Nautical and vessel design

Dry cargo vessels are used for transporting a wide variety of goods including log wood, steel coils, grain and ore. These vessels can be used for almost anything and therefore reduce the number of empty runs (journeys with no return cargo). This class of vessel can generally carry between 1,000 and 2,000 tons of goods and is often used on the Danube in coupled formations or pushed-coupled convoys. Dry cargo vessels can be divided into three main classes.

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Tankers transport various types of liquid goods, such as mineral oil and derivates (petrol, diesel, heating oil), chemical products (acids, bases, benzene, styrene, methanol) or liquid gas. The majority of the liquid goods mentioned above are hazardous goods which are transported using special tanker vessel units equipped with the appropriate safety devices. European regulations and recommendations, such as the ADN and ADN-D, as well as national legislation governing the transport of hazardous goods have particular relevance in this context. Tankers used on the Danube have an average loading capacity of around 2,000 tons. As is the case with the navigation of dry cargoes, the transport of liquid goods on the Danube is carried out primarily by pushed convoys. Modern tankers have a double hull which prevents the cargo from leaking in the event that the outer hull is damaged. Stainless steel tanks or cargo holds with a special coating are used in order to prevent the cargo from reacting with the surface of the tank. The use of heaters and valves enable the transport of goods that freeze easily even in winter, and sprinkler systems on deck protect the tanks from the summer heat. Liquid gases are transported under pressure and in a cooled state using special containers. Most tankers have pumps on board which can load and unload the goods directly into the tanks in ports not equipped with such special loading systems.

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Container vessels are ships constructed specifically for the transport of containers and are currently used primarily in the Rhine region. In the Danube region container convoys with four pushed lighters are regarded as the best way to increase capacity. Such a pushed convoy has a total loading capacity of up to 576 TEU – each pushed lighter can therefore carry 144 TEU, i.e. three layers of containers with 48 TEU each.

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Roll-on-Roll-off means that the goods being transported can be loaded and unloaded using their own motive power via port or vessel ramps. The most important types of goods transported in this way include passenger cars, construction and agricultural machinery, articulated vehi­cles and semi-trailers (“floating road”) as well as heavy cargo and oversized goods. The majority of Ro-Ro transport operations are carried out with specially constructed vessels such as catamarans. Catamarans are vessels with a double hull in which the two hulls are connected by the deck, which forms a large loading surface for the rolling goods.

Source: Via Donau