Physical Phenomena and Safety in Inland Waterborne Transport

The paper presents an analysis of the impact of the physical phenomena occurring during the movement of a vessel in shallow water on the number of accidents on inland waterways. On the basis of data on the accidents on German waterways it has been established that the phenomenon of ship squatting significantly contributes to accidents connected with the suction of the vessel to the bottom of the waterway. Such failures are the cause of over 35% of allthe accidents on inland waterways. Another factor increasing the probability of a failure is the negative impact of the waves produced by the movement of the vessel and of the screw race. The size of squatting and the intensity of the negative impact of the waves and the screw race depend on the sailing speed and the waterway restrictions