The Core Application of Barge Transportation in Marine Engineering - 2

3. Main Challenges

Maneuverability dependence: Mostly requires tugboat towing, slow speed; Modern high-end barges need to be equipped with thrusters or dynamic positioning (DP) systems to enhance efficiency and increase costs.

Sensitive sea conditions: The flat-bottomed barge has weak resistance to wind and waves, and the operation window is strictly restricted by the weather.

High-risk operations: Heavy hoisting and installation operations at sea are highly technically challenging and risky.

High requirements for the wharf: A dedicated port that needs to be equipped with heavy cranes or slide facilities for loading and unloading.

4. Summary

Barge transportation is a key infrastructure in Marine engineering, solving the core problem of transferring super-large, super-heavy and super-long structures from land to sea, and directly serving as a support for the installation and construction of heavy offshore operation platforms. Its applications are concentrated on:

Offshore oil and gas development (platform module, jacket transportation and installation).

Offshore wind power construction (wind turbine components, foundation transportation and pile driving installation).

With the development of Marine engineering towards deep and far-sea areas and large-scale operations, barge technologies (such as semi-submersible, dynamic positioning, and modular design) continue to upgrade, and their supporting role in the development of deep-sea and far-sea resources will become increasingly important.