Assessing Operability on Berthed Ships. Common Approaches, Present and Future Lines

• Main Authors: Rafael Molina-Sanchez, Álvaro Campos, Marta de Alfonso, Francisco J. de los Santos, Pablo Rodríguez-Rubio, Susana Pérez-Rubio, Alberto Camarero-Orive, Enrique Álvarez-Fanjul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
• Subjects: operability; thresholds; downtimes; berthed ships; ship movements; customization
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/4/255

The revenue of a ship company, a terminal, a port and even the whole logistic chain largely depends on the performance of (un)loading operations inside port areas. However, they are conditioned by met-ocean agents that exert stresses on fixed structures, berthed ships and mooring systems that can affect the comfort, productivity and safety of the operations. Under extreme conditions, operations may be interrupted, producing periods of inactivity, economic losses and even jeopardizing the terminal’s reliability. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies for characterizing and predicting operability in docks and anchorages. The present paper aims to assess the main approaches up to date to address the operability on berthed ships and to explore present and future strategies. To accomplish this, main factors affecting the operability are reviewed and different methodologies for the characterization and calculation of operability are detailed, together with some results regarding the perception of vulnerability from the Spanish port community. Rather than aiming for generic mono-parametric thresholds, the results highlight the need for addressing this challenge in a specific way for each dock and anchorage, broadening field monitoring and considering the varied peculiarities and the specific perception and experience of main port’s actors.