A System to Improve Port Navigation Safety and Its Use in Italian Harbours

Maurizio Soldani,Osvaldo Faggioni

doi:10.3390/app112110265

Maurizio Soldani, Osvaldo Faggioni

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110265

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Abstract

This article describes research aimed at developing a system able to support local authorities and port communities in optimizing port navigation, avoiding or managing critical situations induced by sea-level variations in harbours and minimizing environmental damages and economic losses. In the Mediterranean basin, sea-level changes are mostly due to astronomical tides, related to the gravitational attraction between Earth, Moon and Sun. Nevertheless, sea-level variations are also influenced by meteorological tides, which are geodetic adjustments of sea surface due to atmospheric pressure variations above a water basin. So, starting from monitoring or forecasting environmental parameters in harbours, the system updates port bathymetric maps based on sea-level variations (acquired in the past, measured in real-time, or expected in the future) and detects hazardous areas for a certain ship moving inside a port at a given moment, by means of the implementation of “virtual traffic lights”. The system was tested on some real situations, including the analysis of maritime accidents (stranding of ships), providing satisfactory results by correctly signalling potentially dangerous areas variable over time. The architecture of the system and results achieved using it in the ports of Livorno and Bari, in Italy, are herewith described.

Highlights

Sea level variations in coastal areas affect—in a relevant way—the safety of people working on ports
Sci. 2021, 11, 10265 bathymetry in the occasion of remarkable events occurred in the past, such as ship stranding or refloating; as explained below, it is able to make use of atmospheric pressure trends to estimate sea-level changes named meteorological tides, which atmospheric pressure trends future to estimate future sea-level changes named meteorological have to be added to the astronomical ones, that are periodic and well-known, to obtain tides, which have to be added to the astronomical ones, that are periodic and well-known, the expected sea levelsea andlevel thenand the future real bathymetric map of amap port.of a port
This article deals with the development of a system aimed at detecting and signaling potentially dangerous situations in coastal areas to decision makers, with the purpose of improving maritime safety by mitigating risk due to sea-level variations

Summary

Introduction

Sea level variations in coastal areas affect—in a relevant way—the safety of people working on ports These phenomena influence the so-called harbour waterside management (optimization of maritime transport, dock performances, vessel mooring, logistics operations, ship loading, maritime works, marine water quality and pollution control). Their knowledge and forecasting can be very useful in order to minimize the risk of accidents (e.g., stranding of ships) and the consequent environmental impact and economic losses [1–20]. Sci. 2021, 11, 10265 bathymetry in the occasion of remarkable events occurred in the past, such as ship stranding or refloating; as explained below, it is able to make use of atmospheric pressure trends to estimate sea-level changes named meteorological tides, which atmospheric pressure trends future to estimate future sea-level changes named meteorological have to be added to the astronomical ones, that are periodic and well-known, to obtain tides, which have to be added to the astronomical ones, that are periodic and well-known, the expected sea levelsea andlevel thenand the future real bathymetric map of amap port.of a port

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Conclusion