Frequently Asked Questions

Contact the DQM Center at dqm-support@usace.army.mil. DQM will provision an IoT device for your plant and issue a Plant Identifier, Device ID, and connection string.

If your dredge plant has not previously used DQM, contact the DQM Center for a Plant Identifier and to begin the onboarding process. You will need to submit a Dredge Plant Instrumentation Plan (DPIP) and pass a certification QA check before beginning work.

For all DQM-related inquiries — onboarding, credentials, test devices, plant type assignment, payload schemas, or general support — email dqm-support@usace.army.mil.

No. No separate payment will be made for the installation, operation, maintenance, or certification of the DQM system. All costs are considered a subsidiary obligation of the contractor and covered under the contract unit price for dredging.

Data format depends on your plant type. Hopper and scow dredges use XML; pipeline and mechanical dredges use JSON. All data strings must include a plant identifier and a UTC timestamp. Contact DQM for example data strings and schemas (such as the DQM web service URL, headers, authorization credentials, and communication protocol information). For more information including sample strings please see the Requirements>Data Transmission page.

If connectivity is lost, data must be queued locally and transmitted upon restoration of connectivity. Start with the oldest data in the queue and continue until real-time transmission is restored.

All reported times must be referenced to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to ensure consistency across all DQM data. The reported time must be synchronized from an accurate source such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) in the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) datastring. 24-hour Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.

The contractor must preserve archival data for a minimum period of one year following contract completion. The DQM Center or USACE may require the contractor to provide copies of this data at no additional cost.

State data provides information about the current operational state of the dredge. It is submitted daily through the DQM Contractor Management site from the first day of dredging through the final day, reporting on all activities.

Contact the DQM Center at least three weeks prior to certification expiration to schedule QA checks. At least one week before the target date, verbally coordinate a specific date and location, then follow up with written email confirmation.

DQM Center personnel will bring hard-hats, steel-toe boots, and life jackets. If additional safety equipment is needed (eye protection, safety harnesses, work gloves, personal location beacons), the dredging contractor is responsible for providing these items.

Yes, a dredge plant does not have to be transmitting data between jobs. However, to retain certification, the system sensors and hardware should not be disconnected or removed from the dredge. If powered down, calibration coefficients must be retained.

Certification may be revoked if performance requirements are not continuously met, as verified by onsite QA checks and periodic review of transmitted data. This includes failure to maintain data quality, untimely responses to QA notifications, or inaccurate state data entry.

Recertification is required for changes in sensor type or location, and any yard work that modifies reported dredging operations, volumes, or locations. For hoppers and scows, this includes modifications to displacement and/or bin volume such as changes in bin dimensions or repositioning of draft marks.

No specific brand is required. DQM is performance based, any sensor that meets the published specification is acceptable. You may also select any system provider or vendor to support and maintain your system as needed. DQM/USACE does not provide or support the equipment.

Document and complete replacements, repairs, and calibrations immediately — within 48 hours of discovery. If not possible within 48 hours, notify the DQM Center with an explanation and expected completion time.

The sensor log (kept in the DPIP) must contain a three-year history including: time of sensor failures and repairs, time and results of calibrations, time of replacements, time backup systems were activated, and the name of the person responsible for the work.

Yes. Provide an easily accessible visual display onboard the dredge plant that shows in real time the raw parameters collected by the system, in the same units used for data submitted to the DQM database. If a parameter is calculated from multiple sensors, the individual sensor values must also be viewable.

Yes. The DQM Center may request recalibration of sensors or other hardware components at any time during the contract as deemed necessary.