Analysis of the dynamic response of long span bridges with GNSS under typhoon loading

Nowadays, real-time bridge deformation monitoring has attracted more attention due to the development of bridge management system and land transportation safety. Huge civil engineering structures, such as long-span bridge, is susceptible to dynamic deflection caused by various loadings. Hence, precise dynamic response measurement becomes necessary to make structure more reliable and integrated. Currently, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technology has been commonly used in this field to detect the dynamic displacement of long-span bridges. According to this, real-time data were collected from the Forth Road Bridge to observe the dynamic response of lang span bridges under extreme wind load conditions and this report has also verified the data processing technique of the real-time bridge deformation monitoring system. Compared with other monitoring methods, the method used in this report which combines GNSS and anemometer together has features of high frequency with low lag. Moreover, it also shows the superiority of post-processing and synchronization, background noises could be reduced by embedded software. Finally, according to the cross-correlation analysis, it was found that wind speed and bridge displacement in y-axis have the highest correlation. Also, the reliability of combining method to monitor the dynamic response of long-span bridge and noise reducing method proposed in this report has also been verified.

Integrating UUVs for naval applications

Underwater surveillance technology was an advent of the Cold War. This technology saw numerous advancements only once the technology was declassified and pursued by academia. One such advancement in the maritime domain was the development of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) that has the ability to enhance war-fighting capabilities while de-risking human life. Though this technology has since been commercialised, it has found limited takers in the Navy. The limited inroad it has made has been driven primarily by the developers and the governments that fund them. However, since this technology offers numerous benefits to the military it needs to be integrated into the Navy sooner than later. This essentially means that to achieve greater acceptance for naval use/ applications, integrating this technology into the Navy is essential. This in return requires numerous queries to be answered and facts understood to create greater confidence in the technology and its potential. Accordingly, some of these queries that can help address the knowledge gaps to facilitate future acceptance and induction of the UUV technology into the Navy are discussed. Though an attempt to provide comprehensive answers has been made, these answers are not considered complete but only a start point for a debate. As it stands, the technology exists; however, it is a lack of imagination that is disallowing its usage.

Blue economy: The past and present from the world and future directions for Thailand

This commentary article aims to summarize the past and present research of the blue economy from developing and developed nations and anticipates future research directions in the domain of blue economy policy research for Thailand. The importance of environmental protection, economic distribution, and social equality in the past were discussed and the present research shifted to addressing the complexity and defining the all-inclusive blue economy and all-inclusive participation, multiple stakeholder involvement and inter-regional cooperation, and global partnerships for knowledge and technology exchange. New blue economy sectors, such as ‘bioprospecting’, are also emerging in the present. However, the core concepts, such as defining ‘Blue Economy’, ‘Overfishing’, and ‘sustainable growth’, are still under debate. There is a perceptual disagreement among stakeholders in developing countries. Future directions in this research domain are also presented. This study concludes that future blue economy policies, plans, and implementation related research on blue economy must take account of environmental regulations and all-inclusive economic developmental plans that are measurable in terms of economic, environmental, and socio-cultural sustainability.

The port of Gothenburg under the influence of the fourth stage of the industrial revolution: Implementing a wide portfolio of digital tools to optimize the conduct of operations

Taking advantage of the benefits associated with the fourth stage of the industrial revolution--quite often termed as the “era of digitalization” in the wider literature--has become a main priority for ports globally, as part of their further development. The implications of smart technologies on the sustainable development of the ports have not been adequately addressed by the existing literature and it is exactly this gap that this study aims to fulfil. This paper aims to provide an overview of the innovative technologies adopted by a small number of smart ports around the world and highlight their link to sustainable development by employing an exploratory review of various sources. The design features of the smart ports identified by the existing literature have formed the basis for the development of a conceptual framework used in this paper for the analysis of the case of the Port of Gothenburg--the largest Scandinavian port, both in terms of number of visits and volume of cargo handled. The specific port is currently expanding its digital transformation by launching a platform during the second half of 2021 that will link digitally and coordinate the operations of all relevant stakeholders--shipping companies, freight forwarders, rail operators--at the port area. From the analysis, it becomes clear that the implementation of a wide portfolio of digital initiatives by the port under discussion has already resulted in the optimization of its operations and is strongly interrelated to its sustainable development. Important issues to be addressed in the near future that were identified by this research effort include the necessary cultural adaptation and training activities to ensure the right exploitation of these tools by the whole pool of the workforce.

Wind assisted propulsion: Economic and ecological considerations

Wind propulsion is well known and has propelled ships for millennia. However, with the advent of fossil-fuel powered ships, wind energy lost its importance for cargo transport almost 100 years ago. Rising fuel prices and a society being more aware of the consequences of CO2 emissions fuels the revitalization of this energy source and a variety of wind assisted propulsion systems are on the market today. Key factors for success of wind assisted propulsion are discussed and a case study for a multipurpose vessel is used as illustration.

A comparison of the retinal structure in the zebra-snout seahorse (Hippocampus barbouri Jordan & Richardson, 1908) between juveniles and adults in captivity

The activity of the sensory organ in the eye structure of the teleost fish is essential as it plays an important role in regulating fish-feeding behaviours. Unfortunately, the above information of zebra-snout seahorse Hippocampus barbouri, an aquaculture species in Thailand, has not been described. In this study, the eye structure, together with the retinal structure of juvenile [5th and 20th day after birth (DAB)] and adult (35th DAB), H. barbouri reared in captivity was investigated. All DABs were carried out and histologically observed. Light microscopic level explored the external-lateral surface of eye structure of H. barbouri, which consisted of the external, middle, and inner layers, as similarly reported in other teleost species. A well-differentiated retinal and photoreceptor cell layer were observed at 35th DAB compared to that at other DABs. This feature might be adequate to support the base of the increased feeding activity of adult seahorse in captivity for further research.

Dominant constraints to the effective use of oily-water separator (OWS) in the control of ship-based oil pollution in West African waters

The International Regulations for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from ships (MARPOL 73/78) provided for the deployment of the oily-water separator (OWS) technology for the prevention of ship-based oily-water pollution in the marine ecosystem. Previous studies on the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of the OWS technology shows about 40 % failure rates and ineffective use; while also identifying a multiplicity of correlated factors constraining the effectiveness of the use of the technology onboard. To overcome the constraints posed by the identified factors to the effective use of the OWS technology requires a systems approach, which demands the determination of the dominant and significant factors constraining most, the effective use of the technology and prioritizing the elimination of the significant factors. The study used a survey design approach, employing primary data and the principal component factor analysis to determine the existence of about five principal factors, significantly constraining the effective use of the technology by ship operators in the West African Waters. The policy implications were discussed and recommendations for effective use of the technology proffered.

Adaptation strategy to coastal erosion by rural communities: Lessons learned from Ujunggebang village, Indramayu, West Java, Indonesia

Coastal hazard due to wave activity, in the form of coastal erosion, has long been a problem in the coastal area of Ujunggebang. Loss of coastal land in the coastal area has removed a lot of rice fields, settlements, and public facilities. Efforts to maintain the coastline along 3,300 m of the coastal area, by building coastal defense structures (CDS), have been carried out by the central government since 2006 but, until 2015, the CDS that has been built is still only around 1782 m long, in some places the structure is damaged due to wave activity, and in general the structure is not enough to prevent overtopping. Meanwhile, unprotected coastal segments with CDS have experienced significant erosion. The idea of land use change as an effort to adapt coastal hazards, which was conveyed through an idea socialization approach and through showing examples of coastal area management practices to villagers, gave birth to the idea of developing a coastal tourism area in the village as a complementary measure for the existing coastal defense structure. Although the main problem faced- coastal erosion- has not been resolved, the development of the tourism area has been recognized by the local government as successfully changing the life of the village community.

Odra: Naval and Merchant Vessels (Maritime science heritage: Sanatan Nau vigyan: Select discussions)

Odra (riparian) is a historical entity, a synonym for the Kalinga empire (India) which was maritime in nature and had a robust seafaring heritage. In this paper, the south-east Asian archipelago nexus is touched upon, along with less well known aspects of Indo-Asian maritime history. Historically-dated artifacts are presented; naval and merchandise issues ranging from the period c.1200 to 1900 C.E., are discussed. A possible depiction of the empire’s fleet (c.12th C.E) is conceptualized. Boat-related numerical calculations are adduced, and associated physics and mechanics of ocean sailing are discussed. Ancient high speed and stable barges are discussed. In-continuum heritage practice and real-time modeling are presented.

The price behavior of the MGO bunker market: An integrated causality and interpretive structural modeling approach

Marine fuel price differences of supply centers have a significant effect on operators’ budgets, and so are closely monitored by traders, charterers and shipowners. The aim of this study is to determine the volatility spillovers between the prices of the major fuel centers in the world and to form a hierarchical structure based on the influence and dependence powers of these centers. For this purpose, an integrated structure of causality in variance and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methods are used. The data set used in this study includes marine gas oil (MGO) prices for 8 fuel centers used extensively in the world, namely: Fujairah, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, New York, Piraeus, Rotterdam, and Singapore. This data consists of 782 daily observations covering a 3-year-period between 14.04.2017 and 13.04.2020. The ISM results reveal that these fuel centers lie at 6 different levels based on their driving and dependence powers, sources of price volatility in the market are Fujairah and Singapore, and the center that is most affected by volatility is Piraeus. In addition to drawing a macro frame for the fuel market, the results obtained are thought to be useful in reducing risk in the market due to uncertainty for stakeholders.