dredging) vessel and the cargo in the surface water. The TDS in the vessel's hopper is determined using calculations. In the case of supplementation, the amount of cubical meters of sand is derived from the TDS present in the hopper using a location dependent conversion factor. MARS can register several parameters, for example the dredging status and the position of the (dredging) vessel.

Who are the MARS users?

Users of MARS are contractors, supervisors, contractmanagers and auditors of the Department of Waterways and Public Works and third-party clients and the staff of the MARS Support Group.