News archive

June 2004

Halcrow launches updated SANDS software

Shoreline managers, coastal engineers and environmental scientists are set to benefit from the launch of a new version of Halcrow’s Shoreline and Nearshore Data System (SANDS) software.

Developed as a tool to meet the needs of sound coastal management, SANDS is a sophisticated coastal data capture, monitoring and analysis suite. Its uses include coastal and erosion monitoring, tide analysis, wind and wave extremes, probability analysis and wave transformation. Licences to use SANDS can be obtained from Mike Stickley, Halcrow’s Swindon-based software support and sales manager.

Mike explains, ”This latest version of SANDS is the result of over 12 years’ ongoing development. It provides numerous additional analysis features, including a new mapping system. By analysing climatic and beach profile data, trends in coastal responses can be detected. The system can also store, retrieve and analyse a range of environmental data, reports and records.”

Coinciding with the launch of SANDS Version 5.5, all existing SANDS users were invited to Halcrow’s Swindon office for the first of what are planned to be regular user group meetings. This first meeting was attended by representatives from 11 local authorities, the Environment Agency and both Plymouth and Southampton universities. The SANDS user group had the opportunity to discuss this latest version, and to provide ideas and suggestions for future SANDS development.

Staff from the Channel Coastal Observatory used the opportunity to demonstrate how the software has become a key tool in the storage and analysis of data that is being assembled under the South Coast Strategic Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme.

For further information about SANDS, please click here to go to the SANDS website.

In addition further information on SANDS can be requested by email, click here

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