Promoting enhanced maritime transport designs
Congestion at road, rail- and air- ways not only constitutes a stress factor for most Europeans, but also signifies economic loss. On the other hand, waterborne transportation seem like a good alternative solution, yet passenger comfort and safety need further improvements, in particular for High Speed Crafts (HSCs). Aiming at increasing the popularity of HSCs, this project employed state-of-the-art methods and tools and developed the "Design for Safety" methodology. Additionally, a novel tool was generated that allows HSC designers to identify the optimal solution as far as safety and through-life cost are concerned. Unlike most conventional tools, where decision-making is based on best practices, the S@S tool provides decision support that is grounded on risk/cost analysis. More specifically, this innovation offers identification of over-specified requirements for vessels that would lead to a rational assessment of cost implications of shipbuilding and/or operation. With the aid of this tool that is used in the early stages of design, creativity and innovation can be fully exploited. Hence, the resulting design incorporates the safest enhancements to be accomplished in the most cost-effective way, taking into consideration the vessel's lifetime. Apart from safety, optimisation of other design aspects, such as comfort or environment can also be explored. The adoption of the integrated tool is beneficial for the maritime and transport industry and, consequently, for ship owners and passengers. By improving the quality and safety of sea transport through the most cost-effective means, the competitiveness of the European ship industry is expected to be greatly benefited. Both the methodology and the integrated tool have been developed for HSC, however, they may also be employed for the design of other ship types. Towards this, further collaboration for maintenance and development of the tool is sought.
