Sway-Added Mass and Impact Load of a Large Tanker to a Jetty in Shallow Water

This paper presents a new simple technique for evaluating sway-added mass and the impact energy absorbed by fenders and dolphins when maneuvering a tanker to a jetty in a shallow water environment. The technique is based on the law of energy conservation, i.e., that the kinetic energy of the berthing ship is totally absorbed by the fenders during the compression phase. A time-averaged zero-frequency sway-added mass in shallow water is used in the evaluation of the kinetic energy. The theoretically calculated values of maximum deflection and fender loads are presented and compared with available experimental and analytical data. Discussion of the present method with respect to its degree of practical usefulness is given, while indicating problem areas.