Determining Propeller Erosion at the Stern of a Berthing Ship

This paper presents the findings from an experimental investigation into the nature and extent of the scouring that occurs when a ship berths in front of a perpendicular quay wall within the confines of a harbor. It examines the interaction between the relative position of the quay wall to the central axis of the ship and the influence of the angle of the vessel's rudder on the magnitude of the scouring produced. The experimental program covered a range of sediment sizes, propeller diameters and speeds of rotation, and rudder angles. Also, methods for calculating the depth of expected scour are presented in terms of initial semiempirical equations for the data range under investigation. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.