In the last years traditional slope docks of the Mediterranean ports are being replaced by vertical reflector docks, but we did not know the influence of surge reflection in the effectiveness of access channels to ports up to know and in port efficiency.
Elena Sánchez Badorrey, researcher of the Andalusian Environmental Centre, proposes a model which allows the calculus of stop-probabilities during the passage of a ship in real time and which cab be used as a tool to manage maritime traffic and improve port operation.
The work is part of the doctoral thesis “Morphodynamic Processes in the vicinity of shelter docks and their influence in port efficiency”, supervised by Prof. Miguel Ángel Losada Rodríguez (Higher Technical School of Civil Engineering of the UGR).
The development of the research work has involved the analysis of the influence of surge reflection and groups of waves in ship oscillation. Likewise, variables like speed pressure, radiation tensor and speed of sediment mass transport have been observed to determinate their influence in the conditions of sediment agitation and transport in the vicinity of shelter docks.
To judge the influence of this change in access channels effectiveness, a probabilist model has been proposed for the calculus of stop-efficiency during the passage of a ship. This model has been applied to the calculus of stop-probabilities in the access channel to the port of Motril. The results show that channel efficiency may decrease for reflctor docks and the need for channel dredging for safe navigation increase.
The model, which follows the recent guidelines of international organizations (PIANC, USACE) and the methodology of the Recommendations of Maritime Works (ROM 0.0, 2001) of State Ports, intends to be a tool to improve safety and management of maritime traffic in port areas of the Bay of Cadiz after the agreement signed between the UGR, the Public Organization of State Ports and the Port Authority of the Bay of Cadiz.
The Port Authorities of Almeria-Motril and of the Bay of Cadiz have widely collaborated with the authors of this study during the research work.
Further information:
– Elena Sánchez Badorrey. Andalusian Environmental Centre (CEAMA). Phone number: 958 815999.. E-mail:
elenasb@ugr.es
Prof. Miguel Ángel Losada Rodríguez. Department of Continuous Means and Theory of Structures of the University of Granada. Phone number: 958 814862. E-mail:ramosca@ugr.es
