Official websites use .mil
Secure .mil websites use HTTPS
866.362.3732
601.634.2355
Not finding what you are looking for? Search the ERDC Library Catalog
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/35182
Report Number: ERDC/CHL TR-20-1
Title: Towing Vessel Delays and Barge Lane Navigability along the Houston Ship Channel, Texas
By Kenneth N. Mitchell, Patricia K. DiJoseph, Brandan M. Scully, and Marin M. Kress
Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited January 2020
Abstract: This project used historic vessel position reports to analyze barge lane traffic navigability and towing vessel traffic interaction with deep draft (“bluewater”) vessels in the Houston Ship Channel, Texas, during September and December 2015. Vessel position reports were collected through the U.S. Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System (AIS) and accessed through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers AIS Analysis Package software. The motivation for this study was a request from the Galveston District for assistance as part of the Houston Ship Channel Expansion Channel Improvement Project. Results indicate that, generally, towing vessels confine themselves to the designated barge shelves on the outer edges of the main channel approximately 65% of the time and venture into the main (center) portion of the deep-draft channel approximately 35% of the time. This study also explored the relationship between meeting events (where a bluewater vessel is meeting a towing vessel moving in the opposite direction) and the linear consistency of towing vessel tracks within the barge lanes along straight segments of the Houston Ship Channel. Preliminary results suggest that encounter events do influence towing vessel behavior, as measured through vessel track linearity.
30 pages / 1.43 Mb
ERDC is a diverse research organization with approximately 2,000 employees operating more than $1 billion in world class facilities at seven laboratories. Its annual program exceeds $1 billion as it supports the Department of Defense and other agencies in military and civilian projects. Principal research areas include Soldier support, Engineered Resilient Systems, Environmental Quality and Installations, Geospatial Research and Engineering, Military Engineering, and Water Resources. “Discover ▪ Develop ▪ Deliver” ERDCinfo@usace.army.mil
Contact
ERDC Library 601-634-2355 ERDCLibrary@ask-a-librarian.info
Release no. 20-006