The pilots were invited by the Seamen's Church Institute to find out what it will be like to manoeuvre around the Downtown and East End Bridges, part of the Ohio River Bridges scheme. Life-sized pilot wheelhouses were coupled with computer software and imagery to simulate the environment around the bridges during construction and after completion in a variety of river and weather conditions. "It's a tremendously helpful technology because it duplicates what it's like to approach and steer between the piers of a bridge," said Matt Bullock, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's interim project manager for the Ohio River Bridges Project.
Design and analysis
14 Nov 07
Barge simulation aids Ohio River Bridges design
River barge pilots were last week given the opportunity to take part in aircraft-style computer simulations of the navigation around two major new bridges currently being designed in Kentucky and Indiana. The observations and experiences of the 13 pilots are being supplied to the bridge design teams and shared with the Coast Guard to determine whether the proposals would benefit from any changes.
