Research On Ship Collision With Bridges

Any structure in navigable waters constitutes a hazard to shipping and is itself vulnerable to damage or destruction in the event of vessel collision. Worldwide, vessel traffic and the average size of vessels continue to increase. At the same time, ever more bridges crossing navigable waters are being planned and constructed, sometimes with inadequate navigation clearance and/or inadequate protection. Thus accidents of ship collision with bridges take place at times. This has become an important problem in planning and design of bridges crossing navigational channels. Therefore, how to resolve problems of ship collision with bridges and to draw up precept or criterion has become an important task to bridge designers. This study provides the whole course of ship collision with bridges. In chapter 2, on base of statistical data and recordation of ship collision with bridges, the main cause of the accidents and relationship of all the factors was analyzed, thus how to reduce accidents is pointed out. In chapter 3, differing with gonging criterions which use "safety factor" or "reliability indicatrix", the accidents were regarded as a problem of risk. Then probability model was established in ouder to bring out probability of ship collision with bridges and probability of failure due to ship collision with bridges. In chapter 4, design criterions were established with risk approach, so as to balance risk of failure and cost on reduction of accidents and to achieve best design on economic. In chapter 5, design velocity was brought in when using Woisin approach to calculate impact force. Reduction of impact force was also taken into account when fleet was considered. In chapter 6, protection systems were studied and advices on using different protection systems were brought out.