Abstract: Ship mooring analysis is essential to new terminal development and upgrade of existing terminals. The trend of maritime transport has been toward increased ship sizes and specialized loading/unloading operations; at the same time, some terminals need to be designed to accommodate different types of ships. Due to the lack of systematic guidelines and training, most practice engineers find it challenging to select and perform a suitable mooring analysis and make sound engineering judgments for different scenarios to support/optimize berthing and mooring system design.
The authors of this paper have been involved in various ship mooring analysis projects for over twenty years, including single-point mooring (SPM), multi-buoy mooring (MBM), and pier/jetty mooring for various types of ships (such as container ships, oil tankers, cruise ships, LNG/LPS ships, Breakbulk/Bulk Carriers, RO-RO ships, barges, etc.) exposed to different environmental conditions. Different types of mooring analysis models/methods have been developed and applied by the authors, resulting in obtaining valuable experience in engineering practice for ship mooring analysis.
This paper will address some fundamental topics such as i) types of mooring analysis systems and physical principles; ii) static mooring analysis vs. dynamic mooring and how to choose to meet the project’s needs; iii) what details of ship information needed to perform a reasonable mooring analysis; iv) implementation of mooring system components (lines, fittings, fender, chain, sinkers, buoys, etc.) in the model/analysis; v) berth geometric analysis to accommodate the wide range of ship sizes; vi) methods for selecting wind and currents coefficients or develop customized wind and current coefficients (including nested ships); vii) the effects of water levels, wind, current, waves, and passing vessels; viii) development of appropriate design or performance criteria for specific environmental conditions. This paper also provides some recommendations on the good practices for performing appropriate mooring analysis and how to utilize sound engineering judgment to interpret the mooring analysis results.
The topics discussed in this paper represent the proven engineering practice of ship mooring analysis, which supports the optimized design of berthing and mooring systems and can be applied to different types of marine terminals.
How does this project / topic contribute to the advancement of the industry and profession?: The topics discussed in this paper represent the proven engineering practice of ship mooring analysis, which supports the optimized design of berthing and mooring systems and can be applied to different types of marine terminals.
Does the project / topic implement new and innovative techniques, materials, technologies, and delivery methods?: Different mooring analysis methods and models will be discussed, which include 3D dynamic mooring analysis in the time domain and 3D passing vessels in the time domain. The 3D numerical models can simulate six-degree ship motions, provide more accurate responses of mooring and berthing systems, and include environmental conditions (varying wind, current, waves, wakes, passing vessel, and other external forces), which ultimately provides more reliable results, reduces uncertainty, and risks, and produces a more robust and cost-effective design.
What was the most challenging aspect of your project / topic and how did you handle it to ensure success?: The most challenging aspect was accommodating a wide range of ship sizes and different types of ships at the same terminal and using sound engineering judgment to interpret model/analysis results to support design optimization.
Who is the target audience for this paper?: The targeted audience for this paper includes Coastal and Marine Engineers, Port Planners, Terminal Designers, Port Authorities, and Shipping Lines.
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