What is a Smart Bollard?

While resembling a standard dock bollard, the Smart Bollard offers advanced features to enhance the safety and efficiency of mooring operations. Positioned permanently on quays, this innovative bollard is equipped with sensors to measure the load on mooring lines. Such measurements translate the structural movement arising from mooring line tension, providing valuable data to port authorities, terminal operators, and vessels. This advanced bollard dock system is compatible with various seagoing vessels, including container and bulk carriers.

Why a Smart Bollard?

Historically, quantifying the load on mooring lines proved challenging. Without precise data on moored vessels, ports often assume maximum mooring loads. During adverse weather conditions, including high waves, strong currents, and gusts, understanding the exact loads on mooring lines becomes crucial. Overloaded lines risk breakage, potentially causing the ship to detach from the dock bollards, leading to severe accidents.

The Smart Bollard addresses this challenge by offering real-time data on mooring loads, enhancing the safety and providing insights into mooring forces. With its advanced MoorControl software system, users receive detailed, comprehensible data, optimizing port use. Especially as vessels grow larger and weather becomes unpredictable, insights into mooring loads are paramount.

Continuous monitoring and data collection via the Smart Bollards streamline port operations and prevent potential hazards during mooring.

Smart Bollard at work Port of Rotterdam
smart-bollard-real-time-monitoring

The system's dashboard displays and logs pivotal data for analysis, such as:

  • Load on the bollard ship
  • Line direction and angle
  • Tide level
  • Weather conditions
  • Vessel history (using AIS data)

Administrators can conveniently add users, establish alarms, and integrate the data into other systems through the provided API.

Benefits of the Smart Bollard

  • Enhanced Safety: Real-time load monitoring and force predictions bolster safety measures for both operators and assets. 
  • Comprehensive Overview: A thorough understanding of mooring forces in diverse environments facilitates the efficient movement of vessels. 
  • Optimized Dock Capacity: Insights into quay capabilities might allow larger ships to be moored. 
  • Resource Efficiency: Accumulated data and force predictions could minimize the need for expensive resources, such as tugboats. 
  • Long-Term Data Insights: Continuous data collection provides a holistic view of the forces impacting berths and vessels, aiding in port development and refining operations.
Portal Smart Bollard

Data connection Smart Bollard

The Smart Bollard offers versatile connectivity options, either through ethernet or wirelessly. An ethernet connection requires a separate switchbox for data transmission to the cloud, while wireless operations demand an on-site gateway.

Cloud and API

Data transmitted to the cloud (via AWS) is accessible in our portal. This portal also offers weather and current data and can accommodate a vessel database. Our system can seamlessly integrate with other systems through a standard API.

Do you want to know more about Smart Bollards?

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Smart Bollards at Port of Rotterdam

Straatman developed the Smart Bollard in close cooperation with the Port of Rotterdam. Along the quay of ECT Delta Terminal, the Port of Rotterdam has installed the Smart bollards. The product is in line with the ports policy of making the port more efficient through digitisation. At this moment, the Smart Bollards are installed on a large scale along the quays of the Port of Rotterdam. Further details can be found in the official press release from the Port of Rotterdam.

Trial Smart Bolder ECT Rotterdam

Download here our Smart Bollard brochure

What to expect from Straatman

 

Over 50 years of experience in manufacturing

In-house production in The Netherlands

High quality products and excellent service level

Continuous innovation and improvement

Learn more about our Smart Bollards

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