A major port and transport hub in southeast England has deployed cameras, radar and sensors to monitor the docking of passenger ferries to deliver insights into the condition and performance of berth fenders
As the UK’s busiest international ferry harbour, thePort of Dover has installed sensors and cameras to monitor the performance and condition of its ferry berths.
This gathers data from ferry berthing to inform the port’s asset engineers of any significant berthing events that could compromise the effectiveness of these fenders.
Information from sensors, radar and cameras can be analysed to improve planning of fender maintenance.
Sensors measure the magnitude of fender displacement when ferries berth, and Meteor cameras provide visual verification of each vessel.
“The combined camera and fender monitoring system has given us valuable insight into the real-world performance of our berth infrastructure,” said Port of Dover senior engineer Gennaro Acquaviva.
“By combining fender displacement data with visual records of berthing operations, we can better understand the forces being imposed on the fenders and how the system responds over time.”
Sensors measure cyclical compression of fender components as ferries berth. Operational and maintenance teams use quantitative measurements to schedule fendering repairs and extend the life of the fenders.
