The Port of ROTTERDAM has installed six “Smart Bollards” along the quay of the Hutchinson Ports ECT Delta to enhance safety operations. These bollards measure the strength of mooring lines, providing greater insight into the consequences of berthing, docking, and idling container ships at the quay.
The smart bollards were placed following a successful test of a single bollard, and they are designed in cooperation with Straatman BV, Zwijndrecht, a company specializing in the creation, production, and supply of products designed for the maritime sector.
The bollards have been installed side by side at a single berth to benefit large container vessels. When a bollard experiences a force, a sensor within it measures the force and sends the data directly to the Port. This information will aid in extending the lifespan of the quay walls.
The Port of ROTTERDAM manages 80km of quay wall and 200 km of bank shoring, and the installation of these bollards is part of a series of measures aimed at using digital technology to manage highly capital-intensive assets such as quay walls more efficiently.
The information obtained from the bollards has also contributed to updating the European Standards of Structural Design. The bollards are one of the latest measures implemented by the port to digitize its operations.
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