HARBOUR ENGINEERING

Introduction

Definition of port :

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing

one or more harbours where ships can dock and
transfer people or cargo to or from land.
(Or)
A port is a place on the coast that facilitates loading and
unloading cargo. A port is usually located inside a harbour.
Definition of harbour:

A sheltered area of the sea in which vessels

could be launched, built or taken for repair; or could
seek refuge in time of storm; or provide for loading
and unloading of cargo and passengers.
(Or)
A harbour is a place that is situated on the coast
where ships, boats, barges, etc. can be moored
safely. The word harbour is derived from the Old
English word “herebeorg” meaning shelter or refuge.
In American English, this is spelt as ‘harbor.’
Classifiction of ports
1.Inland port
2.Fishing port
3.Dry port
4.Warm-water port
5.Seaport
• Cruise home port
• Port of call
• Cargo port
• CLASSIFICATION of harbour:

1. NATURAL HARBOUR
2. SEMI NATURAL HARBOUR
3. ARTIFICIAL HARBOUR
• NATURAL HARBOURS:
A harbor, is a place
where ships, boats, and barges can seek
shelter from stormy weather.
• SEMI NATURAL HARBOUR:
Same as natural but harbour
needs some artificial and man made
construction
• ARTIFICIAL HARBOUR:
Harbour having no natural protection
but artificial arrangement are made to protect
the harbour from storm and wind.
• FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION:
1. HARBOR OF REFUGE
2. COMMERCIAL HARBOR
3. FISHRY HARBOR
4. MILLITARY HARBOR OR NAVEL BASE
Difference Between Harbour and Port

Definition of Harbour and Port

Harbour: Harbour is a place on the coast where ships,
boats and barges can seek shelter from a stormy
weather.
Port: Port is a location on the coast that can be used to
load and unload cargo.
Location
Port: A port is located inside a harbour.
Harbour: A harbour cannot be located inside a port.
 Harbour components
•Break waters
•Jetties
•Pier heads
•Entrance channels
•Wharves
•Docking platforms
•Piers
•Quays
 Breakwater:
• Breakwater are the structures constructed to
enclose the harbours to protect them from
the effect of wind generated waves by
reflecting and dissipating their force or energy.
• Classification of Breakwaters:
 Vertical wall breakwater.
 Heap or mound breakwater.
 Mound with super structure.

Vertical wall breakwater:

The construction of vertical breakwater is found
advantageous under the following situations
 The depth of water is sufficiently large to prevent the
breaking of waves.
 Sea bed is resistant to erosion.
 Foundations are not subject to uneven settlement.
Heap or mound breakwater:
It is simplest type of breakwater and
constructed by dumping of rubbles, stones into
the sea till the heap or mound emerges out of
water. The rubble mound breakwater
comparatively is safe. The looseness of the
elements permits them to settle with out
damage. In this way they provide a broad base.
This helps in distributing the load on a larger
area.
Usually the concrete cap should be cased after two
years of dumping the rubble. The quantity of
rubble depends upon the depth, rise of tides and
exposure
Mound with super structure:
There are two cases:
 Mound with super structure founded at low water level.
 Mounds with super structure below low water level.

• Mound with super structure founded at low water level.

A solid super structure consisting of a quay protected by a
parapet on the sea face is constructed on the top of rubble mound.
Such a construction is founded about the low water level.

 Mounds with super structure below low water level.

In this type of construction, the superstructure can be founded
well below the level of disturbance. The maximum disturbance is
created between the low and high water levels. Thus at such low
levels below the low water level, waves practically have no
disturbing effect. This type of construction is very economical in
terms of mound material in deep waters.
 ARMOUR UNITS
• Concrete armour units are generally applied
in breakwaters and shore protections.
The units are placed in a single layer as the
outer layer of the coastal structure. This outer
layer is called the armour layer.
 TYPES OF BREAKWATERS
• Stone dike(less than 1 t )
• Stone dike with Armour stone( 2 to 3t)
• Concrete block-1
• Concrete block -2
• Concrete caisson
• Combined type (caisson +block)
• Over flow type
• Sub marine type
• Air / water jet type
 JETTIES
• A jetty is a narrow structure projecting from the
shore into the water with berths one or both
sides and sometimes at the end also.
These are structures in the form of piles
projections. They are built from the shore to the
deep water. They may be constructed in the sea
or in a navigable river.
In the sea, jetties are provided at places
where harbour entrance is affected by the sea is
shallow for a long distance. The jetties extend
from the shore to the deep sea to receive the
ship.
 PIER HEAD

The structure provided at the tip of break water

Such as light house
 ENTRANCE CHANNEL:
Depth and width are kept more at entrance
Width depends upon density of traffic and no: of
entrances
BERTHING AND TURNING BASINS
Berthing basins are used for the parking of ships
While turning for the turning of ships
 WHARVES
 The structure constructed parallel to the shore or break
water, having wide plate form at the top
 Function is to permit berthing of vessel along side for
cargo working
Docks and their
classification
• Docks:
Docks are enclosed areas for berthing the
ships to keep them afloat at a uniform level to
facilitate loading and unloading cargo.
A dock is a marine structure for berthing of
vessels for loading and unloading cargo and
passengers.
Docks are necessary for discharging of
the cargo as ships require a number of days for
discharging cargo, during which period they
need a uniform water level. If ship is subjected
to a vertical movement by the tides, great
inconvenience will be felt in lifting the cargo
from the ship and special arrangement will be
needed for lifting the cargo.
• Classification of Docks:
Docks can be classified into following two
categories:
 Wet docks.
 Dry docks.

Wet docks: Docks required for berthing of

ships or vessels to facilitate the loading and
unloading of passengers and cargo are
called wet docks. These are also known as
harbor docks.
• Dry docks:
The docks used for repairs of ships are
known as dry docks.
• Shape of docks and Basins:
Shape of dock or basin should be
straight to facilitate the ships to stand along
them, as curved shape is not convenient for
ships to stand along side.
The shape of docks and basins
should be such that maximum quayage i-e
berthing length is available within the given
area. The shape has therefore essentially to
be made up of a number of straight
patterns as curved lines are unsuitable for
berthing of the ship.
• The following are the shapes may be
adopted as per site conditions:
 Rectangular dock
 Diamond dock
 Inclined Quay type.

Rectangular dock: The length and breadth

should be adjusted in such a way as to give
maximum quayage
• Diamond Dock:
For the same perpendicular distance
between long sides, the long side could be
extended conveniently.
Inclined Quay dock:
It consists of a number of projecting
quays into the dock or basin.
• Location of dock:
Docks can be located on inland ports
of rivers or at estuaries or open sea coasts.
A proper piloting service is necessary. The
river approaches to the dock have to be
maintained.
 Internal arrangements:
Generally different docks are required for
different types of cargo. For example coal
and oil should be deal with separate way
from food or general cargo.
• Other aspects or requirements:
 Approaches must be of sufficient depth and
sheltered. In many cases approach channels
both on the open coast and island docks have
to be dredged frequently.
 Availability of fresh water to replace fouled
and leaked water from docks.
In inland to replace the fouled water from
docks, separate canals from the rivers have to
be provided, if alternate sources of water
supply are not available. In case of sea coast
docks, the sea water could be used for
cleaning and replenishing the dock.
Classification of Dry docks:
Dry docks are classified in the following
five categories:
 Graving or dry docks.
 Floating dry dock.
 Marine railway dock.
 Ship lift dry docks.
Slip ways.
• Dry or graving dock:
A dry dock is also known as graving dock. It
is long excavated chamber, having side walls, a
semi circular end wall and a floor. The open
end of the chamber is provided with a gate
and acts as the entrance to the dock.
 Floating dry dock:
It may be defined as a floating vessel, which
can lift ship out of water and retain it above
water by means of its own buoyancy. It is a
hollow structure made of steel or R.C.C
consisting of two walls and a floor with the
ends open.
 To receive a vessel or ship for repair, the
structure or floating dock is sunk to the
required depth by filling water known as
ballasting in its interior chambers and the
vessel is then floated into position and
berthed. The dock is raised bodily with the
berthed vessel by un ballasting the
chambers by pumping out the water. The
earliest floating dry docks resembled the
shape of ships.
Dry or graving dock
Floating dry dock
• Marine railway dock:
The marine railway or slip dock or slip
way is an inclined railway extending from
the shore well into the water as the off
there. This railway track is used to draw out
a ship needing repair out of the water.
Components of a marine dock:
The essential parts of a marine dock are
as follows:
 Cradle.
 Track.
Marine railway dock
• Cradle: The cradle or platform is constructed
of steel and moves up and down on an
inclined track. The cradle is mounted on a
system of rollers which move on the iron
tracks laid on longitudinal timbers. These
beams resting on piles and other firm
foundations.
Track: The track consists of heavy rail sections
secured to longitudinal sleepers supported on
cross ties and laid at inclination varying from
1/12 to 1/25, usually an inclination of 1/15 is
found convenient and useful.
• Lift dry dock:
This is a constructed platform capable of
being lowered into and raised from water. Lowering
and raising is achieved by means of hydraulic power
applied through cylinders supporting the ends of
cross girders carrying the platform.
 Ship lifts:
As the name suggests, in the ship lift, the
ships are lifted bodily out of water. The ship lifts
may be either electric, hydraulic or pneumatic.
These lifts are used for launching as well as for dry
docking the ships. Their main advantage is the ease
in adaptability to transfer system enabling multiple
garaging of ships.
• Slipways: This technique is used for repairs
as well as for building of vessels. In its
simplest form a slip way consists of a
inclined path of timber or stone laid on a
firm ground. On this inclined path a series
of rails are fixed. The rails run up from a
sufficient depth of water to the required
height above the high water level to a point
at which the longest vessel to
accommodated is completely out of range
of tide. The lower end of slip is tidal and
open to water.
MOORING ACCESSORIES
BOLLARD

DOUBLE BITT

CLEAT
CHOCKS

HOOKS
POWER CAPSTAN
 FENDERS
 A Fender in the form of a cushion is provided on a jetty face
for ships to come in contact.
 The fender can be man made of different materials in
various forms.
 These fenders absorb the impact of the ship and protect
them from damage.
Types of fenders:
1. Timber or Wooden Fenders
2. Rubbing Strips
3. Ropes fenders
4. Buffers fenders
5. Rubber fenders
DREDGING
 WHAT IS DREDGING ?
 Dredging is the term given to digging, gathering, or
pulling out material to deepen waterways, create
harbours, channels, locks, docks and berths, de silt
lakes and keep river entrances and approaches to boat
ramps clear.

The material removed during dredging can vary

greatly and can be any combination of rocks, clays,
silts or sands.
To maintain the depth in existing ports, harbours and
channels to provide ready and safe passage for
commercial and recreational vessels.
To create new or deeper access or berths for vessels.
This may mean the deepening and widening of channels
and anchorages as well as the excavation of basins and
marinas from areas of previously dry land.
To provide material for specific purposes, eg. beaches
in coastal areas subject to erosion are sometimes
‘renourished’ with sand dredged from other areas.
To bypass an artificial structure , such as a
breakwater, that is an obstacle to the normal
pattern of sediment movement along the coast.
Dredging prevents a build up of material to be
deposited down stream of the obstacle to allow
the natural sediment transport process to occur.
To place a structure inside water bodies
 DREDGING PROCEDURE
• Dredging procedure can be classified as:

Pre-treatment,
Extraction and
Disposal.
 Pre-treatment
Pre-treatment means treatment of the ground
before the dredging operations.

There are two basic methods of pretreatment:

chemical and mechanical and both are applied
to rock or cemented soil.
 Extraction
 The extraction process involves the movement of
the spoil from its natural pretreated position into
vertical transportation and its delivery to the
transport system.
 Extraction processes are often a combination of
at least two operations: the primary operation
which disintegrates or dislodges the soil and the
secondary operation which moves it.
 The first of these operations is performed either
mechanically or hydraulically.
 Disposal

Disposal facilities are consist of bottom

discharge, grab, scrapers, pipelines, land
based unit, natural processes.
Dredging can be classified as:

1.Mechanical Dredging
Mechanical dredging involves removal of material by a
bucket, placement of the material in a scow or on a
barge, and towing that scow or barge to a disposal or
transfer area.
• If a scow is used with open water disposal, the doors
would open at the disposal site, releasing the material to
fall through the water column to the bottom.
• If a scow or barge is used with any other type of disposal,
it would be towed to the disposal or transfer site where
another bucket machine would remove the material
from the scow or barge and transfer it onto a vehicle or
directly into a near shore disposal area.
2.Hydraulic Dredging
Hydraulic pipeline dredging involves use of a hydraulic
(suction) dredge, most commonly for either beach
nourishment of suitable sands, or deposit into an upland
containment area (for dewatering or direct disposal).
 Hydraulic dredging provides the cleanest and least
obtrusive method for sediment removal without
damaging the sensitive environment.
 Typically the dredge uses a cutter head on the end of
the suction arm to loosen the material while the dredge
pump suctions the loosened material through the arm to
the pump in a slurry of about 75 to 90 percent water and
10 to 25 percent sediment. The slurry is pumped through
a pipeline to a disposal site or dewatering/transfer area.
 A hydraulic dredge floats on the water and
excavates and pumps the material through a
temporary pipeline to an offsite location, often
several thousand feet away.
This dredge acts like a floating vacuum cleaner
that can remove sediment very precisely.
Types of Dredgers
According To Dredging Types Dredgers Are
Divided Mainly Into Two Kinds:
1.Mechanical Dredgers
2.Hydraulic Dredgers
• In the Mechanical Dredgers material is conveyed
By mechanical contravenes, whereas, in the
Hydraulic Dredgers, it is conveyed by water
through pipes.
• They are further classified under various principal
types, depending on their mode of operation.
• Bucket or Grab Dredger
• Dipper Dredger
• Ladder Dredger
• Hopper Dredger
• Rock Dredger
Bucket or Grab Dredger
Dipper Dredger
Ladder Dredger
Hopper Dredger
Rock Dredger
 HYDRAULIC DREDGERS
Plain Suction Dredger
Cutter Head Dredger
Dust-pan Hydraulic Dredger
Hopper Dredger Hydraulic Type
Plain Suction Dredger
Cutter Head Dredger
Dust-pan Hydraulic Dredger
Hopper Dredger Hydraulic Type
 Excavation of dredging work
• The dredging work can be carried out either
by granting contract or by employing labour
directly.
• The contract dregding system proves
satisfactory in case of capital dredging.
• For maintenance dredging, direct labour
system is generally adopted.
 Dredging work by contracting
o Advantages
• Flexible as compared to direct labour system.
• Economical because of competition among the contractors.
• Possibility of getting most suitable plant for dredging.
• Save in time and maximum progress can be achieved by inserting.
• Cost can be known before hand.
o Disadvantages
• Can dispute due to misunderstanding of contract clauses.
• Can neglect the work which is not convenient to him.
• Checking and measuring of work executed by the contractor may prove
tedious.
• Rates of extra items which might crop up during execution are difficult to
decide.
Dredging working by employing labour
o Advantages
• Avoids difficulties of checking and measuring of work excavated.
• Meeting the urgent needs of dredging.
• Helps in preparing a co- ordinated plan on a large scale for all the ports of
country.
• Makes possibility to optimum use of the available plant.
o Disadvantages
• Lacks of flexibility of dregding operations.
• May lead to negligence in maintenance.
• Depends on the nature of labour and the cooperation of workers.
• Requires skilled supervision with better administrative.
 Storage facilities
• Transit sheds
 These are sheds of one or two storey's in the height the floor area being devoted
to the handling and distribution of incoming and outing going cargo requring
protection and used for storage of cargo for a short time.
 Hence these should capable of affecting floor space for storage of incoming cargo
and accumulation of cargo ready for loading into the vessel.
Construction requirements:
• Door should be provided for ready and rapid opening and closing (floding and
sliding door).
• Mobile cranes with extendible booms and having 2 to 30 tonnes capacities are
made available for handling goods in transit sheds.
• Long boom wharf cranes mounted an portal frames.
• Construction should be light and fire resisting.
• Ware houses:
 These are permanent structures, usually provided on shore or directly
behind transit sheds for goods to be stored for longer periods of definite
or in definite duration. They are also known as storage godowns.
 When such ware houses are used for storing suitable cargo remaining
under customs authority, until cleared. They are called bounded ware
houses.
 Modern ware houses are built of RCC with many floors and they are made
five resistant.

Other storage go downs are cold storages and guard houses.

 Navigational aids
• Necessity: the mariner and his ship have to be guided by proper signals
during navigation for safe, efficient, economic and comfortable travel of
ships in river, harbours, oceans etc.
The following are the purposes of navigational facilities
– To avoid dangerous zones like hidden rocky out crops and sand bars.
– To follow proper harbour approaches and
– To locate ports especially during night time and bad weather condition affording poor
visibility due fog or clouds.
Types of navigational aids:
 Fixed
 Floating light station
• Fixed
the light stations when they are built on land are
called fixed (in case of permanent light house
structures).
• Floating
alternately, where there are difficulties in
establishing proper foundations, floating light
stations in the form of a light vessel may be adopted.
 SIGNALS
• The approach channel of modern port should be clearly define or
demarcated by the provision of suitable signals.
The following are some places where signals are required
– Light ships have to be provided at important changes in the direction of the route of
ships.
– Light beacons are to be fixed on river banks.
– Buoys are required at entrance channels to port.

Requirement of signals:-
The basic requirement of a marine signal are as follows.
o It should be conspicuously visible from a long distance
o It should not vary in characters and should be positively recognizable.
o It should be simple for identification and should make its meaning clear at
a glance.
o It should permit time for easy response.
 Types of signals
• Light signals- light ships, beacons and
buoys
• Fog signals
• Audible signals
LIGHT SIGNALS
 FOG SIGNALS
• These signals are to be provided at places
likely to be seriously affected by fog and they
take following forms:-
– Ordinary bells struck by hand
– Ordinary bells operated by mechanism
– Sub marine bells struck by mechanism
– Whistles or sirens blown by compressed air or
steam.
 AUDIBLE SIGNALS
• These signals are to be used in emergency to
bring immediate attention of the marines and
they take up the form of explosive signals, electric
oscillators, sirens bells and diaphones.
• Thus audible or sound signals are very useful
during heavy mist or fog.
• It should also be noted that sound transmitted
through the air gives sometimes.
• The misleading idea about the direction of sound.