PONTOON ANCHORS PUT TO THE TEST
CRC Reef researchers at JCU's Engineering Department are testing the
performance of a pontoon anchor chain during a simulated category four
cyclone. The experiment is part of a project to improve future marine
tourism facilities on the Reef.
Thousands of litres of water are forced through a 25-metre flume in
the Department's workshop, where students Mark Britton and Troy
Tesolin have designed and built new apparatus to evaluate the tension
in the chains.
Little is known about the specifics of pontoon movements during severe
cyclones although a number of those already installed in the Marine
Park have been affected over the years. GBRMPA has laid down conservative
guidelines to ensure that pontoons can withstand category four cyclones.
In response, marine engineers have designed mooring systems which involve
concrete block anchors weighing up to 20 tonnes, with a backup five tonne
dumper block. This is designed to lift as the pontoon shifts in severe
cyclonic conditions.
Computer modelling has demonstrated the dynamics of large dumper
blocks are complicated. Assessment of tension in the cable under simulated
cyclonic conditions calls for an extremely accurate measuring device.
Cairns based company, Sokkia, whose parent company Sokkia Co. Ltd in Japan
manufacture measuring instruments for use in the surveying and ship building
industries, lent the students, free of charge, a NET2 3D (MONMOS) measuring
system, for a week. Sokkia's contribution is an excellent example of a
research team working with private industry and Reef management agencies
to develop new engineering practices and guidelines for sustainable development.
This research project fits into the wider CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd's
review of engineering guidelines for structures being built or located
in the shallow Reef lagoons, ensuring that such structures are safe, both
for the Reef and for people, and to provide economic surety for the tourist
operators.
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