Adjustable berthing and trestle facility for high tidal range region

Abstract

With more than 70% of trade logistics in South Korea has concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area where there is Incheon harbor as the main trade gate. The quantity of trade in Inchoen harbor has been increased annually with the fastest-growing trade volume between Korea and China. It has been announced as the gateway hub harbor for the international trade in the East Asia. To confirm the hub harbor and to enhance the national competitiveness, it is urgently required to improve the harbor facilities. However, Incheon area is characterized as the high tide range of up to 10m that restricts the duration of access to the loading facilities. It is critical condition if the cargo ship is to wait for high tide losing time and chance to operate the ship. Other disadvantage of the area is the shallow water depth that also restricts the size of vessel for navigation and berthing. To accommodate large vessel in Inchoen harbor, new concept and breakthrough idea are required as introduced in the paper. The secure 24 hour access without dredging and waiting, the ABTF (Adjustable Berthing and Trestle Facility) for high tidal region is introduced. © 2010 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE).