A request that only states ‘dredge this area’ or names a preferred vessel leaves important questions open. A useful brief connects the required outcome to the site evidence, work boundaries and acceptance rules. The objective is to make assumptions visible before they become prices or commitments.
1. Start with the required outcome
Describe what the finished works must achieve before naming a preferred dredger, barge or construction method. A navigable berth, a reclaimed platform and a protected pipeline trench have different acceptance needs. Identify the project owner, location, procurement stage and your role. State whether the request is for an early feasibility review, a budget indication or a firm tender; the level of evidence required is different.
- Site coordinates and a marked boundary plan.
- Required work packages, exclusions and delivery responsibilities.
- The final function, design status and responsible reviewer.
2. Make survey levels and quantities traceable
Provide the latest bathymetric and relevant land surveys with their dates, coverage, coordinate system and vertical reference. Identify how marine depths connect to shore levels. IHO S-44 addresses datum relationships, survey uncertainty and metadata; its navigational survey standards do not replace a project's construction tolerances or payment rules. Ask the designer to specify the intended survey use and acceptance requirements rather than relying on the phrase ‘IHO compliant’ alone.
- Existing and design surfaces, boundary limits, slopes and tolerances.
- Digital survey files alongside readable drawings and the survey report.
- Quantity basis: in-situ excavation, transported material or placed fill; identify the measurement method.
Reference: IHO S-44, Edition 6.2.0, sections 2.5–2.6 and chapter 6.
3. Describe the material, not just the volume
A volume without ground information is an incomplete pricing basis. Share available borehole logs, sampling locations, laboratory results and interpreted strata. Distinguish measured findings from assumptions. Describe suspected rock, debris, buried obstructions or contaminated material and record the remaining investigation gaps. Equipment selection and production estimates should be reviewed against the actual material and access constraints; a catalogue capacity is not a guaranteed site output.
- Sampling depth and location relative to the excavation limits.
- Relevant material properties and rock strength where investigated.
- Known utilities, existing structures and obstruction records.
4. Define where the material will go
State the proposed disposal, beneficial-use or reclamation destination, the transport route and which approvals have been obtained. USACE's dredged-material guidance treats material evaluation and reuse/disposal routes as connected decisions. It is a technical reference, not an approval route for Saudi Arabia, Oman or Egypt. For the actual project, identify the applicable authority and approved conditions. Where reclamation is included, make containment, drainage, return-water management and fill acceptance separate, visible responsibilities.
- Destination coordinates, access restrictions and handling distances.
- Material suitability/testing basis and permit status.
- Responsibility for containment, placement, treatment and final acceptance.
Further reading: USACE Dredged Material Management Program User Manual.
5. Explain the marine access and working window
Include water-depth restrictions, available berths, shore access, wave/current information and relevant seasonal records. Separate survey observations from design conditions and operating limits, which require engineering review. Identify navigation constraints, simultaneous operations and any authority-imposed working windows. A proposed programme should distinguish mobilisation, setup, production, testing and demobilisation. Do not bury an unknown permit date or access restriction inside an unexplained productivity allowance.
- Marine entry, berthing, draft and shore logistics constraints.
- Available weather data and agreed weather/standby assumptions.
- Target start, required completion and dependencies outside the contractor's control.
6. Add the information specific to your package
The common brief is only the starting point. For an intake/outfall, include alignment, profiles, pipe dimensions/material, water depths, landfall arrangements and the division between permanent design, installation engineering and temporary works. For a quay or jetty, include structural drawings, pile schedules, existing-condition information and testing requirements. For a breakwater, identify design geometry, material specifications and placement/inspection criteria. Assign an owner to every interface that can stop the marine works.
- Package boundaries and the inputs each neighbouring contractor must supply.
- Designer, surveyor, testing and authority-review responsibilities.
- A dated interface register with the required decision and responsible party.
7. Agree how completion and payment will be measured
State the proposed measurement rules, inspection points, test requirements and handover records. A final level, an excavated quantity and a measured barge load are different contractual measures. Explain who accepts the pre-work survey, approves changes and signs the final quantity record. For a budget request, keep provisional quantities and exclusions visible; for a firm tender, circulate a controlled document register so every bidder prices the same revision and scope.
- Measurement/payment basis and acceptance tolerances.
- Required survey, test and as-built deliverables.
- RFQ deadline, clarification route, pricing currency and commercial assumptions.
A useful first enquiry can be short
Send the location, project stage, broad scope, target dates and a list of available drawings/reports. Mark missing items as ‘not yet available’, name the responsible party and give the expected issue date. Share a non-confidential outline first; agree the secure route for larger or restricted files directly with the project team.
- Project / country / site coordinates
- Work required / current stage / your role
- Available surveys and drawings / known gaps
- Target programme / quotation deadline / enquiry contact
Questions before sending the brief
Can I request an indication before the surveys are complete?
Yes, as an explicitly preliminary request. List the available evidence, unknowns and assumptions. A budget indication should not be treated as a firm production commitment or tender price; agree what further information is needed to make it firm.
Should I prescribe the equipment in the first RFQ?
State mandatory constraints and explain their reason. Invite technically justified alternatives where the tender permits them. Final suitability depends on the ground, geometry, access and certified particulars; website profiles do not confirm ownership or current availability.
What does Royal need for an initial discussion?
A clear scope, location, procurement stage and programme, with the available evidence. Royal's engineering/survey support and project-specific cooperation model can help structure the next technical discussion. Design responsibility, specialist appointments and deliverables are established for the particular engagement.