Smart mooring

Bollards are now also becoming intelligent in the port of Rotterdam. Together with Straatman B.V. from Zwijndrecht, the Port Authority has developed a new type of bollard that can measure the forces exerted by the ships' hawsers. Minimal movements are determined for this purpose. The use of this technology makes it easier to plan which ships are suitable for the individual berths. At the same time, the situation on the quay wall is monitored in real time, making a significant contribution to increasing safety.

In future, the system is to become part of Rotterdam's strategy to use the opportunities offered by digitalisation to increase efficiency. Until now, it has not been possible to consistently measure the forces that occur. As a result, the maximum load on the quay walls had to be assumed. However, tests have shown that the load was often not as high as assumed and therefore the service life of the quay walls is longer than expected. Other values can now be used as a basis for the construction of new quay walls, making construction and maintenance more favourable.

Text: mb; Photo: Straatman B.V./Port of Rotterdam