Globalisation causes strong changes in world trade and rapid developments in logistic concepts. Ports all over the world are therefore challenged to increase capacity and access for ever growing ship sizes and to offer quicker, better and more innovative services.
Furthermore national and international rules require a growing attention for health, safety, security and environment in port and transport activities. With these developments in mind, the Port Seminar discusses the planning and design of modern ports and construction and maintenance of port infrastructure.
Two special topics in the International Port Seminar are the introduction of the New Rock Manual and the Port Development Simulation Game.
Rock Manual (2007, 1268 p.)
The new Rock Manual is the result of inter-European co-operation. It discusses the use of rock and large concrete armour units in hydraulic engineering, including design, construction, maintenance and management of rock works.
Preferably participants have a technical background and some years of working experience in a port environment.
Professionals in (or on their way to) management positions in the fields of port and terminal management, port planning and development, port consultancy, construction and maintenance, are especially welcome at the seminar.
A bachelor level and a workable knowledge of English are required to benefit fully from the Seminar.
Port of Rotterdam, Amsterdam Port Authority and the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences of the Delft University of Technology.
SIM Port is a computer-supported game, played by competing teams of 3-6 persons, that simulates the real processes involved in planning, equipping and exploiting a 1,000 ha port expansion project over a 30 year period. The participants gain better insight in development strategies in relation to commercial and infrastructural choices.
Mr. Dorian Bilse, Deputy Chief Engineer,NPA, South Africa:
“I felt that this was a very useful exercise that contained several different aspects that were informative. The game was well structured and a reasonably accurate model of the real situation.”
The Port Seminar has during the previous years shifted its focus from general organisational and management aspects of ports to port planning and port engineering aspects.
The theoretical part of the seminar is given at UNESCO-IHE in Delft by lecturers being recruited from port authorities, terminal operators, universities, knowledge institutions and international consultants. They transfer their broad ‘state-of-the-art’ knowledge to the participants by means of lectures, discussions and exercises.
Lecture periods are alternated with work visits to ports on the European North-West coast. Probably nowhere in the world will you find such a concentration of outstanding examples of ports varying in size, type, terminal use and management models.
Programmed are visits to the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp and to ports in Germany.
Sharing experiences is an inherent part of the seminar. The seminar offers a platform where participants can discuss their specific experiences and problems and develop mutual social and business contacts.
On the last day a programme is organised where participants meet representatives of organisations with port-related activities.
The course fee includes:
Preliminary Programme
Week 1: Monday April 20 – Friday April 24
Registration & Opening
New developments in Port Planning
Port Economics
Hinterland Connections
Environmental Case Study
Nautical Traffic Simulation
Port Life Cycle Management
Work visits to Port of Rotterdam and Port Amsterdam
Week 2: Monday April 27 – Friday May 1
Design of Terminals
Developments in Design and Construction of Port Infrastructure
Maintenance in Ports
Health, Safety and Security in Port Design
Work Visit to Port of Antwerp, Belgium
Week 3: Sunday May 3 – Friday May 8
Excursion to the Enclosure Dam and Hydraulic Structures in the North-Netherlands
Work Visits to German Ports
The New Rock Manual used in Port Construction
SIM Port, computer supported simulation game
Meeting players in the Port Sector
Closing Ceremony and Awarding of Certificates