34th PIANC World Congress Panama City, Panama, May 2018
STAD SHIP TUNNEL - THE WORLD FIRST FULL SCALED SHIP TUNNEL
by
project manager Terje Andreassen, Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA)
ABSTRACT
The Stadhavet Sea is the most exposed and dangerous area along the coast of Norway. The aim of this project is to allow ships to navigate more safely past the Stad peninsula at a new fairway in more protected area.
During 2016-17 NCA has made a feasibility study based on the coastal steamer MS Midnatsol, which is the dimension vessel for the tunnel.
Key figures
Length: 1700 metres
Height between seabed and ceiling: 50 metres.
Width between tunnel walls: 36 metres.
The maximum vessel measurement is height of 33 metres, beam of 23 metres and depth of 8 metres. Speed through tunnel is 5 knots. The traffic system is based on one way traffic and the capacity is 110 vessels a day.
NAVIGATION CHALLENGES
The purpose is to navigate and sail into and through the tunnel only with help of the vessels own propulsion. Different studies have been done to predict how to manage those challenges. That is also an important input to the tunnel design.
Computer simulated navigation is used to control the design of the entrance and guiding system as well as simulating incidents with several vessels involved. All relevant weather conditions is tested as well.
Model studies and CFD-simulating are used to study the hydrodynamic conditions in the tunnel. How does model studies and CFD-simulating correspond to each other?
The studies concluded that the Stad shiptunnel would reduce the risk and make the sailing past Stad peninsula more predictable.