Abstract
PurposeEconomies of scale drive container ship owners towards ordering larger vessels. Terminals need to ensure a safe (un)loading operation of these vessels, which can only be guaranteed if the mooring equipment is not overloaded (lines, fenders and bollards) and if the motions of the vessel remain below set limits, under external forces. This paper aims to focus on the passing vessel effect as a potential disturbing factor in the Port of Antwerp.Design/methodology/approachMotion criteria for allowing safe (un)loading of container vessels are established by considering the container handling process and existing international standards (PIANC). A case study simulation is presented where the behaviour of the moored vessel under ship passages is evaluated. Starting from a representative event, the effect of changes in passing speed and distance is discussed.FindingsThe study illustrates the influence of passing velocity and distance on the behaviour of the moored vessel, showing that when passing speeds are higher and/or distances lower than the reference event, safety limits are potentially exceeded. Possible mitigating measures, including the use of stiffer mooring lines and/or a change in arrangement, are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper serves as a basis for future research on safety criteria and optimisation of the mooring equipment and configuration to deal with passing vessel effects.Practical implicationsThe presented results can be used by ship and terminal designers to gain familiarity with passing vessel effects and adopt suggested best practice.Social implicationsBy restricting the motions of the passing vessels, the focus and general well-being of the crane operator is enhanced, as is the safety of workers.Originality/valueThe paper provides a unique combination of container fleet observation, safety criteria establishment and case study application.
Highlights
The shipping industry forms an indispensable link in the global market chain
The seaborne trade accounts for 90 per cent of the worldwide trade (QinetiQ, Lloyd’s Register and Strathclyde University, 2013)
The effect of a passing ship on a container vessel moored at a quay wall in a restricted channel is investigated using numerical packages of RoPES and Vlugmoor
Summary
The shipping industry forms an indispensable link in the global market chain. Nowadays, the seaborne trade accounts for 90 per cent of the worldwide trade (QinetiQ, Lloyd’s Register and Strathclyde University, 2013). Dry cargo vessels in general, ship motions could have various safety implications, including damage to ship and infrastructure and casualties amongst workers These limits, are not strictly mechanical and follow from considerations and in-depth analysis of all the processes involved. There is an increase in container tiers on deck (12 for MM24 vessel), leading to a larger air draught, beyond the expectations of the terminal operator at the time of the terminal’s design This leads to situations where the bridge of the vessel is located above the level of the crane arm (Figure 4), which creates potentially dangerous situations when the moored vessel starts to move along the quay. The characteristics of both vessels are given in Table I; Loa is the total length of the vessel, B is the beam, Td is the design draft and T is the draft of the vessel during the simulation
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