Quantifying Wide-Body Vessel Navigation Delay in Narrow Waterways: A Case Study at the Houston Ship Channel
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 4
Abstract
In narrow waterways, navigation restrictions are imposed on vessels based on beam and length to safely accommodate two-way traffic. Each transit in a narrow waterway can potentially generate delay for the rest of the vessels in the opposite direction. In this paper, first an algorithm is developed to model the two-way traffic with beam restrictions and to quantify delay due to such restrictions. Next, procedures are presented to determine parameters such as destination docks and vessel arrival and departure times based on the automatic identification system (AIS) and local pilot data. The models and the solution algorithms are applied on three restricted sections of the Houston Ship Channel, and the number of impacted vessels and total delays is presented for each section. The proposed model and solution algorithm can be used in many studies, such as expansion projects, vessel scheduling, and ordering optimization. To show the applicability of the model, a scheduling model is presented in the paper.
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Data Availability Statement
AIS data are available at MarineCadastre.gov, which is free for public use. All other data, models, and codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.
The authors thank the Center for Advances in Port Management (CAPM) at Lamar University that financially supported this research. The authors also deeply appreciate Mr. J. J. Plunkett, port agent and chief operations officer at Houston Pilots Association, who provided insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research.
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Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 4 • July 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 30, 2021
Accepted: Feb 7, 2022
Published online: May 10, 2022
Published in print: Jul 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Oct 10, 2022
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