Hydraulic Engineering Structures Research Articles

Development of a smoothed particle hydrodynamics model for porous media flows with enhanced volume conservation and the revisit of the mass conservation equation

Porous media exist extensively in hydraulic and coastal engineering structures, while the modeling of wave/flow interaction with porous media remains challenging. This work develops a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model for accurately simulating wave/flow interaction with porous media. The mass and momentum conservation equations incorporating the mixture theory are adopted. The resistant forces of the solid skeleton of porous media on fluid flows are described by the nonlinear empirical formula. The research contributions of the work lie in two aspects. First, two categories of mass conservation equations for porous media flow are revisited and analyzed to examine the influences of the local time derivative term of fluid volume fraction on simulation results. Second, the Volume Conservation Shifting scheme is, for the first time, introduced into SPH to enhance volume conservation for simulating porous media flows. The developed SPH model is validated by an analytical case of seepage flows in a U-tube with porous media and then applied to study four benchmark examples involving both saturated and unsaturated porous media, i.e., dam-break flow through a crushed stone dam, rapid seepage flow through a rockfill dam, solitary wave propagation over a porous seabed, and solitary wave propagation over a submerged porous breakwater. The morphological features and dynamic pressure heads of the porous media flows have been satisfactorily predicted, demonstrating the good accuracy and enhanced volume conservation of the developed SPH model.

Research on Geosynthetic Materials on Physical Models of Structural Elements of Ground Hydraulic Engineering Structures

Research on Geosynthetic Materials on Physical Models of Structural Elements of Ground Hydraulic Engineering Structures

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFICIENCY OF PARABOLIC AND TRAPEZOIDAL SECTIONS IN IRRIGATIONCANALS

One of the current scientific directions in hydraulic engineering is to give irrigation canals a hydraulically and statically stable cross-sectional shape in the form of the most advantageous parabolic profile. This approach allows maximizing the sediment transport capacity of the flow and significantly reducing the time and costs of construction and maintenance works, using optimization criteria for next-generation machinery and mechanisms. The significance of this research lies in developing a new concept for designing, constructing, and operating irrigation canals in hydraulic engineering systems with cross-sectional shapes that are both hydraulically and statically stable. These shapes aim to maximize sediment transport capacity, ensure ecological sustainability of natural-technical basin systems, and contribute to national food security. The objects of study are hydraulic engineering structures, specifically the inter-farm canals of irrigation systems within the Syr Darya river basin in the southern region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For the study, methods were used including stability analysis of earth slopes using circular-cylindrical sliding surfaces, methods based on analogy between shear curves and slopes, and methods based on the theory of limit equilibrium. Calculations have demonstrated the advantages, including increased resistance to cross-section deformation, reduced earthwork volumes during irrigation canal construction and cleaning by 20-25%, decreased materials and work volume for possible lining by 13-18%, narrower canal top width and land acquisition zones by 11-17%, lower labor costs by 13-16%, reduced construction costs by 14-18%, and decreased specific adjusted costs by 15-18%.

Evolution mechanism of hydraulic fracture in concrete under dynamic loading

The influence of hydraulic loading within cracks on the evolution mechanism of concrete under dynamic loading was investigated in this paper. Several strain gauges were employed to stick along the crack tip during the experiments. The moving crack tip was captured using these gauges during fracture. In particular, during the stable cracking stage, consistent propagating crack-tip speeds were observed under varying water pressures. Initially, the measured speed measured 2.0 m/s, which later increased to 20.0 m/s. Based on hydraulic experiments, a relationship between the crack tip and the water front was established, allowing the derivation of pressure distribution within crack from experimental data collected under dynamic loading conditions. Furthermore, the fracture parameters, including initial toughness, critical toughness, and cohesive toughness, were calculated for concrete subjected to split loading. The cohesive toughness experienced a 13.9% reduction with the increasing hydraulic pressure to 0.4 MPa, highlighting the deterioration of cohesive fracture toughness due to water infiltration within the concrete crack. This study provides insights to improve the design of civil and hydraulic engineering structures, such as gravity dams.

The Rubassky architectural complex (Eastern Caucasus) of the VIII century : new data on excavations in 2023

The object of this study is a monumental hydraulic engineering structure of the late 8th century, discovered in 2014 in the lower reaches of the Rubas River, 20 km south of Derbent (Russia). Excavations have established the complex composition of this structure, which included 6 buildings of different types connected by building bundles. The functional purpose of 3 structures has been fully determined - wall No. 1, arched structure and main wall No. 2. The subject of this study is the analysis of new data on the design and functionality of 3 structures obtained during excavations in 2023 - step structure No. 6, walls No. 3 and structures No. 5 in the form of a platform.The full form of the structure No. 6 of the stepped structure has been established. Its length was 8.6 m. The methodology used by the author for substantiating chronology and functional orientation is: analysis of structural features; dating according to written sources. The study of the eastern section of wall No. 3, in the direction of the South-South was made. A preserved section with a length of 3.0 m and a thickness of 2.2 m was opened. The northern and southern facades of this section of wall No. 3 with a height of 1.4-1.5 m were constructed of large blocks installed according to the "poke-spoon" masonry system. The blockage consisted of a crushed stone. Within the excavation site of 2023, Wall No. 3 continues to the east. The length of the western and eastern sections of wall No. 3 in 2023 was 9.5 m. The southern section of structure No. 5 in the form of a platform has been studied to determine its length. A 1.5 m long section of this structure has been preserved on the new site. The total length of the facade of building No. 5 was 9.7 m, the rest of it was destroyed. Large and small fragments of stone blocks were recorded at the lower level of the excavation. Determining the functional purpose of the Rubassky architectural complex, based on its complex structure, layout, construction technology used, location in the valley of the Rubas River, as well as the high level of processing of stone blocks and the quality of building materials, is a difficult task.

Partitioned analysis of acoustic fluid–solid-saturated porous medium interaction problems by a generalized saturated porous medium model and localized Lagrange multipliers

A partitioned formulation of acoustic fluid–solid-saturated porous medium interaction problems is presented based on a generalized saturated porous medium (GSPM) model and a new localized Lagrange multiplier (LLM) method. In this formula, all various media are modeled as the GSPM and a novel, powerful continuous condition is proposed for the interaction interfaces. This condition applies not only to interfaces of two partitions but also to intersections of simultaneous interactions of any number of media with different porosities. A (u, p) frame is introduced between partitions and the LLM fields are used to connect partitions with the frame. Furthermore, finite element spatial discretization and time integration strategies are provided for both matching meshes and nonmatching meshes. This partitioned formulation is validated numerically by computing the dynamic response of a horizontally layered seawater-seabed-bedrock model subjected to plane waves. The application scenarios for this method include, but are not limited to, the dynamic coupling analysis of marine engineering structures and hydraulic engineering structures. Future work will present and discuss a set of benchmarks and applications that involve the responses of existing dams to seismic excitation.

Simulation and Application of Water Environment in Highly Urbanized Areas: A Case Study in Taihu Lake Basin

In the wake of frequent and intensive human activities, highly urbanized areas consistently grapple with severe water environmental challenges. It becomes imperative to establish corresponding water environment models for simulating and forecasting regional water quality, addressing the associated environmental risks. The distributed framework water environment modeling system (DF-WEMS) incorporates fundamental principles, including the distributed concept and node concentration mass conservation. It adeptly merges point source and non-point source pollution load models with zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional water quality models. This integration is specifically tailored for various Hydrological Feature Units (HFUs), encompassing lakes, reservoirs, floodplains, paddy fields, plain rivers, and hydraulic engineering structures. This holistic model enables the simulation and prediction of the water environment conditions within the watershed. In the Taihu Lake basin of China, a highly urbanized region featuring numerous rivers, lakes and gates, the DF-WEMS is meticulously constructed, calibrated, and validated based on 26 key water quality monitoring stations. The results indicate a strong alignment between the simulation of water quality indicators (WQIs) and real-world conditions, demonstrating the model’s reliability. This model proves applicable to the simulation, prediction, planning, and management of the water environment within the highly urbanized watershed.

Underwater hydraulic engineering and engineering structures of the fort "Emperor Alexander I" (Fort "Chumnoy"): the archaeological aspect.

Underwater hydraulic engineering and engineering structures of the fort "Emperor Alexander I" (Fort "Chumnoy"): the archaeological aspect.

Approaches to a Digital Transformation of the Choice of Technical Solutions for the Restoration of the Concrete Bulk Structure of Hydraulic Engineering Structures

Approaches to a Digital Transformation of the Choice of Technical Solutions for the Restoration of the Concrete Bulk Structure of Hydraulic Engineering Structures

Research on thermal- humidity -force coupling characteristics of mass concrete structures under temperature control

Hydraulic mass concrete has been in a temperature and humidity cycle environment for a long time, reducing the performance and service life of its structure. Under the premise of temperature control, we use the Soret effect as the basis of heat- humidity coupling, and then use thermal conductivity, diffusion coefficient and elastic modulus to evaluate the coupling effect between temperature, relative humidity, and stress of mass concrete, and establish a thermal – humidity -force coupling model. Using the embedded temperature and humidity sensor to conduct experiments on mass concrete, this study explores the temperature control pipeline's influence on the temperature and relative humidity distribution inside the concrete and the feasibility of the coupling model. Through experimental results and model analysis, this study found that, under temperature control, the prediction results of the coupled model are more consistent with the experimental results, and its accuracy is higher than that of the uncoupled model. In the process of temperature control, temperature has a significant effect on surface water diffusion, whereas humidity has little effect on temperature conduction, and temperature conduction is mainly affected by temperature gradient. Temperature control can effectively reduce the temperature amplitude inside the concrete, reducing the stress inside the concrete. Moreover, the coupled thermal-moisture-force model can accurately predict the variation trend of temperature, relative humidity, and stress with time at each point inside the concrete under temperature control. The theoretical results of this study can provide a reference for the design, construction, and maintenance of hydraulic engineering structures in the future and better grasp the internal temperature, relative humidity, and stress of hydraulic concrete in different environments and the change law.

Factors influencing structural characteristics of wetland bird communities in the middle Uzh River flow

Background. Long-term surveys of wetland bird communities of the Uzh mountain river in Zakarpattia region, along with an analysis of scientific data published over the past century enabled us to identify a set of anthropogenic factors that significantly influence the species and spatial structures of these communities. Two of the factors are specifically related to human disturbance of the riverbed and the floodplain. Namely, installation of hydraulic engineering structures aimed at water regulation and flood protection, as well as direct interventions in the river channel for smoothing the natural bed of the river bottom, removing small sedimentary islands and clearing the vegetation on the river banks. The factor of urbanization is favorable for species that tend to be synanthropic. For other wetland bird species, urbanization plays a positive role in winter. Materials and Methods. The studies were conducted in the middle Uzh River flow, which has a mountainous character. As the highest diversity of the wetland birds in the middle flow of the river is observed within the city of Uzhhorod, the main surveys were conducted right there. Birds were monitored all year round during the years 1994–2002 and 2020–2021. From 2003 to 2019, the studies were conducted sporadically. An annual cycle was subdivided into 6 periods: winter (November 20 – February 20), early spring (February 21 – April 10), breeding (April 11 – June 30), post-breeding (July), early autumn (August–September) and autumn (October – November 19). Results and Discussion. In the course of the monitoring activities on the Uzh River within the city of Uzhhorod, we identified 30 species of wetland birds belonging to 24 genera, 14 families and 10 orders. According to the pattern of their occurrence on the river throughout the year, they include resident nesting (3 species), wintering (3), migratory (4), wandering (4), summering (3) and occasional (13) bird species. Several of these species are new to the river in urban areas, while some others were not spotted there for the past 10–20 years due to a dramatic change in the habitat conditions. Numbers of certain species have also undergone significant changes due to the effects of various anthropogenic factors. The analysis of the results obtained over 30 years of studies allows us to identify 3 factors influencing the species and spatial structure of the wetland birds on the Uzh River. The first is urbanization, attracting numerous bird species. The second is water regulation, i.e. the construction of dams and water sto­rage facilities. This factor causes a negative impact on wetland birds by changing the river water dynamics, slo­wing the natural flow down, and raising the water level by retaining dams. The last one is a direct intervention into the river bed, which alters the river bottom, destroys riparian vegetation and alluvial islands that form additional micro-meanders in the riverbed, as well as shallow and deep water sections of the river. Conclusion. For the wetland bird species of the mountain rivers, it is crucial to keep the mosaic nature of their habitat. Interventions in the morphology of the riverbed, as well as alterations in the water dynamics of the river due to water management measures, adversely affect the species structure of wetland bird communities and the nature of their presence on the river. The cascades of retaining dams along the mountain rivers can substantially decrease the diversity of typical mountain river species and lead to a decline of these species’ population in the Carpathians. Cities, on the contrary, can serve as refuges for birds in critical winter periods.

Consideration of the Influence of the Initial Stress State of Rock Bases of Hydro-engineering Structures on Models From Gypsum Porcelain Composite

Methods of researching the stress-deformed state of rock foundations of hydraulic structures are analyzed, laboriousness and costliness of large-scale natural studies in field conditions are emphasized. Rock foundations are a natural composite with an initial stress state, and its influence on the deformability of the foundations of hydraulic engineering structures is one of the most important issues of interest to the scientific world. The strength and deformation indicators of the gypsum-lime composite under compression and tension loading were determined on the samples. Based on the developed method of the stamp on a flat model made of gypsum-limestone composite, the experimental data show the influence of the experimental values of the modulus of deformation determined by the method of loading the rocks with the stamp.

Археологическое исследование памятников петровской эпохи на территории Волгоградской области

Introduction. This paper presents preliminary results of the first archaeological survey of the objects of the archaeological heritage “Petrov Val” and “Selimov Val of 1550.” The main purpose of the event has become the clarification of existing information regarding to the features of creation and operation of difficult hydraulic engineering structures such as “Selimov Val of 1550” or Johann Brekkel’s canal and “Petrov Val” or rather, the canal, which was built under the leadership of John Perry at the turn of the 17th – 18th centuries. Methods and materials. During the research, the attempt to discover the cultural layer of the 18th century was made using the help of archeological methods. Analysis. In the process of visual inspection of these objects, their significant damage was observed, which was inflicted during human economic activity. During the archeological exploration, open test pits were made to identify the cultural layer in the most promising places. While studying the site “Petrov Val”, the test pit was made on the territory located near the Ilovlya riverbed. During the survey of the object “Selimov Val of 1550”, one pit was made near the Cossack artillery battery, which can be dated to the beginning of the 18th century, the second was made in the place where, a small old working settlement of the builders of the Brekkel’s canal was located, according to the map from the atlas of Kruise (1704). Unfortunately, archaeological material was not found during the excavations. Results. During the visual inspection of the site “Selimov Val of 1550”, its beginning from the Ilovlya River and its continuation up to the settlement of Petrov Val, which had not been considered for forming the boundaries of this object before, were localized. According to the results of archaeological work, it has become clear that the name “Selimov Val of 1550” is wrong, because the surviving remains of this hydraulic engineering structure fully correspond to the description of the canal, which was laid by workers under the leadership of Johann Brekkel in the late 17th century.

О воздействии льда на каменную наброску портовых сооружений

The paper presents the experimental results of model tests in the ice tank of the Krylov State Research Center aimed at study the features of ice interaction with rockfill of hydraulic engineering structures. These rockfills are often used in port protective structures (dams, breakwaters, etc.). The main attention during the model tests was paid to the study of the rockfill influence on the total ice load, the process of ice heap formation in front of the structure, as well as the rockfill destruction under the ice impact. The experiments have shown that the horizontal component of the total ice load changes a little, while the vertical component noticeably decreases. It has been found that the rockfill displaces the ice formation towards the sea thus helps to protect the working surfaces of the hydraulic structure from ice impact. The tests have revealed that the rockfill of hydraulic structure can be destroyed by the drifting ice and identified two possible scenarios for this destruction. The results allow the authors to conclude about the rockfill for hydraulic structure designed for the Arctic.

NATURAL PROCESSES AS JUSTIFICATION FACTORS FOR DECISIONS ON PORT HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES

The effects of sea waves and currents on harbour hydraulic structures are analysed from published open source data and the characteristics of scour from waves, including tsunami waves, are considered. Local bottom scour threatening the general stability of gravity-type engineering structures can arise under the effect of storm waves and currents, jets from ship propulsion devices and tsunami waves near hydraulic engineering structures. The types of scour mechanisms from sea waves have been investigated, i.e., local, general, and overtopping scour. There is a lack of sufficient measurement data for general scour to verify the calculation methods. Generally, general scour does not damage a structure, although it can contribute to its destruction by other types of scour when they overlap. Therefore, existing studies mainly focus on the analysis of local scour. The relationship between local scour and ground liquefaction and their influence on the stability of marine hydraulic structures is established. Failure mechanisms of hydraulic structures due to erosion by tsunami waves are analyzed: leeward and seaward toe scour, crown armour failure, parapet wall failure, sliding failure. The tsunami wave scour enhancement parameter is given, which is the fraction by which the pore pressure gradient reduces the frictional forces resisting scour. Significant ground instability occurs when the scour amplification parameter Λ exceeds a value of 0.5 (Λ ≥ 0.5). The parameter Λ can be used to assess areas where instantaneous liquefaction may be responsible for scour and sediment movement and to further recalculate erosion depths obtained without considering liquefaction. Liquefaction from a tsunami wave may penetrate up to 28% of the maximum erosion depth due to shear forces. The liquefaction phenomenon may occur due to a sudden drop in the water level in the area of return flow concentration. Consequently, the liquefaction phenomenon must be considered in the stability and erosion analysis around the structure.

Впливу корозії на технічний стан дорожніх водопропускних труб та сучасні методи їх ремонту

There were about 130,000 pieces of hydraulic engineering structures of transport construction from road culverts on the highways of Ukraine, which is more than 90% of the total number of transport structures on the roads. This is explained, first of all, by the more cost-effective use of pipes compared to small bridges, the arrangement of the subgrade without break ups, the increase in safety, speed and comfort of movement.With the increase in the number of hydraulic engineering structures of transport construction from road culverts on roads, the issue of ensuring the reliability and durability of their work during operation is of particular importance, as there is a large number of deformations, as well as cases of complete destruction of pipes under embankments of both existing automobile roads and and roads under construction.World experience indicates that corrosion damage is an extremely important problem and requires an appropriate response at a very early stage of development. The problem of the existing causes and consequences of corrosion on the road culvert is understudied. With the influence of negative factors on the road culverts, they go from an operational state to a limited-operational state. As a result of a failure, they go from a limited-operational state to a limited (emergency) state. The failure criteria of road culverts are parameters that determine the performance of the building as a whole, as well as its individual elements: protective coating, material pipes, structural features. These parameters or a set of them are established in regulatory and technical or design documentation. Approaches to influencing factors on the durability of road culverts in Ukraine have not been established, in contrast to norms in the EU or the USA. In addition, repair methods are not established in the Ukrainian normsof repair methods. Therefore, the purpose of the work is to conduct an analysis of the impact of corrosion on the technical condition of road culverts and modern methods of their repair. The article examines the impact of corrosion on the technical condition of road culverts, gives a brief description of the most common causes of corrosion of road culverts and modern methods of their repair. One of the methods of increasing the durability of road culverts is the use of modern materials and technologies for their manufacture.

Assessment of economic efficiency indicators of environmental protection measures during the construction of hydraulic engineering structures

In order to ensure the integral management of water and land resources during the implementation of environmental protection engineering measures, as well as to solve ecological problems, a macroeconomic approach directed at the final results is necessary. The traditional "narrow" economics of nature use is viewed as a single cycle of water and land resources and production waste and pollution, with insufficient attention paid to the economy itself ("black box"). For purposeful use of macroeconomics, it is necessary to build a vertical of natural productivity of each natural resource (chain), which will connect the primary natural factors with the production of final products. An effective concept of the rationalization of nature use and environmental protection against debris-flow phenomena and the matching economic mechanism of nature use in sectors and complexes can be developed and realized only after the development of the concept of development of the sector complexes and the whole economy. Regional features of the formation of the economic mechanism of nature use are important. The assessment of economic efficiency indicators of environmental protection measures during the construction of hydraulic engineering structures is discussed. The value of efficiency obtained by environmental activities is considered by the criteria for evaluating the efficiency of the investment project, where this criterion is called net discounted income, net discounted value, or modern net income. Functional-value analysis of environmental impact during the construction of hydraulic engineering structures, including the construction of high dams, for the realization of the analytical stage, a functional model is built based on the orography of the social-ecological-economic system. Based on theoretical and field scientific studies, the economic efficiency of the innovative debris-flow control structure has been established, the numerical value of which is equal to 16.15 USD per 1 longitudinal meter of the structure.

Seismically safe parameters of confined blasting in levelling dry dock bottom

During construction of a dry dock, it became necessary to level the bottom of gneissic granite rock mass to 7 m by blasting. The blasting site appeared to be spaced at 8.5–20.0 m from a reinforced concrete caisson and a sand cofferdam reinforced with soil–cement piles. Aiming to ensure the required levelling at 16.2 m, the preset fragmentation quality and the reduced seismic safety, the parameters associate with the drilling-and-blasting pattern were calculated. The values of PPV caused by blasting-induced seismic waves in the caisson and cofferdam were found from the constructed formulas. The experimental measurement of ground vibrations induced by blasting used seismic recorder Vibracord DX. Al in all, 20 large-scale blasts were performed, and the blasted rock volume totaled 9 Km3. The comparison of the actual and calculated values of PPV in the caisson and cofferdam proves reliability of the presented formulas. It is calculated that PPV caused by the blasting-induced seismic waves at the farther wall of the caisson and at the nearest wall of the soil–cement piles are 2.0–27.0 mm/s and 2.0–22.0 mm/s, respectively, which is much less than the allowable PPV of 100–500 mm/s for the hydraulic engineering structures. It has been determined during blasting that the caisson preserves its integrity and no increase in the water inflow from the gulf is observed.

The Counterbalance of the Adverse Effect of Abrasion on the Properties of Concrete Incorporating Nano-SiO2 and Polypropylene Fiber Based on Pore Structure Fractal Characteristics

Abrasion damage is a typical hydraulic structure failure and considerably impacts the durability of buildings. In severe circumstances, it can even prevent hydraulic structures from being used and operated normally. Thus, it is essential to research abrasion-resistant hydraulic systems that are more durable, inexpensive, safe, and ecologically friendly, given its unavoidable characteristics. In this context, five dosages of nano-SiO2 and three dosages of fibers are selected to evaluate and analyze the modification effect of nano-SiO2 and polypropylene fibers on the abrasion resistance of concrete. The evolution of the concrete properties was characterized based on the abrasion resistance strength. Moreover, the mineralogical composition and microstructure characterization were investigated through X-ray diffraction and scanning probe microscope. Mercury intrusion porosimetry was applied to determine the pore-structure parameters of concrete, such as pore-size distribution and the fractal characteristics. The results indicate that nano-SiO2 improves the abrasion resistance of concrete by densifying the pore structure and promoting the formation of hydration products. Results reveal that the excessive dosage of fibers agglomerates in the concrete to form an unsubstantial pore structure due to poor dispersibility. The fractal dimension of the pore structure exhibits a close relationship with the abrasion resistance strength of concrete. The implications of these findings inform the design of abrasion and erosion resistance for hydraulic engineering structures.

A study on the wave reflection coefficient near berthing facilities

Introduction. The article deals with the experimental studies on values of the wave reflection coefficient near the structures of berthing facilities with a front vertical wall. The authors present the findings of experimental studies conducted in the form of physical modeling.
 Materials and methods. The method of physical modeling was employed to conduct the experimental studies. These studies are an integral part of the research project that benefits all modern large marine cargo facilities being designed. The method of physical modeling, applied to port facilities, allows obtaining a model wave, identical to that of a full-scale object, and studying interaction between waves and designed hydraulic engineering structures within a pre-set time range. Experiments were conducted in a wave flume of the Hydraulic Engineering Centre for Research and Experiments at NRU MGSU. The most advanced measuring equipment, produced by Wallingford (UK), was used in the experiment.
 Results. As a result of the experiment, the authors obtained values of the coefficient of reflection of waves near a berthing facility with a vertical front wall (the bulwark type of the berthing structure), subjected to the impact of a standard storm. The main Russian regulatory document, SP (Construction regulations) 38.13330.2018 doesn’t have information about the definition of the wave reflection coefficient for all types of hydraulic structures, and the information available there is not exhaustive. The availability of information about the exact values of the wave reflection coefficient for various types of hydraulic structures, such as berthing facilities, can reasonably reduce their elevation, that will ultimately lead to a substantial reduction in construction costs and time.
 Conclusions. The results of these scientific studies will ensure the successful implementation of the most recent designs of seaports, terminals and cargo complexes in unfavourable natural environments, including the harsh climate of Arctic latitudes, regions where raw hydrocarbons and liquefied natural gas are intensively extracted. This will help to solve the priority task of our time: construction of new transshipment facilities along the Northern Sea Route.