Page 32: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2000)

Cruise Shipping Annual

To accommodate passengers who drive to the port, extra-large parking garages have become requisite for sea- ports that host — or are hoping to attract — the largest of industry vessels. As a bonus, parking revenue is usually the second largest profit center for cruise ports. While these and other sweeping adjustments are necessary at places visi- ble to the more casual observer, other changes are being made below the water line. Just because these modifications are not readily visible, they are nonethe- less equally essential to support these massive ships. An excellent example of this relates to the impact of Azipod propulsion systems upon the structural integrity of retaining walls and piles.

The Azipod systems that are increas- ingly finding their way onto the latest cruise ships replace the traditional wheel

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The Royal Viking Sun Photo Courtesy of Wartsila Marine.

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Circle 232 on Reader Service Card and rudder. Azipods are rotating pods that contain powerful motors capable of rotating 360 degrees. This in turn allows for remarkable maneuverability without the need for rear thrusters.

Cruise lines are using more Azipods because of their benefits — from fuel savings to freeing up hull space in order to add income-producing berths.

Ports need to prepare for the impacts of azipods. The high water velocity gen- erated by conventional thrusters during a berthing operation already can threat- en support structures such as piles and sheet piles in some ports. The scouring and undermining from this high water velocity can eventually cause a failure of a pile or wall.

If one considers that Azipods can be nearly 10 times as powerful as conven- tional thrusters, it is easy to see that there indeed is a need for planning. An

Azipod utilizes about 14 mkW, while a conventional thruster uses about 1.5 mkW.

Also, the center of water forces exert- ed by Azipods is lower and therefore closer to the bottom and to key berth supports. The level of impact upon ports will depend upon such factors as the type of material that supports water from structures. For example, water- fronts where rock prevails should be less vulnerable than those with sand and clay. But all seaports would be well- advised to consider the potential for

Azipod-related scouring impact and seek solutions.

Gee & Jenson has worked with many seaports in managing such potential impacts by: surveying berth conditions to evaluate the potential for scour dam- age; installing deflectors in the Azipod velocity zone; using scour mats to pro- tect vulnerable area; protecting the base of areas of vulnerable piles and sheet piles; and designing new berths that are resistant to scour damage.

As is the case with so many issues, some of the simplest (and best) solu- tions can come by way of open, frank discussions. In this case, communica- tions with ship operators can help devel- op berthing plans that designate Azipod zones to minimize potential for scouring impacts. With such massive cruise ships not only providing vast profit potentials for cruise ports and their environs but also posing potentially big challenges for seaports, it has never been more important for seaport operators and those who utilize their facilities to work closely together and with qualified ter- minal facility experts to ensure maxi- mum levels of service for vacationers while minimizing the possibility of neg- ative impacts.

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Maritime Reporter/Engineering News

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