Definition of mooring plans for vessels at port terminals using physical models

Physical scale models have a large range of application in studies of hydraulic works. In port engineering, they can be used to optimize the general layout of terminals, evaluation of protection structures, simulation of vessel maneuvers and investigation of mooring plans for vessels, among several subjects. Once physical modeling allows a high accuracy in the waves and currents representation as well as their interaction with the bottom and the vessels, the studies of mooring systems in coastal and estuarine ports based on physical modeling tests provide greater reliability in comparison with those grounded on distinct types of models. To highlight the importance of this kind of application, this article presents the case study of the Ponta da Madeira Port (PMP), located in the State of Maranhao, Brazil, developed with the support of the 1:170 scale reduced physical model conceived and calibrated for this area. This study analyzed several alternatives to improve the availability of the northern berth of the Pier III of PMP, including new mooring strategies and the construction of a new improvement structure. The results, which concerned on preliminary tests of the mooring lines tensions, evidenced structural intervention could substantially reduce the risk of mooring lines break, indicating that further investigations concerning different layouts for the improvement structure are promising in order to provide an increase of this berth availability.