Background

More and larger ships have to be accommodated in existing ports. New terminals are located along waterways. In these restricted waters passing ships produce suction and draw down resulting in large excursions of ships at berth and peak loads in their mooring. Dominant parameters are water depth and bank geometry, passing ship displacement, distance and speed as well as the moored vessel size and mooring geometry. To ensure up-time and safety of terminal and moored vessel and at the same time to allow a swift passage of ships in waterways and handling in ports, accurate tools to predict the effects of passing vessels and concepts to restrict vessel motions and peak loads are required.

Objectives

ROPES develops, validates and delivers a computer tool to predict the effects of passing ships. At the same time the project assesses the feasibility of passive and active concepts to restrict the excursions and mooring loads of vessels at berth.