NETWORK OF DANUBE WATERWAY ADMINISTRATIONS South-East European Transnational Cooperation Programme TITLE OF DOCUMENT SUBTITLE

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1 NETWORK OF DANUBE WATERWAY ADMINISTRATIONS South-East European Transnational Cooperation Programme TITLE OF DOCUMENT SUBTITLE Document ID: Output 4.11 Activity: 4.3 Preparation of national strategy plans for waterway maintenance Author / Project Partner: Date: Version: Hans Berger, via donau Markus Simoner, via donau

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS SCOPE OF the DOCUMENT Waterway Maintenance Introduction Basic philosophy of waterway management Optimization of the surveying activities Optimization of the dredging activities Optimization of the information activities... 11

3 1 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABBR. AGN LNRL Abbreviation European Agreement on main inland waterways Low Navigation and Regulation Level Page 3 of 13

4 2 SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT Rivers are areas of the natural surface that are of multi-purpose use: Waterway transport, energy and (drinking) water sources, recreation and tourism, valuable ecosystems, fishing just to mention some important functions. Each of these functions has its own specific requirements and impacts on the rivers as well as other users and a certain effort has to be taken to reach an integrated way of coordination and harmonisation of all activities carried out. This report focuses on a special, but nevertheless crucial element of the waterway transport system: The maintenance of the waterway infrastructure. Thus, the main objective of this report is to develop a national strategy plan for waterway maintenance. The starting point for all reflections are the users of the waterway infrastructure, who are shipping companies transporting goods on the Danube river as well as operators in the field of passenger transport (tourism). As a basic guideline two international regulations/recommendations with regards to the waterway infrastructure are considered: the UN/ECE convention AGN and the recommendations of the Danube Commission. This document shall focus on the basic philosophy and the core elements of a modern and customer-oriented waterway management of via donau. More general information on the Austrian part of the Danube waterway can be found in the respective NEWADA status quo report (Activity 4.1. report) 3 WATERWAY MAINTENANCE 3.1. Introduction via donau is responsible for the management of the waterway infrastructure of the Austrian part of the Danube. The Austrian stretch of the Danube has an entire length of about 351 km. The Danube crosses Austrian territory on the right bank from river km till km and on the left bank from river km till River km Furthermore following tributaries on the Austrian Danube are legally considered as waterways: the mouth of the river Traun (1.7 km), the river Enns (2.5 km) and the river March (6.0 km). in its function as waterway management authority via donau carries out its responsibilities with regards to waterway administration and maintenance. Following graphics gives an overview on the Austrian part of the Danube waterway. As main characteristics it can be divided into impounded stretches between the nine hydro-power plants and two free-flowing stretches one in the Wachau valley and one to the east of Vienna in the floodplains national park area Donau-Auen.

5 Figure 1: Overview on the Austrian part of the Danube The waterway maintenance activities are embedded in a complex system of various legal, organisational and technical framework conditions and interdependencies, which is displayed in following graphics: Figure 2: Waterway maintenance: Relevant legal, organisational and technical framework conditions Page 5 of 13

6 3.2. Basic philosophy of waterway management Modern waterway management is a recurrent task with a clear focus on the customers who use the waterway for commercial or recreational purposes (tourism). The main system elements are surveying, dredging and information: 1 Surveying 2 Dredging 3 Information infrastructure is the backbone for the commercial transport of goods on the Danube river. Inland navigation is a system, which consists of several parts, which strongly depend on each other (see Figure 3: Main system elements of a modern waterway management These basic elements are interdependent and in a logical context, therefore the interactions between these elements are subsequently described as waterway maintenance cycle : Page 6 of 13

7 Figure 4: Interactions of main system elements: The waterway maintenance cycle Based on the awareness that the single elements are dependent the understanding of a modern waterway management is based on following philosophy: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. This principal, which has already been introduced by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, is the red line for the elaboration of a modern and customer-oriented waterway management system of via donau. Thus the report will describe the optimization measures individually for the three main system elements surveying, dredging and information in the following chapters Optimization of the surveying activities The surveying activities are the basis for a modern waterway infrastructure management: It is of crucial importance to know the current status of the navigation fairway throughout the year in order to plan and to execute respective dredging measures. In addition to that the surveying results also serve the customers (vessel captains) as valuable information for the optimal navigation on the fairway. Thus, via donau has an own department exclusively dealing with surveying activities. As a basic principle via donau is continuously investing in modern surveying equipment (vessels and surveying systems) in order to be able to continuously survey the status of the river bed. The two free flowing sections are completely surveyed twice a year. In addition to that shallow sections are surveyed at least at a monthly basis. In case of low water periods the time interval can even be reduced to weekly surveying of the shallow sections. Page 7 of 13

8 As an example for the surveying equipment the picture below shows the new surveying vessel, which is equipped with a dual head multibeam echo sounder system (Kongsberg EM3002) Figure 5: New surveying vessel with dual head multibeam echo sounder system The basic advantages of this dual head multibeam system can be summarized as follows: Better suited for surveying of shallow areas Reduces time for surveying Reduces profile lengths due to larger overlapping coverage Reduces data interpretation due to filtering with Cube-Algorithm (Reson and Kongsberg) A first practical comparison between the conventional Reson system and the new Kongsberg system shows a reduction of the necessary surveying time of about 20% and at the same time an incease of the suryed area of about 10%. Following picture displays an example of a multibeam surveying result in the free flowing section Wachau: Figure 6: Multibeam survey result in the free flowing section Wachau The optimal usage of the single and multibeam equipment is currently internally evaluated and subject to a dedicated project. Page 8 of 13

9 3.4. Optimization of the dredging activities Dredging activities within the navigation fairway are essential in order to ensure the fairway parameters laid down in the AGN and the recommendations of the Danube Commission. As a basic principle via donau is committed to continuously maintain a fairway depth of 2.5 meters below LNRL in the two free flowing Austrian sections. In order to optimize the dredging activities throughout the year via donau has set up a principal categorization of the shallow sections: Following table shows the main fords in the two free flowing sections Wachau and to the east of Vienna: Figure 7: Fords in the free flowing sections of the Austrian Danube The river sections corresponding to the above fords have been also indicated in the Inland ECDIS charts as caution areas. via donau is continuously monitoring the current status of these shallow sections in order to be able to plan and executive necessary dredging measures. Furthermore via donau is currently elaborating a dredging strategy in order to optimize the effectiveness of the dredging activities. As basic principle the most severe shallow sections shall be dredged at the beginning of a potential low water period, which statistically starts at the beginning of autumn. Following graphics displays this objective, which shall be implemented for the first time in autumn 2011: Page 9 of 13

10 Figure 8: Timeframe for most urgent dredging activities The prioritisation of dredging activities in a defined timeframe at the beginning of the low water period is one of the most important foreseen measures of the future maintenance strategy of via donau. This means that every year the most severe shallow sections should be dredged starting from the beginning of September. The dredging itself is executed by third party dredging companies, with which via donau has contracted so called framework contracts. These contracts just define the basic elements as the dredging area and the possible overall dredging volume. The exact dredging location and the dredging volume for the respective shallow section can be communicated to the dredging company immediately before the dredging activity. In addition to the introduction of this time frame via donau also foresees the possibility of dredging activities outside the time frame, e.g. in case of a flood event in the winter period. Typically the river bed is dramatically changing after such an event, which cannot be foreseen or planned in advance. Thus, via donau also foresees the possibility to react immediately after such events. Page 10 of 13

11 3.5. Optimization of the information activities The third important element of a modern waterway management system is information: This is including information of all via donau internal processes and procedures related to the waterway management and also information to the external users of the waterway system. The optimization of the external information processes is one of the most important elements of the waterway management system of via donau. Besides the already well known and established information tools as e.g. Notices to Skippers or Inland ECDIS, via donau is investing in modern information tools via its websites. One element is the forecast of relevant water gauges, which is currently available as one day forecast. By the means of a just started project via donau would like to improve the forecast to a time period of three days. The information about the current status of the shallow sections is one crucial element. Besides the numeric information on the available water depth via donau now also makes available its most recent surveying results in a graphical format: Figure 9: Waterway depth information of a shallow section, available at the via donau website This information should enable the users of the waterway to gain a comprehensive overview on the current status of the shallow sections. It enables the captains to navigate in the deeper areas of the fairway channel, thus improving the efficiency of the transport (by increasing the possible draught of their vessels). This graphical information is displayed for each relevant shallow section along the Austrian Danube. Following screenshot shows the information portal of via donau with regards to the current shallow sections along the Austrian Danube: Page 11 of 13

12 Figure 10: Screenshot from the information portal of the current shallow sections along the Austrian Danube, available at the via donau website 4 OUTLOOK This report shall just give an overview on the most important maintenance activities and the basic philosophy for a modern waterway management system. As waterway management authority via donau is committed to continuously improve its performance in order to ensure a well maintained waterway infrastructure. The waterway management cycle demonstrates that this is a recurrent task, where its basic system elements have to be continuously improved and optimized in its functioning. In this sense via donau understands the implementation of a modern waterway management system as a continuous improvement process (CIP). This also implies the continuous learning from each other, meaning to understand the maintenance philosophies of the Danube waterway authorities responsible for the respective national stretches of the Danube waterway. Page 12 of 13

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