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1 INTRODUCTION

Issues related to work on waterways are part of the

group of main strategic goals in the context of the

development of seaports. Actions aimed at improving

access to seaports are currently a challenge that must

be met by seaports serving the largest vessels. The lack

of appropriate infrastructure strongly limits the

possibilities of further development (Krośnicka 2016,

Matczak 2017). Due to both the simultaneous increase

in the operational parameters of vessels and the

specialization in servicing vessels specific to a given

port (Ministerstwo Transportu, Budownictwa I

Gospodarki Morskiej 2013, United Nations

Publications, 2019), servicing them for many ports is

becoming more and more difficult. Therefore, the

selection of the appropriate variant of the designed

waterway is currently of interest to the maritime

administration, port authorities and future port users

as an investment necessary to ensure the safety of these

vessels and further development of the port (Formela

2013, Formela 2015, Gucma 2001, Gucma 2015).

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD

The proposed methodology (Formela 2020) of multi-

level, multi-criteria evaluation of the designed variants

of waterways is based on the general methodology of

solving multi-criteria decision-making problems (Żak

2005). As a result of the use of a multi-level

methodology, multi-criteria assessment of

variants/projects, a summary of waterway projects is

obtained. This list presents the considered projects in

order from the project that has the best impact (has the

highest utility) on navigational safety, to the project

that has the least impact on achieving the goal. Figure

1 presents a general procedure for assessing decision-

making options under the proposed methodology.

Application of the Multi-criteria Navigational Safety

Assessment Method for the Proposed Variants of the

Designed Waterway

K. Formela

Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia, Poland

ABSTRACT: The article presents an exemplary application of the multi-criteria navigational safety assessment

method for the proposed variants of the designed waterway in order to verify it. This method comprehensively

considers the most important environmental and technical aspects related to the implementation of the planned

investment. The method can be used for the purposes of navigational analysis, i.e. an engineering document that

meets the requirements of the regulation of the competent, which subject to agreement with the Director of the

territorially competent Maritime Office.

http://www.transnav.eu

the International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 16

Number 4

December 2022

DOI: 10.12716/1001.16.04.04

634

Figure 1. Scheme of procedure for the assessment of various

variants of waterways in terms of multiple criteria (Formela

2020).

3 MATERIALS FOR METHOD IMPLEMENTATION

The developed method is universal and can be used for

various types of waterway construction and

modernization projects. The implemented projects

may have a different degree of complexity. From

simple works, such as widening a short section of a

straight waterway, to more complex ones, such as

building new ports (D’Angremond 1998, Dhillon 2011).

The selection of the right criteria, their proper ordering

into groups, the determination of the input table of

solutions, and finally the choice of a multi-criteria

method for solving the problem (comparison of

variants) makes it possible to present the results of the

research carried out in a relatively quick and, above all,

transparent way and to make the right decision at the

initial stage of work planning.

In order to comprehensively present the

possibilities of the developed method, one of the many

projects of building new waterways on the water

reservoirs of the Republic of Poland implemented at

that time was used. This allowed to compare the

obtained results (selection of the development variant)

with the developed method with the previously

implemented project. Due to the two different

geometric layouts of the breakwaters, the schemes of

the waterway development variants have been divided

into two groups: basic (W1, W2 and W3) and

alternative (W4, W5 and W6).

3.1 Simulator and simulation areas

The following devices and software from TRANSAS

(now Warstila) were used to perform the

measurements: navigation and maneuvering simulator

NaviTrainer 5000 Professional, ECDIS simulator

NaviSailor 4000 as well as Model Wizard and Virtual

Shipyard applications.

Using the Transas Model Wizard application

(Transas 2015), six dedicated simulation areas were

prepared, based on the following source data: paper

navigational charts, ENC maps, navigation aids and

publications and materials provided by the investor.

The process of building the measuring basin in the

software used was divided into the following stages:

1. Selection and import of partial data;

2. Implementation of data into the simulation

environment;

3. Data processing;

4. Compilation of layers;

5. Importing the obtained output file to the simulator

environment.

On the designed areas, it was possible to simulate

various hydro meteorological conditions, such as:

wind speed and direction, as well as the type and

parameters of waves. Depending on the research

scenario, various values of weather factors were

defined. The selection of the model used in the research

was based on the guidelines of the Research Team and

the Investor. The above assumptions were compared

with the parameters of all models of units from the

simulator data base.

3.2 Hydro meteorological conditions

Hydro meteorological conditions in the area, including

wave and wind parameters, which are the main

environmental factor affecting the course of port

maneuvers, were designed in accordance with the

following assumptions:

1. Only the occurrence of a wind wave was considered

in each of the analyzed cases;

2. The wind force was analyzed for representative

wind speeds, determined on the basis of predefined

values from the navigation and maneuvering

simulator (Transas 2015) in the range of 2, 4 and 6

on the Beaufort scale (1.6, 5.5 and 10.8 m/s);

3. Parameters of waves in the foreground of the

planned development were simulated in

accordance with the other studies (Szmytkiewicz

2017);

4. The wave-cut function built into the software

(Transas 2015) was used to take into account wave

distributions in the simulation environment and to

set different wave heights in the measurement

basin. This tool allows you to extinguish the wave

by changing its height in a percentage in a given

area.

Figure 2. Wave distribution applied to the simulation basin

by using wave-cut function

3.3 Development and selection of navigation safety

criteria

The procedure of simulation tests used in the design

and selection of sea waterways is carried out in the

following order (Bąk 2021):

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− formulating the research problem, including the

purpose of designing, the simulation methods used

and the type of simulators;

− construction of ship traffic models on the simulator

and their verification;

− designing the experimental setup and conducting

the experiment;

− development and statistical analysis of research

results.

In accordance with the design assumptions of the

research, measurement sessions were carried out in

accelerated time. In order to normalize the

measurements, the maneuvers of the ships were

carried out based on the operation of the automatic

control system, taking into account sailing along a

given route. The positions of waypoints (WP), as well

as turning radius TR (Turning radius), were adjusted

in each configuration in such a way that the

determined route of the vessel reflected the diametrical

of the designed fairway as accurately as possible. The

values of the allowable deviation error were adopted

so that they reached the same values for both sides of

the track.

Wind and waves are among the main

environmental factors affecting navigational safety.

The influence of the wind on the hull of the vessel is

not directly related to the variant of the waterway. The

geometric layout of the breakwaters shapes the

distribution of the wave field inside the port, which

affects the reactions and maneuverability of the vessel.

The arrangement of the breakwaters does not have a

significant effect on the damping of the wind force and

the reduction of its effect on the windage area of the

vessel.

Safe navigation requires full recognition of the

current navigational and maneuvering situation of the

ship, as an important factor affecting safety is the

correct execution of maneuvers on the approach

fairway (Ślączka 2017, Śmierzchalski 1998).

In order to determine the trajectory of the designed

domain of the vessel as precisely as possible, the

positions of the simulation model were projected onto

the plane. The geographic coordinates exported from

the test stand were transformed into flat ones using the

UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) system (Specht

2013).

Figure 3. The printout of the vessel positions in a simulation

test with diametric and fairway limits

The transformation of coordinates from geographic

to flat (UTM) allowed for the creation of two-

dimensional charts of the vessel’s past positions

(Figure 3),. Linking the X and Y points of the center of

the model with the construction points of the domain

as well as the boundaries and diametrical of the

approach track allowed for the depiction of all

completed trajectories.

Based on the determined coordinates of the

characteristic points of the hull in the stern and fore

parts of the vessel, further calculations can be

performed to determine the width of the ship's traffic

lane in a single passage. The basic problem in the

selection of criteria is the correct selection of dependent

variables, especially when it comes to variables related

to the parameters of the waterway in the ship control

function. This is due to the fact that the navigator's

control of the ship is strictly dependent on many

factors, including the maneuvering itself and the water

area on which the control takes place. Due to the

difficulty of including a qualitative feature such as the

above variables in the model, it was decided to use the

model of autonomous ship steering, where the

quantitative values were recorded - maximum rudder

movements and the total number of changes in the

rudder angle as a function of time.

4 SYNTHESIS OF CLIMATIC DATA RESULTS

AND NAVIGATION CRITERIA

For reporting purposes, sheets were prepared in which

simulation results were compiled - the adopted criteria

in relation to wind parameters. In accordance with the

adopted research objective, criteria were registered for

each of the measurements, depending on the test

recorded at the time. In order to illustrate the impact of

the wind parameter on the selected criterion, the

recorded values were grouped using data bars and a

gradual color scale. Color bars and scales were used as

conditional formats that create visual effects in data.

Conditional formats make it easy to compare values

across a range of cells at the same time. Color scales

make it easier to understand the distribution and

variation of data. The cells are shaded using color

gradations corresponding to the minimum and

maximum value thresholds, as shown in Table 1-2.

Table 1. Criteria color scale Table 2. Criteria color scale

for quantitative criteria for qualitative criteria

Analyzing the summary of simulation results, a

summary sheet was prepared to hierarchize all

variants of the waterway for the selected wind

direction and force, assigning them the position

obtained in the ranking - from 1 to 6, where the first

place means the best variant, the sixth place - the worst,

in relation to the adopted criteria for assessing

navigational safety.

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For each variant, the sum of the places obtained in

the ranking was counted, reaching total ranking points.

The variant that obtained the lowest sum of ranking

points is the variant of the best among the given criteria

for the adopted criteria in given wind conditions.

With detailed wind data, i.e. wind strength,

direction and frequency in a given area, it is possible to

prioritize the variant as a function of wind frequency.

This is important because it allows you to include or

exclude the best ratings in the ranking and worst, for

conditions that occur most often and least often.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The assessment of navigational safety for various

variants of the planned waterway, allowing the

decision makers to decide which variant will be

ultimately selected for implementation, requires the

analysis and evaluation of many criteria. The

correctness of the selected waterway variant is

influenced by both the accuracy of the selected criteria

and their proper gradation. Processing a large amount

of information is a complex process carrying the risk of

making a mistake related to not considering all the

relevant information needed to make the right

decision.

Therefore, the selection of a waterway construction

variant at the initial design stage is a difficult and

complex process. The multidimensional nature of the

process creates uncertainty and thus ambiguity of the

results. Complicated processes should therefore be

assessed by experts, as such action allows to obtain a

wide spectrum of various types of experience and

solutions. This contributes to a better assessment and

improvement of the selection process of the tested

variants and thus their appropriate selection. In

addition, the expert assessment allows to determine

the values of the evaluations of the required criteria in

the study using the multi-criteria method of

hierarchical analysis of decision-making problems.

Automating the evaluation processes of the

selection of given waterways, in the function of

assessing navigational safety for selected criteria,

serves to reduce the possibility of making mistakes.

A detailed analysis of the conditions of the

waterway variants using the above-mentioned

method, allowed to obtain results in the selection of the

best of the proposed waterway construction variants.

The use of the method allows to reduce possible costs

(that is, taking into account the economic aspect) and

to improve the functioning of both the investor, the

client and the potential user of the waterway.

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