Experimental tests and full-scale monitoring of the wind effects on moored ships

The recent growth of cruise and container ships size, which is involving the shipping industry, determines the greater and greater importance of evaluating properly the wind actions on such big ships, especially during the mooring. Accidents and damages may occur in port areas during extreme wind events due to the breakage of mooring clamps, jeopardizing the safety of human beings and vessels as well as producing significant economic losses. In order to better highlight the possible reasons of such events, a research PhD project has been developed in collaboration between Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department (DICCA) and PSA Genova Prà, Cetena S.p.A. (Fincantieri Group) and “Gruppo Antichi Ormeggiatori del Porto di Genova” and it has funded by Regione Liguria under the Operational Program Liguria Region - European Social Fund 2014-2020, ASSE 3 "Education and training". The research has been developed through an intensive wind tunnel tests campaign, in order to verify the requirements of best industry practices for the wind loads assessment also for a new generation of giant ships, and field measurements in the area port finalized, to measure the real conditions affecting the moored ships in term of wind conditions, mooring loads, and displacements. In particular, an innovative monitoring system for the ship motion detection, completely designed and realized during this research, will be described in the manuscript.