Ship-bridge collision force mechanism and composite anti-collision system

The governing equation of ship-bridge collision, considering the influence of pier stiffness and ship stiffness, was proposed by using the mass-spring model. The effects of bridge-ship relative stiffness and contact time on the peak impact force were analyzed. The impact force formula of flotsam in the General Code for Design of Highway Bridges and Culverts was revised. Meanwhile, an innovative fiber reinforced composite anti-collision system was developed. The corresponding impact tests were conducted. Furthermore, this composite anti-collision system is applied in the practical bridge anti-collision engineering. The results show that when the bridge-ship relative stiffness is less than 50, the peak impact force logarithmically increases to the increase in the bridge-ship relative stiffness; otherwise, the peak impact force can be approximately calculated according to European Standard. The contact time is related to the mass and stiffness of ship. The composite anti-collision system can effectively prolong the contact time of ship-bridge collision and decrease the impact force substantially; therefore the pier structure can be effectively protected and the damage degree of ship can be relieved. Overall, the composite anti-collision system has significant technical and economic advantages.