Abstract
This paper describes the role of physical modelling in the design of a new cruise ship terminal at an exposed site on the coast of Barbados, outside the Port of Bridgetown. Large scale 3D hydraulic model studies were conducted to focus on two of the key technical challenges surrounding the project: the risk of downtime due to excessive ship motions forced by the prevailing winds, seas and swells; and the extreme wave loads and overtopping associated with waves generated by hurricanes. The physical modelling was separated into two phases. The first phase investigated the moored ship response of two different model cruise ship vessels under a range of operational wind and wave conditions. The results of this phase helped determine the range of conditions where the motions of the ships and the associated loads on the portside elements were within acceptable limits, and showed that the expected downtime for the design vessels was satisfactory. The second phase of the study focused on wave-structure interactions, and in particular the impact of extreme waves on the proposed structures, including wave-induced loads on the pier decks, and the wave overtopping and flooding of the landside development. Several innovative measures were developed and tested to accommodate / mitigate the loads on the pier decks as well as reduce the wave overtopping. These physical model studies played a key role in the front end engineering design of the new port, and their results were crucial in assessing various alternatives, optimizing preliminary designs, and validating the layout, costing and construction of the new facility. Due to space limitations, this paper focuses on the second phase of the study, in particular the hydrodynamic loads on the pier decks.
Highlights
A joint venture of SMI Infrastructure Solutions and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) proposed a new cruise ship terminal for an exposed site on the shore of Carlisle Bay, just outside the existing port of Bridgetown, Barbados
This paper describes the role of physical modelling in the design of a new cruise ship terminal at an exposed site on the coast of Barbados, outside the Port of Bridgetown
The outputs from the physical model were used to help the design team select the most preferred types of coastal structures and their features, and provide valuable data leading to an optimized detailed design
Summary
A joint venture of SMI Infrastructure Solutions and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) proposed a new cruise ship terminal for an exposed site on the shore of Carlisle Bay, just outside the existing port of Bridgetown, Barbados. The project, called the Sugar Point Cruise Ship Terminal, encompasses three new cruise ship piers/jetties, dredging and land reclamation works, with associated upland improvements that will both attract people to the site as well as support the cruise terminal operations. The recommended project layout includes three 350m long pile-supported piers with berths for six large cruise ships, 415,000m3 of dredging, 15 acres of land reclamation and multi-use landside development (see Figure 1). The Phase I marine works are estimated at approximately $120M USD, including dredging, land reclamation, Piers I and III, as well as relocation of a sewer outfall that is within the project footprint. As part of the design process, Baird commissioned the National Research Council of Canada’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering (OCRE) portfolio (formerly the Canadian Hydraulics Centre) to conduct threedimensional physical model studies of the proposed cruise ship terminal. The main goals of the studies were to help define the range of wave, wind and water level conditions that would allow for the safe and comfortable berthing and mooring of cruise ships, and to help design the marine and coastal structures to withstand the wave induced loads, pressures, run-up and overtopping produced by large storms
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