Ports, Terminals & Vessel Operations |

Ports, Terminals & Vessel Operations

Integrating leading-edge science into the engineering design process provides a comprehensive understanding of the marine environment, project functionality, key risks, and cost factors. Baird’s services include: waterway and port layout; FEED development; design services; regulatory coordination; capacity assessment; cost estimation and construction management.

Critical challenges for ports and harbours include safe vessel navigation, efficient layouts and reduced maintenance costs. Baird recognizes these issues and assists clients by providing solutions that reflect sound engineering supported by science and the practicalities of construction.

We apply our approach in various ways throughout the project life-cycle including optimizing port layout, minimizing vessel downtime, reducing sedimentation, and designing suitable marine and coastal structures.

Our project sites range from existing ports with onerous space constraints to greenfield locations requiring large scale planning.

Terminals

Successful terminal operation revolves around the quick and efficient handling of ships’ cargo. This starts with careful design of the berth using state-of-the-art software tools to assess ship motions and mooring forces. Physical models and full scale measurements are sometimes used to validate these tools.

These investigations provide reliable information to support berth downtime analyses and port operational simulation, which allows our clients to make informed decisions concerning investment costs, performance and downtime.

Breakwaters

Breakwaters allow for efficient operation of ports by creating protected water for berthing areas, vessel staging areas or marinas. Baird’s extensive and unique capabilities in planning, design and construction of breakwaters combine the latest advances in technology and research with in-depth practical experience.

Physical models are frequently used and allow for the efficient design of structures and the definition of their impacts on the coastal environment. Our investigations result in truly innovative designs that consistently meet client objectives and substantially reduce construction costs.

Sedimentation & Dredging

Optimized basin and channel layouts minimize capital and maintenance costs associated with sedimentation and dredging. Baird’s extensive experience and models are the basis for our successful designs and advice on dredging of ports and navigation channels. Our techniques are grounded in a fundamental understanding of the evolution of natural landforms and channels in the marine environment. Our work has involved some of the world’s most challenging projects of this nature, and has also provided us with a wealth of experience in regulatory approvals for dredging.

Metocean

Metocean conditions are often the driving forces in development of marine facilities. Operability of facilities is affected by day-to-day metocean conditions, while structural survival during extreme conditions is critical to the design.

Baird carries out wave hindcasts and forecasts for regional areas and on global scales for clients developing projects in some of the world’s most challenging environments. We use remote sensing of wind and wave conditions to produce calibrated and verified metocean conditions both in deep water and nearshore locations. Quality metocean analyses allow for facility optimization and improved cost efficiencies.

Navigation & Underkeel Clearance

Baird has specialized experience in vessel navigational design, and frequently employs advanced tools and datasets to assess navigational risk, fleet selection, tug support requirements and port capacity limitations. Real-time prediction systems of ship underkeel clearance have been implemented at various ports to allow for increased throughput and reduced risk.