Top 1 General Principles of Fendering — Provision of fendering

It has been the practice in some ports not to provide fendering to berths other than simple timber rubbing strips, particularly where they are situated in sheltered locations such as impounded dock basins. The trend to the use of larger vessels and the siting of berths in more exposed locations such as the outer reaches of rivers and in the open sea has lead to the more widespread use of fendering systems.

The decision to fender a berth is a policy matter but wherever possible this policy should only be formulated after due consideration of all the factors involved.

The design should take account of the proposed method of operating the berth with particular reference to the use or non-use of tugs where this can be foreseen. The design should be sufficiently robust to accept without damage relatively small loads in directions or positions not anticipated in the main design analysis.

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Table 1 — Typical categories of berth location

Berths may be required in a variety of locations ranging from very sheltered to open sea conditions. A range of such categories is given in Table 1. There are also a number of types of vessel having particular requirements for berthing accommodation that may influence the appropriate type of fendering for them (see Table 2). The types of berth location given in Table 1 cover the various situations that may occur, and the list of features to be taken into account in the design of the fendering system covers aspects which the designer should consider. In particular the range of water level will require a fendering system that is suitable for all possible water levels which may occur, and with large variations this becomes particularly important. Winds, waves and current will also vary depending on the berth location. Finally with specialized trades, such as bulk coal, ore, oil and petrochemical products, particular requirements are necessary, and the fendering system should be designed accordingly for particular vessel sizes and characteristics.

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Table 2 — Vessel Categories

Special Considerations in the Provision of Fendering