Meridian delta marine transport assessment
Keywords
Port operation
Client, Architect & Other Organisations
Buro Happold Consulting Engineers
Meridian Delta Ltd
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Scope of Work
In order to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the wharfage arrangements at Greenwich Peninsula a SOFTPORT port simulation model was developed to assess marine, port and landside transport. The objective of the analysis was to assess the existing and future operation of the aggregate importing facilities at Greenwich comprising Murphy's Wharf, Victoria Deep Terminal, Blackwall (Delta) Wharf, and Angerstein's Wharf.
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Modelling
Three simulations based upon different random vessel arrival distributions were carried out for each throughput volume scenario amounting to a total simulation time for each scenario of approximately 18 months. The SOFTPORT simulation generated the following output for each scenario;
 Tabular output of vessel movementTabular output of berth activitySummary statisticsGraphical output of waiting timeGraphical output of storage buffer fluctuationGraphical output of berth occupancyGraphical output of arrivalsGraphical Three representative ship types were selected and the vessel classes in the SOFTPORT program were based upon the specification of the quick discharging marine dredgers currently operated by United Marine Aggregates. The vessel arrival distribution used in the model was random in accordance with the United Nations Port Development Handbook .
The approach to Greenwich Peninsula was defined in the SOFTPORT simulation as a single bi-directional channel with a dredged depth level of 5 m CD. The spring and neap cycles are commensurate with tidal fluctuation at Tower Bridge and the SOFTPORT program ensured that laden dredging vessels were required to wait until there was a suitable water depth for the duration of the vessel's passage in the shallow water of the Thames at Greenwich Peninsula.
The berths at the wharves were equipped with quayside mechanical handling plant with rated capacities of between 800 tonnes per hour to 1500 tonnes per hour. Standard deviations associate with the handling capacity of the unloaders were applied to the rated capacity to reflected the fact that unloading rates can vary for a number of reasons. In addition the unloading rate took into account the nature of the vessel hull by the application of a “through ship efficiency factor”.
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