Moored ships studies

Dynamic ship behaviour studies refer to the assess the feasibility and safety of berthing a vessel at a specific quay or terminal within a port. These studies are performed to ensure that the mooring of a vessel is both safe and efficient, considering all governing factors: port conditions (infrastructure and equipment), vessel characteristics, and environmental conditions.

In a dynamic ship behaviour study, several critical aspects are assessed, such as the quay’s capacity, the available berthing and mooring systems, prevailing currents, wave and wind conditions in the area, water depth, and vessel stability, among others. Specific considerations related to the vessel are also taken into account, including its size, maneuverability, and the characteristics of its onboard mooring equipment.

Objetives of the dynamic ship behaviour studies

Main objectives of dynamic ship behaviour studies

  • To ensure the integrity of the vessel while it is moored or anchored at a terminal, as well as that of the terminal’s equipment, by determining the meteorological and oceanographic conditions under which the vessel can remain safely moored.
  • To determine the metocean conditions in which the vessel can operate, that is, to safely and efficiently carry out loading and unloading operations.

The main challenge in analyzing the behavior of a moored ship is a complex dynamic system requiring the use of specific tools, which should be appropriate to the degree of accuracy required depending on the phase of the study (preliminary or detailed) or the client’s requirements.

In cases where studies include the effect of passing ships on the moored vessel, the results must include, along with metocean limits, the limits regarding the speed of passing vessels and safe passing distances under metocean conditions compatible with port traffic. Given the complexity of vessel operations, the results provided help both terminal personnel and port security officers to plan safe operations.

Factors involved in the study of Mooring Ships

Factors involved in the study of dynamic ship behaviour

Meteocean Conditions

  • Wave action
  • Wind
  • Current
  • Tidal level
  • Special phenomena (squalls, basin oscillations, etc.)

Berthing characteristics

  • Type: quay or jetty
  • Berth depth
  • Position and features of fenders
  • Position and features of mooring points (quick-release hooks, bollards, or unconventional mooring systems)

Vessel type

  • Main dimensions
  • Loading conditions
  • Displacement
  • Draught
  • Center of gravity position
  • Radius of inertia
  • Mooring Equipment (Number of mooring lines, material, winches, fairleads, etc.)

List of moored vessel studies

In line with the objectives of mooring studies, the most common projects in which moored vessel assessments are conducted include:

  • Determination of operational and berthing limit conditions
  • Terminal feasibility analysis
  • Support for terminal design
  • Optimization of mooring equipment
  • Incident analysis (line breakage, disconnection of loading arms, etc.)
  • Passing-ships Interaction
  • Compatibility studies: Terminal-Vessel