The use of professional divers is the most common method used in the inspection of underwater structures nowadays. However, comprehensive dive inspections are very time consuming and the results may consist of not much more than drawings, fuzzy photographs, and written text. In many locations poor visibility and certain environmental conditions can substantially lower the scope of such inspection or even make it impossible. This article presents how high resolution multibeam (MBES) survey, mobile laser scanning and scanning sonar technology can be used in an effective way to gather comprehensive information of your coastal infrastructure above and below the water surface. The benefits compared to other commonly used techniques to gather the information will also be outlined.

MULTIBEAM SURVEY

Multibeam survey is commonly used for hydrographic charting. Technical development with these sensors has been fast. Nowadays it is possible to collect a huge number of high resolution survey points of not only from the natural seabed but also from other kind of underwater objects. This way much smaller targets can be located and identified underwater. Multibeam survey is the most economic and effective way to get an extensive underwater view of coastal structures. By tilting the multibeam sonar head sideways, underwater 3D data can be collected from the bottom up to the water surface level. This introduces new possibilities to inspect harbour structures and

other underwater civil engineering targets more comprehensively.

Figure 1: Multibeam survey dataset by tilted sonar head from Port of Helsinki.

High resolution multibeam data shows valuable information about possible slope failures, mass movements due to propeller race and condition of erosion protection in front of quay walls. Also missing objects like containers and quay wall fenders can be located from the data with high accuracy beside with possible hazards for save navigation in the harbour. The survey results as 3D point clouds are compatible with all modern software for designing, planning and engineering purposes.

MOBILE LASER SCANNING

Laser scanning is a state of the art method to collect a 3D point cloud of a certain area of interest in

extremely high detail level. When mobile laser scanning is carried out simultaneously with the multibeam survey from a modern hydrographic survey vessel, this makes it a highly cost effective way of working.

Figure 2: Combined multibeam and laser scanning dataset from Särkisalo bridge.

Combining diver’s observations and photographs in a paper report is not compatible to what you can

achieve by combining mobile laser scanning of coastal infrastructure with multibeam point cloud of

underwater structures. All the objects located in the dataset have exact coordinates and are easy to locate for further inspection through comprehensive view of the area of interest above and below the water surface. This kind of dataset also allows you to document your complete infrastructure for the future development needs.

SCANNING SONAR

Scanning sonar is the most accurate method to make supplementary inspections for underwater structures in strong current or turbid waters where diving is not possible. Scanning sonar operates at high frequency typically from 600 kHz which gives a good resolution. Scanning sonar data can be accurate 2D images or 3D point clouds tied to a coordinate system. Any kind of damage or structural deviations as well as their location and extent can be defined in the inspection.

Depending on the circumstances at the site, the inspections can be carried out from a barge, crane or even from frozen sections of water. Compared to multibeam data the resolution of the data is better when sonar mount is static and this way recognized potential targets can be inspected more carefully to do the repair planning.

Figure 3: Scanning sonar dataset of the piles (VRT Finland Ltd)

CONCLUSION

Multibeam survey and mobile laser scanning provide us a tool to obtain a comprehensive view of a location on a larger scale, and to recognize potential targets for further inspection. These specific targets can then be inspected more closely for example by professional divers. Alternatively, scanning sonar technology offers the most accurate method to inspect underwater structures locally without the need to worry about visibility or strong current. For a professional inspection of coastal infrastructure the most effective solution is a combination of simultaneous multibeam survey and mobile laser scanning combined with focused scanning sonar inspection. All information in 3D digital format is then usable in modern software for further maintenance planning and

engineering purposes. This approach will help to safeguard maritime investments and improve maintenance planning in your harbours and other marine infrastructure.

The author, Jani Potronen can be contacted at jani.potronen@meritaito.fi

To read the article online visit Reson’s website at the following link http://www.reson.com/news/the-most-effective-solution-for-a-professional-inspection-of-coastal-infrastructure/

The world’s most famous lagoon not only has historical significance for the city of Venice (Figure 1), but is a fascinating, ever-changing natural environment. The lagoon consists of approximately 8% dry land, 12% open water and 80% tidal mudflats and salt marshes. This environment is home to complex ecological and morphological systems, which are influenced by tidal cycles, as well as freshwater and sediment inflow from river systems. Monitoring is becoming increasingly important because of changing sea levels and increasing anthropogenic influence, such as the MOSE flood protection project, which allows connection to the Adriatic Sea to be closed, as well as dredging of the shipping channels. High-resolution bathymetry surveys are critical to the investigations and inspections that monitor the changing environment of the Venetian Lagoon. The data must be gathered quickly and cost-effectively, because of the requirement for large-scale repetition of the measurements. The water depth in relevant areas is often as shallow as 1 m. It has therefore been proposed to use a shallow water wide swath multibeam with a large coverage, with the possibility of mobile installation so local boats with shallow draft can be deployed. A pilot study of the locale involving research and monitoring of the lagoon has been conducted by the ISMAR-CNR research institute, in collaboration Kongsberg Geoacoustics.

The field study area

A number of representative areas in the Venetian Lagoon, which has a total surface of 550 km², have been examined. The lagoon has three inlets to the Adriatic Sea. The average depth is 0.8 m and typical features are natural navigation channels with depths of about 20 meters, tidal channels and streams of several meters depth, and tidal flats and salt marshes. The lagoon originated about 6000 years ago, during the last marine transgression. It has previously experienced severe morphological changes in short periods, for example, the proportion of salt marsh has decreased by more than 50%, from 68 km² to 32 km² in the years 1927 to 2002. Major transformation at the inlets (MOSE project) are currently underway, so it has become necessary to detect sudden changes quickly and reliably to counteract negative trends in the short term. This is done by repeat measurements in ‘hot-spot’ areas, which show very high erosion and sedimentation rates, where changes can be detected most easily. Figure 2 illustrates areas in which test measurements were made. The Scanello channel and adjacent salt marshes are used as an example in this article. The area has been subject to previous research in which, among other things, the hydrodynamics of the channel could be related to sediment erosion and deposition. The Scanello Channel is a natural tidal channel with water depths of 0.5 m – 7 m so the hydrographic environment is challenging due to low water depth and complex hydrodynamic processes. The tidal range is about 1 m, whilst tidal velocities of 0.2 ms^-1 and 1 ms^-1 can be observed. The water sound profile shows strong temporal changes that are caused by salt and fresh water mixing and sun heating (see Figure 3).

Methodology

In order to carry out a high-resolution bathymetry survey with full coverage the Kongsberg Geoacoustics shallow water multibeam GeoSwath Plus was chosen. The system applies the phase measurement bathymetric sonar principle to acquire high resolution bathymetry and co-registered geo-referenced side scan data with a beam angle of 240 ° x 0.75 ° (in the used 500 kHz version). A measurement of the water surface to nadir is thus given, without tilting the transducer. The coverage depends on the quality of the backscattered signal and reaches extreme shallow water values ??over 12 times water depth. The peripheral sensors used were a Hemisphere V101 GPS compass, registering position data with differential GPS correction and heading data, a TSS DMS05 motion sensor measuring roll, pitch and heave motion as well as a Valeport MiniSVS sound velocity probe. The motion sensor is combined with the compact 500 kHz transducers in the transducer mount on a pole, on the starboard side of the vessel of opportunity with a draft of c. 0.5 m. At the upper end of the pole the GPS compass was installed so that the sonar system including peripheral sensors were all combined on the rigid pole, which facilitates the installation and calibration of the system and avoids relative movements between the sensors as well as vibrations. Additionally a Valeport MiniSVP probe was used to regularly record sound velocity profiles. The data was acquired with the system’s own GS+ software. Further processing was done with CARIS HIPS / SIPS and for data visualization both, GeoSwath + and QPS/Fledermaus software was used. System calibration was performed with the help of patch test data recorded locally.

Data results and discussion

Figure 4 shows the bathymetry and side scan data of Scanello Channel. A coverage of up to 15 times the water depth was reached in areas of less than 1 m depth below the transducer. The data also show that the channel slopes can be imaged up to the water surface. The channel reaches as a branch of the main channel into a salt marsh. Following a 200 m long section to the east bend of the canal to the north to get to 300 m split into two arms ending in shallow mudflats. In correspondence with the cut bank a typical depression of 7 m can be observed (Figure 5). The point bar has a characteristically smaller slope. The erosion-deposition pattern is characteristic of a meandering tidal channel and sediment waves can be observed with a wavelength of several meters, which increases with greater depth. The lack of sediment waves in the deepest part indicates a high rate of flow in these areas. A further depression can be observ
ed in the confluence area of ??the channel bifurcation. The side scan data partly reflects the morphological features. In flat the different grey levels indicate changes in the seabed type. The data is used to classify different seabed types and establish their relationships with hydrodynamic parameters such as flow rates as well as different marine habitats, such as native oyster banks that are important to local fisheries.

Conclusions

The study in the Venetian Lagoon has shown that it is possible to perform full coverage high resolution bathymetry and side scan surveys in extremely shallow water areas in order to image relevant morphological structures from the deep seafloor up to the water surface. The measurements have sufficient repeatability to document changes in the structures and the GeoSwath Plus portable system can be easily and quickly installed on available boats. In extremely shallow water, an overlap of 12-15 times the water depth can be achieved, allowing for efficient measurements, which in turn supports the requirement for regular repeat surveys.

Figure 1: St. Mark’s Square with the Campanile and the bathymetry of the busy strait between the Piazzetta and the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Figure 2: The Venetian Lagoon is connected to the Adriatic Sea through three inlets. In the study, a number of areas were examined that are characterised by their specific erosion and deposition patterns. The data from Scanello channel near the island of Burano is considered as an example in this article.

Figure 3: Tidal data and sound velocity profiles for three locations in Scannelo channel. The survey was carried out between 14:00 and 15:00 h, during which the sound velocity profiles were measured. The tidal data was computed using a local high resolution tidal model. Even over distances of 400 meters in a 1 hour period relevant tidal height variations and strong differences in water sound profile of several m / s can be observed.

Figure 4: Bathymetry and side scan data from Scanello channel. The shallow water multibeam GeoSwath Plus provides complete coverage of the depth data up to the surface without tilting the transducer. In extremely shallow water coverage of 15 times water depth is achieved in a single transect, so that the whole surface was covered with only a few lines in less than 60 minutes. The geo-referenced side scan data was collected at the same time and can be used to distinguish seabed types.

Figure 5: Die Bathymetry of Scanello channel in 3D view shows the characteristic morphology of meandering tidal channels.

In a box

Authors:

1. Martin Gutowski (Kongsberg Geoacoustics, Great Yarmouth, UK)

2. Fantina Madricardo (Istituto di Scienze Marine – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISMAR-CNR, Venedig, Italy)

3. Federica Foglini  (Istituto di Scienze Marine – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISMAR-CNR, Bologna, Italy)

For further information contact Dr Martin Gutowskimartin.gutowski@kongsberg.com

The development of sea ports is an acute need for Ukraine, taking into account that in recent years Ukrainian ports, which have a total trans-shipment capacity of more than 180 million tonnes, have experienced serious difficulties.

Currently Ukrainian ports rank second in the Black and Azov sea basin in terms of cargo trans-shipment, being slightly behind Russian ports. At present of the 445.8 million tons of cargo which are transhipped by 96 terminals of the Black Sea-Azov basin, the largest volume accounts for Russian ports – 172.8 million tons (38.8%), followed by Ukrainian ports (34.9%) Romanian (10.3%), Bulgarian (6.05%), Georgian (4.97%) and Turkish (4.96%).

In the first half of 2012 transit cargo traffic of Ukrainian ports decreased by 16.5%, while its share in total cargo turnover dropped to 35% (compared to pre-crisis 50%). Official results for the full 2012 have not yet been announced, but,  according to sources close to the Ukrainian government, they will be comparable with the results for the first six months of the year.

According to Vitaliy Korzh, a member of the Verkhovna Rada’s (Ukrainian Parliament) Comittee on transport and communication, in recent years Ukrainian ports have become unattractive for transit cargo traffic, which are reflected by the fact that they currently trans-ship no more than 15% of the potential volume of cargo transit of neighboring states. Ukraine inherited powerful port infrastructure from the Soviet times. According to Chernomorniiproekt, Ukraine’s leading research institute (which was involved in the construction, reconstruction and development of ports) the country currently has 19 seaports and 11 port stations, which are located on the Black Sea and Sea of ??Azov, with a total length of waterfront of main seaports about 31km. The most important Ukrainian sea ports are located in the northwestern part of the Black Sea and include Odessky, Ilyichevsky and Youzhny ports. Currently their share in the total cargo turnover of Ukrainian sea ports is estimated at 60%. These ports have the best maritime approaches, being able to receive ships with the draught up to 15m, in contrast to other countries’ sea ports. Furthermore, Odessky and and Ilyichevsky ports have the largest container terminals in Ukraine. At the same time among the main sea ports of the Crimean peninsula are Evpatoriysky, Sevastopolsky, Yaltinsky, Feodosiysky and Kerchecnky ports.

In addition, two other Ukrainian sea ports, Berdyansky and Mariupolsky, are located on the northern coast of the Sea of ??Azov close to the most industrialised regions of the country, the Dnieper and Donets, and mainly specialising in exports of metals and other products from these regions. Ukraine has its own, specific port infrastructure, which was formed during the Soviet times. The Soviet concept implied building of ports with the purpose of a particular specialisation. For example, the Illichivsk port was designed for handling of general cargo, and later containerised cargo. At the same time the Yuzhny port mainly specialises in handling primarily bulk cargo such as chemical fertilisers, coal, ore, etc.

Limitations of a legacy

According to Ukrainian analysts, the national ports were built in accordance with the standards of 1960-1970s, being unable to efficiently serve ships with carrying capacity of over 80,000 tons, which are currently the most popular for the carriage of bulk cargoes. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the majority of ports’ equipment is worn out by 60-90%. However, the main problem, which hinders the development of the sector is underdevelopment of local and customs legislaton.

At the same time there is a possibility that much can change in the near future, as, according to state plans, the recently adopted laws, which mainly include the law ‘On Sea Ports of Ukraine’, as well as the national state strategy of the development of sea ports,  may significantly improve
the situation in the industry.

The new laws involve active development of Ukrainian port infrastructure, the expansion of terminal capacities, as well as the development of related infrastructure and in particular rail and road infrastructure. It is planned that futher development is expected to occur on the basis of the concession mechanism, which involves active attraction of private investors. As expected, the Ukrainian ports will be transferred to private investors under the concessionary agreements for a period of 49 years.

Successful implementation of the new laws will contribute to the solving of the major problems of the Ukrainian port industry, among which are depreciation of fixed assets, the use of obsolete technologies (with almost 30% of waterfront being in poor technical condition), the existence of inefficient customs and tariff policy, the absence of guarantees of cargo safety and its timely handling.

Finally, the development of the industry is prevented by the disparity of the existing capacities of Ukrainian ports with the structure of the today’s cargo traffic and in particular the ever growing traffic of container cargo.

Part of the state plans includes reorganisation of the national sea ports from state enterprises into the so-called public and maritime administrations. In accordance with the law ‘On sea ports of Ukraine’, the administration of Ukrainian sea ports will be established in the country, with a headquarter in  Kiev and its branches in each Ukrainian port. Under the new laws, the state’s functions in the field of sea ports will include control over the safety of navigation, as well as the control of fairway marking and navigational regimes. At the same time, the remaning functions, such as the storage and handling of goods, towing services, and so on, will be given to investors, through the concession agreements and privatisation of some elements of ports’ infrastructure.  Total volume of state investments in the implementation of these plans has not yet been officially announced, but, according to some sources close to the Ukrainian government, it may reach EUR30 billion. It is planned that part of these funds will be invested in the purchase of equipment for Ukrainian ports in the next 10 years. At the same time a significant portion of funds will be allocated for the improvement of ports’ infrastructure, and in particular the increase of depths at harbours and harbour canals.

Hope on the horizon

Today Ukraine has only three seaports, such as Youzhny, Odessky and Illichivsksky, which have berths with the depth of 13-15 meters and can receive vessels with deadweight of 50,000 – 80,000 tons. However there is a possibility that during the next several years more Ukrainian ports will be able to serve big ships. One of the most promising projects involves the establishment of a new modern deep-water port on the basis of the Small Ajalyk estuary in the Odessa region, which will be designed to receive vessels with a deadweight of 200,000 tons, while its main specialisation will be handling of energy resources and mass bulk cargo.

In the meantime, leading Ukranian analysts as well as representatives of the country’s major ports have already welcomed the new state initiative.

Alexander Lagosa, Head of the Youzhny port, one of the largest Ukrainian ports, comments:

“We believe that the adopted laws are very important, as they set certain rules between private investors and the state. The Ukrainian port and maritime industry significantly lags behind EU and even neighbouring countries, in particular Russia, in terms of cargo handling, as well as the volume of investments in the modernisation of its ports and their infrastructure. For example, in recent years the Baltic ports seized a significant share of coal supplies, which in recent years was mainly trans-shipped through our ports, due to the implementation of investment projects for the development of modern coal trans-shipment complexes.”

At the same time, despite the existing problems the introduction of new legislation and the start of ports’ reform in the country has not been overlooked by foreign investors. For example, the Illichivsk port has recently signed a preliminary agreement with a major grain trader Cargill Ukraine, which is part of the US agricultural conglomerate Cargill on the participation in the concession tender for the port. Under the terms of the agreement, the area adjacent to the 10th berth of the port may be provided to Cargill to build a complex for the storage and processing of grain and oilseeds with annual capacity of 4.5 million tons.

According to the Ukrainian press, in the list of other potential bidders for major Ukranian ports are some global shipping companies, as well as both foreign and local financial groups, banks, such asd JSC “Donetskstal – MH”, OJSC “Poltava GOK”, Smart Holding,  Royal Caribbean, Indian Arcelor Mittal, the Russian VTB Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Independent Association of Ukrainian banks.

There’s a strange dichotomy about the straddle carrier and shuttle carrier market: a present in which the safety and comfort of drivers is still of paramount concern, and a future in which automation means there will be far fewer SC drivers in cabs. Konecranes predicts that the traditional SC market is set for significant change. While the manufacturer expects the market’s supply flow of traditional, manually driven straddle carriers to remain constant at around 200 to 300 units per year over the next decade, it is predicting a gradual downturn in the following 10 to 20 years. “Greenfield terminals in particular are demanding more and deeper automation reaching from the ship-to-shore cranes to the truck and rail loading zones,” explains Svend Videbaek, Port Cranes Marketing Specialist at the Finnish-headquartered company. The manufacturer predicts that, while the traditional market will contract, the demand for its Boxrunner-style SCs will grow. “There will be more tenders and projects that require fully-automated straddle carriers, which will no longer be seen as independent machines but as a link in the automation chain of a fully-automated terminal concept,” says Videbaek. “Companies like Konecranes will have to evolve from being an equipment supplier to being the supplier of entire terminal concepts and equipment. Customers will reduce their purchasing of equipment, and instead procure terminal-wide automation technology and equipment from a single source.” Cargotec company Kalmar also recognises that the future will lean towards automated SC systems. It has worked intensively on fully automated straddle and shuttle carrier solutions over the past year. The manufacturer states that its work with such solutions at its test site is “paying dividends” through significant performance benefits.

Now and Then

While advancements in automation mean that we can look to an exciting, dramatic change in the operations of straddle carriers, the traditional model of SC supply is still gleaning results. At the outset of this year, for example, Liebherr Container Cranes won an order to deliver four straddle carriers to Lyttelton, Port of Christchurch, in New Zealand. Due for delivery halfway through the year, these Liebherr SC350T models will stack one over two high and are supplied with 50-tonne twin-lift spreaders. The new machines will complement a pair of Liebherr ship-to-shore cranes at the port. The SCs will be linked to a remote container tracking system, providing real-time accurate information on the position and handling rates of containers within the terminal. Lyttelton is the major trade gateway to New Zealand’s South Island and announced an increase of 16.8% in container throughput at the port to the end of June 2012. New Zealand is an important repeat-business market for Liebherr; the Port of Tauranga also placed an order for three Liebherr straddle carriers of similar configuration to the Lyttelton machines in November 2012. The manufacturer states that, in both cases, the orders followed detailed evaluations by port engineers and drivers during site visits to existing terminals using Liebherr machines. The manufacturer states that orders such as this are indicative of a market that is currently thriving: “Based on the level of interest we have received, the future appears strong for the Liebherr straddle carrier both as fleet replacement machines as well as new possibilities from smaller ports all the way up to mega ports from shore-side to stacking in a feeder capacity.”

Getting Smart

Kalmar’s aforementioned, ongoing commitment to automation is reflected in two strategic acquisitions by parent company Cargotec in recent years. The first was of terminal operating system (TOS) specialist Navis in 2011; the second of automation technology assets from Australia’s Asciano last year. Kalmar’s automated SCs are part of its SmartPort concept. SmartPort also includes process automation solutions, which Kalmar states provide an accessible and fast way to get immediate productivity improvements for a relatively small initial investment. One of these process automation offerings is SmartPath, a system that helps operators ensure SC fleets are always used to their optimum. Making full use of the increasingly diversified product portfolio that comes with those aforementioned acquisitions, SmartPath works in turn with ‘Prime Route’, an element within the Navis SPARCS TOS. Kalmar states that this ultimately results in fewer straddle carriers being required to complete a job, reducing both capital and operational costs. It’s versatile, too: although specifically designed to work with Kalmar machines and a Navis TOS, the SmartPath system will interface with other TOS systems and can be installed on any make of machine. Underpinning Kalmar’s automation efforts is its Tampere Competence Centre. This “state-of-the-art” facility includes a prototype factory with a test track for straddle carriers, shuttle carriers and terminal tractors, and separate areas for testing of rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes and automatic stacking cranes (ASC).

Comforting Safety

Liebherr states that its straddle carriers offer a number of technical and innovative design features, centred on providing increased productivity and safety with reduced maintenance costs and longer life cycles.  The manufacturer utilises a four-axle steer-by-wire system that allows two- or four-wheel steering modes. When the carrier exceeds a set travel speed, it locks out the rear wheels and steers with the leading wheels only. This, Liebherr states, makes it easier for the driver to keep the machine in a straight line at speed, while four-wheel steering at slower speeds ensures agility and fast positioning. Additionally, Liebherr SCs’ hydraulics are located at ground level, which the manufacturer claims improves dynamic response, enhances overall steering, and reduces tyre wear. The machines also feature independent axle pairings on each side, meaning damage can be limited to one corner only. Each steering cylinder is independently monitored and controlled, ensuring that the wheel alignment system is self-correcting. A further steering feature is the SCs’ traction control system, which allows for fine positioning and smooth travel acceleration, which the manufacturer says ensures faster and more accurate spreader positioning or box placement, ultimately leading to increased productivity. Additionally, Liebherr straddle carriers’ saftey logic blocks reduce the travel speed as the hoist height and steering angle increase. This is based on the stability ratio to limit speed according to ISO standards. The driver is also alerted visually and by a noise when approaching the stability limit, and stability alarms are recorded by the straddle management system. A further saftey feature is that there are no hydraulics within the engine enclosure of Liebherr straddle carriers. They are instead all located at ground level to minimise the risk of fire, while the exhaust pipe and manifold are insulated to protect maintenance staff. Health and safety is also a paramount issue for Kalmar; they use thorough risk analysis and testing at their technology centre and end users’ sites to minimise risks. The focus, the manufacturer explains, is to stay ahead of regulations before they come into place. Each Kalmar SC features monitoring, alarming and diagnostic facets in the machine control system, for functions such as stability, tyre pressure, smoke and fire, and fault detection. Additionally, each Kalmar SC can feature active stability control, semi and fully automatic fire suppression systems, and wet disc brakes which are insensitive to climate conditions. However, Kalmar argues that removing the driver from the equation through automation is the safest option. While automation may be the future, though, driver ergonomics remain an important concern for manufacturers in the present. The Liebherr cabin, for example, has large, curved windows to maximise visibility and minimise glare and reflections. The cab’s sliding door additionally reduces the risk of operator injury in higher wind conditions during entry or exit to the cab. Ergonomics were also an important consideration in Konecranes’ September 2012 delivery to Muuga Container Terminal in Tallinn, Estonia, of two Boxrunner DE52 straddle carriers equipped with the manufacturer’s new Smarter Cabin. The Boxrunner machines are six-wheelers that stack two-high, with the Smarter Cabin providing increased visibility and comfort. 

Greener order gleaners  

Liebherr states its ethos of being dedicated to environmental friendliness in its SC solutions helps to deliver reduced maintenance and fuel costs, as well as improved machine longevity. One such environmentally friendly feature is its latest variable speed control system, which matches operational and productivity requirements with actual energy demand, “ensuring a substantial reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions while maximising machine productivity.” Additionally, the energy generated during normal straddle operations such as hoist lowering and travel braking is regenerated where possible between hoist and travel drives, resulting in reductions in both fuel consumption and emissions. This commitment to ecology is mirrored by Kalmar, which states its most notable improvement over the past year has been to its new engine portfolio. This has come as a response to increasingly stringent exhaust emission regulations, and it views hybrid systems as a key focus area for the future of straddle and shuttle carriers. Ecological benefits have also been an important factor in Konecranes sealing new straddle carrier business in the past year. The Eurogate Terminal at the Port of Hamburg, for example, took delivery of two Konecranes straddle carriers equipped with a hybrid electric energy recovery system. The manufacturer states that these machines run for 500 to 700 hours per month, with fuel consumption reduced by approximately 10 to 15% compared with conventional machines. Another notable occurrence at Hamburg for Konecranes in 2012 was the delivery of a DE53 straddle carrier in April. The manufacturer states that this delivery to Eurogate CTH made it the first supplier of a straddle carrier equipped with a fully electric telescopic spreader. In addition to a total of 14 straddle carriers delivered to Hamburg, in 2012 Konecranes also won orders for 10 SCs to a client in South America, 12 models to a client in Belgium, and six to Maher Terminals in Newark, USA.

Kalmar’s recent straddle carrier orders include 14 units to Fort Port Group, 22 units and 45 automated units to Australia’s Patrick Stevedores, and 17 units for
terminal operator TraPac. In terms of shuttle carriers, the manufacturer also supplied 14 units to DP World Brisbane Pty Limited, and 28 units to London Gateway. It is notable within such stable order levels that there is still great demand for manual, driver-operated straddle carriers. This means that manufacturers have to operate on two levels: future-proofing their solutions by further developing automation, while continuing to enhance today’s machines around the needs of drivers. Change is afoot, but it seems that existing infrastructures mean the evolution will not be rushed.