smart bollards at Port of Rotterdam

Along the quay of the Hutchison Ports ECT Delta terminal on the Maasvlakte, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has installed a smart bollard as part of a trial. The Smart Bollard was developed in collaboration with Straatman Mooring Systems. By measuring the strain on the mooring lines in real time, the bollard not only allows the real-time monitoring of safety, but it also provides a clearer picture of which vessels can moor at which quays. The trial is in line with the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s policy of making the port more efficient through digitisation.

Empirical analysis

Until now, it has not been possible to measure the strain on mooring lines. The lack of exact data measured on moored vessels meant they had to assume maximum mooring loads exerted on the lines by the vessels and quay walls. These forces vary due to differences in local conditions. The smart bollard can help to give the port a better understanding of the forces involved.

Our factory in Zwijndrecht

When force is applied to a bollard, it moves very slightly. A sensor measures the force and sends the results directly to the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Before the smart bollard was installed, it was successfully put through its paces on a test bench at our factory in Zwijndrecht.

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