PIANC announces the publication of Working Group Report No. 215: Accidental Impacts from Ships on Fixed Structures. This is a comprehensive guideline for assessing and mitigating vessel allisions with bridges, piers, quay walls, dams, lock approach walls, and other fixed infrastructure across ports and inland waterways.
Recent high-profile allisions have highlighted the need for consistent, evidence-based approaches to protect critical transport assets. WG215 consolidates best practices and aligns with leading international standards to help asset owners, engineers, and regulators design for safety, resilience, and continuity of operations.
Recent high-profile allisions have highlighted the need for consistent, evidence-based approaches to protect critical transport assets. WG215 consolidates best practices and aligns with leading international standards to help asset owners, engineers, and regulators design for safety, resilience, and continuity of operations.
- Clear scope & definitions: Focused on accidental ship impacts against fixed structures; normal berthing loads.
- Method selection: Practical guidance to choose deterministic, semi-probabilistic, or probabilistic methods based on structure type, traffic characteristics, and consequence classes.
- Input data & evidence: Using historical accident records, AIS traffic data, environmental conditions, and waterway geometry to develop credible site-specific assessments and to revisit them over time as trends evolve.
- Impact mechanics: Consistent treatment of hard vs. soft impacts, hydrodynamic added mass, impact angle/height/area, and dynamic amplification.
- Risk acceptance criteria: How to set targets (e.g., annual failure probabilities/reliability indices) drawing on AASHTO, Eurocode EN 1990/1991-1-7, ISO 2394/10252, and related frameworks, including ALARP principles.
- Mitigation toolbox: Physical measures (fenders, dolphins, cofferdams, floating arrestors, artificial islands) and operational measures (pilotage, tug escort, speed management, aids to navigation, VTS/TSS) to reduce risk to acceptable levels.
