A Marine Loading Arm (MLA) is an articulated pipe system with six-degrees of movement to accommodate differences in tides and ship motions and is used for transferring liquid or gas products to or from ships. They can be operated manually or hydraulically and comprise of the following components:

• Base riser
• Inboard arm
• Outboard arm
• Swivels

The articulation movement is achieved by swivels, which comprise of a cast steel housing with bearings and seals that prevent product leakage and water and dirt ingress from contaminating the product.

Damage to marine loading arms is commonly caused by vessel contact during berthing or unberthing operations but can also occur if a vessel is forced off the berth due to strong winds, waves, or wash from passing vessels, whilst the loading arms are still connected to the vessel’s manifold.

Damages often involve total replacement because MLAs are not robust, and their construction includes precision components. When a repair is possible, it will generally involve the original manufacturer (OEM) although it is not unknown for MLA manufacturers to repair other manufacturers’ equipment.

The cost of marine loading arms varies considerably depending on their size and service. Delivery times ex-works can be up to 10 months and whilst flexible hoses can be used as a temporary measure, consequential loss (demurrage) can be substantial. If land access is not available floating cranes will be required to install the replacement MLA, which will increase costs.

Quayside’s engineers have considerable knowledge of MLAs, their key components and the investigation of their damage and arrangements for mitigating costs using temporary solutions to contain the damage and minimize interruptions to the facility.

Most quayside cargo handling cranes are either ship to shore (STS) gantry cranes or mobile harbour cranes (MHC). Other types of cranes are also used in container terminals for handling and moving containers.

The quayside gantry crane is the most vulnerable to allison from a vessel as it runs on rails, which for operational reasons are located close to the face of the berth.

Even slight vessel contact can be sufficient to cause extensive damage to the relatively slender cranes structures, which are not designed for any form of direct impact loading. When vessels contact gantry cranes, the crane structures legs are likely to buckle and partially or totally collapse, and the bogies of the crane can also be pushed off their rails. Immediate action is usually necessary to stabilize and support the crane in these situations to prevent further damage progressively occurring.

In severe cases the crane can topple over and become a constructive total loss (CTL) and cause further damage to adjacent cranes container stacks and the berth structure.

Cranes are usually expensive to repair, and an understanding of the repair options is imperative in saving costs and reducing business interruption losses. Quayside Consultants have a specialist team of crane engineers experienced in the design, construction, modification, and repair of cranes, and who have carried out numerous inspections of damaged cranes.

There are many types of rubber fenders used for various applications. Most moulded rubber fenders are characterised by what the fender industry defines as “buckling column” type. They have a geometric shape that produces a nonlinear force/deflection curve. The advantage of this is to develop a considerable amount of work (energy) for a given force required to compress the fender.

Fender systems are there to get knocked and scuffed from the day they enter service. It is therefore imperative that they are well designed, well built, and routinely inspected. Properly designed fenders can however be damaged as the result of a heavy berthing, from vessel impact with the fender’s supporting structure, from vessels ranging along the berth due to bad weather or from vertical movement of vessels with tight mooring lines.

Damage to port fender systems is a frequent claim faced by vessel insurers. However, the actual cause of damage may not always be attributed to the berthing vessel but can be an underlying issue with the fender itself. Quayside Consultants have been involved with many fender damage claims, and our engineering team includes a fender specialist who has worked for several of the world’s leading fender manufacturers and is one of the fender industry’s foremost designer and application engineer.

For further information on fender systems, their types and components, their vulnerabilities, recommended post incidence response and cost mitigation, and typical replacement costs please refer to our QuayFacts Bulletin.

Quays and wharfs are usually defined as berthing structures backing onto the shore or reclaimed land.  Whereas a pier is a structure projecting from the shore and a jetty is a structure some distance from shore and connected to it by an access trestle or causeway. The jetty’s berth, also known as the jetty head, usually comprises a platform at its seaward end.

Their structures typically comprise of a “suspended deck” usually constructed in reinforced concrete supported underneath by a matrix of steel or concrete beams, which in turn are supported by steel or concrete piles driven into the seabed.

After fender and dolphin damage claims, damage to quays and wharfs are the next most frequently occurring vessel damage incident and Quayside’s port casualty team; as well as having a background in the design, construction and installation of these structures; have many years of experience investigating their damage claims and arranging and managing their repairs.

Damages usually consists of damage to the supporting piles and their connections to the beams (pile caps) supporting the deck. Damage is typically caused by the bulbous bow of a vessel protruding under the deck and impacting the piles. In more serious incidents, direct damage to the reinforced concrete deck itself can also occur. These types of structures have limited repair options and damaged piles will need to be repaired or replaced.

Pre-existing damage or weakness in the existing structure can have a significant impact on the ability of the structure to withstand an abnormal impact from a vessel and can be an escalating factor to the extent of damage caused. Careful inspection of the existing structure and an understanding of its design are required to establish whether there are other contributing factors to be considered in the assessment of a claim.

A dolphin is an isolated piled or gravity structure used to berth or moor a vessel in position at its berth or to manoeuvre a vessel, i.e., assist turning a vessel at an entrance to a lock or berth. The design and layout of dolphins can be important factors in unsafe berth considerations.

Dolphins are classified as either “rigid” or “flexible” structures. The rigid design usually consists of a reinforced concrete cap supported by an arrangement of steel or reinforced concrete piles driven into the seabed and is designed not to move under berthing or mooring loads. A flexible dolphin by contrast consists of a single large diameter steel pile and is designed to deflect (flex) in response to berthing or mooring loads.

Dolphins are damaged in a variety of ways including very heavy berthing’s, which are beyond their design capacity and direct vessel impact. Dolphins are vulnerable to bulbous bows and damages may not always be immediately apparent as the damage suffered by piles will be below the water.

Repairs will involve the use of a floating barge, crane, and pile-driving hammer, and unless the jetty is within a very busy port area, the mobilisation of a heavy marine construction plant can take many weeks. Serious damage to dolphins, especially flexible dolphins, can often mean that they are non-repairable and must be replaced.

The loss of a dolphin can lead to berth shut down and a substantial loss-of-use claim. Temporary means of berthing should therefore be considered in these instances.

The team at Quayside Consultants have experience of dolphin design, construction, installation and repair and have many years of experience in investigating dolphin and fender damage claims, which are the most frequent claims faced by vessel insurers.

A quay wall is a heavy structure fronting on navigable water and parallel to the shore, behind which earth or other suitable material fill is placed.  Its function is to act as a bulkhead as well as to provide for berthing of vessels or other craft. They can be piled walls constructed from steel (or concrete) sheet piles or gravity walls constructed from concrete blocks or caissons.

Steel sheet pile walls consist of specially shaped and vertically interlocking sections driven into the seabed. They are seldom robust enough to resist any direct vessel impact, particularly from a bulbous bow, which can result in the forcing apart of the interlocks (clutches) between the individual sheets causing a breach of the wall. This will almost certainly lead to a loss of the retained fill, which in turn can lead to the partial collapse of the deck (apron) behind the wall, and the displacement and damage of any buried services (water, electrical and communications utilities) and surface equipment.

Whilst gravity blockwork walls are very robust and can withstand higher accidental impact forces than other types of marine structures, large, hollow reinforced concrete caissons (boxes) are not so robust. These are usually damaged as the result a bulbous bow impact, which can, if the caisson has been left unfilled, cause significant damage to the caisson’s front wall.

Repairs to quay walls can frequently be difficult and disruptive to the ongoing operations of the berth. Quayside’s engineers have considerable experience with these types of FFO damages, their repair techniques and the temporary solutions required to contain the damage and minimize interruptions to the facility.