Atkinson Island Mooring Basin Alternatives, Houston Ship Channel

摘要

The U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston (SWG), is investigating methods to reduce ship effects in the Atkinson Island Mooring Basin (AIMB) from ship traffic in the Houston Ship Channel. The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) assisted SWG in this investigation. A field study was conducted first to gain an understanding of the ship effects that are causing mooring problems in the AIMB and collect ship effects data to be used to validate the numerical model HIVEL2D to the existing conditions in the Houston Ship Channel. The numerical model successfully reproduced the results from the field experiments and was then used to evaluate dike designs with the new AIMB channel. Several dike designs were evaluated and a 3300-ft-long dike with the centerline of the dike located 500 ft west of the centerline of the AIMB channel was found to be effective in minimizing ship effects in the basin. End sections placed on the dike with a 150-ft opening at the entrances to the basin further reduced the water-level variations inside the basin during ship transits. The dike design bw14 included these features and was recommended for installation at the project.