Norwegian Waters
Challenges for a land of Sea and Mountains
Norway is a land of sea, islands, fjords and mountains. More than 90 % of the population lives within 10 km from the coast. A large part of the population is working in the fisheries, fishing farms, shipping and offshore oil industry. More than 10 % of the population has there own leisure boats, and leisure use of fjords and coastal areas is common.
The Norwegian fjords and island archipelago waters is in active use for more purposes. Fishing and harvesting of sea animals has a long history and is a main base of habitation in coastal regions of the country. Sea transport is the main mode of import and export, even for inland goods transportation in a landscape with mountain and fjord barriers. Sea travel and ferries is in extensive use along the coast. Norwegian vessel construction and sailing for the coastal transport has developed into world wide shipping industry on all seas. The shipping industry has the later years changed from ship building to ship design, advanced ship equipement and finishing works.
Norway is among the world’s biggest exporter of fish products, included farmed fish. And Norway is a large exporter of oil and gas from offshore fields in the North Sea and in the Norwegian Sea. New development of oil and gas exploration in the artic is taking place, making new use of our experience in sailing, fishing and harvesting the heavy, dark and cold seas north of the artic circle. The fish farming and oil exploring growth has taken place the last 40 years, replacing reclining industry of goods production in the small towns along the coast.
The Coast of Norway has a complex bathymetry, islands, reefs, sub sea cliffs and steep shore slopes. The climate is windy, cold and wet. A large part of the landscape is hard rock and mountains, and natural bays and fjords are forming varying conditions for harbours, ports and fairways. This give challenges in sailing, in navigation, in fairways planning, port planning and use of sea area and water column. The irregular and complicated bathymetry makes transport of ocean wave sea and wind influence complex matter to solve. The assessment of wave state and propagation, and the impact of sea and waves on maritime structures are always varying.Norwegian and Nordic PIANC members are involved in:
- Civil and structural engineering and construction
- Marine transport and harbour planning
- Port and marina planning and construction
- Coastal and fairway engineering
- Soil engineering and environmental assessment planning
- Oil- and gas terminal planning and construction
- Cold climate / artic engineering
Some typical challenges are:
- Ports are situated in towns located at fjord bays and river inlets, larger ships make new requirements on the fairways and port basins design.
- A lot of harbours and port areas are old industrial construction and shipyard sites, even at small towns along the coast. New use and environmental requirements make need for assessment, clean-up and rehabilitation methods in open water environment.
- Hard wave conditions, salt water and cold temperatures are tough on constructions. New practise are needed for maintenance and for design of concrete construction and in ports, terminals and bridges.
- Use of local stone materials in breakwaters is important with long transport distances. Heavy block blasting and transporting skills are needed for heavy waters use.
- Farming fish in exposed fjord waters make need of construction of slender flexible floating structures that still hold the fish on the inside, exposed to waves and currents.
- With the increasing need of manoeuvring space as the tonnages grow, terminal developments tend to be located at more exposed locations. This make need for methods to simulation of sea states and forces on structures and vessels in complex bottom topographies. When oil and gas transport is taking place, this increase the safety and environmental security requirements even more.
- New oil and gas installations are installed sub-sea; the landfall of the pipelines is laid through under water cliffs landscape and heavy waters. Protecting the landfall zone is challenging design and construction work.
- Infrastructure and industrial development and fish farming tend to be in more exposed locations as there number and size increase.
- There is and an increasing awareness in the public, on environmental issues and a growing interest in preserving areas, especially in the fjords and near coast areas. The need for more scientific knowledge is apparent related to environmental impact of sea constructions and extensive sea use.
- Sea spray icing requirements on maritime infrastructure design and maintenance.
For more expertise information; contact's at members list.
Sist editert 29.02.08, 15:40 av moen
