Port of Rotterdam Authority launches smart bollard trial at ECT

Along the quay of the Hutchison Ports ECT Delta terminal on the Maasvlakte, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has installed a smart bollard as part of a trial. The smart bollard was developed in collaboration with Straatman BV, Zwijndrecht. 

By measuring the strain on the mooring lines in real time, the bollard not only allows the real-time monitoring of safety, but it also provides a clearer picture of which vessels can moor at which quays. The trial is in line with the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s policy of making the port more efficient through digitisation.

Empirical analysis

Until now, it has not been possible to measure the strain on mooring lines. The lack of exact data measured on moored vessels meant we had to assume maximum mooring loads exerted on the lines by the vessels and quay walls. These forces vary due to differences in local conditions. The smart bollard can help give us a better understanding of the forces involved.

Pilot

When force is applied to a bollard, it moves very slightly. A sensor measures the force and sends the results directly to the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Before the smart bollard was installed, it was successfully put through its paces on a test bench in Zwijndrecht.

Smart sensors

The Port of Rotterdam Authority specialises in the construction and maintenance of quay walls. It manages 80 kilometres of quay wall and 200 kilometres of bank shoring, monitoring the structures using collected data. For example, sensors are installed in many quays and the results have shown that quay walls last much longer than had previously been assumed. This research has now resulted in the updating of the European standards for structural design (Eurocodes). The smart bollard trial is part of a series of measures aimed at using digital technology to manage highly capital-intensive assets such as quay walls more efficiently.

Straatman

For more than a century, Straatman B.V., located in the Dutch city of Zwijndrecht, has specialised in the design, manufacture and supply of high-quality products for the global maritime industry.