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• A comprehensive comparative empirical analysis on the container shipping network. • Supported by extensive datasets, incorporates the latest development on river basin. • Combine descriptive and explanatory analysis from interdisciplinary approaches. • A large diversity exists in how inland port systems development. The formation of barge networks on rivers and associated inland port systems is subject to a complex set of influencing factors and mechanisms. This paper aims to present a comprehensive comparative empirical analysis focusing on the container shipping (barge) network in the Yangtze and the Rhine. This analysis is supported by extensive datasets on both river basins, incorporates the latest development on both rivers and is grounded on concepts and methods coming from transport geography and economic geography. We find that a large diversity might exist in how inland port systems and related gateway seaports are dealing with cargo flows and supply chains. In view of explaining this diversity, we make a distinction between geographical/nautical aspects, macro-economic factors and institutional/governance factors. In particular, we discuss the role of institutional and governance factors in barge network development by using the concepts of selection, retention and variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundings are frequently occurring accidents that pose a serious risk in inland waterways. This paper proposes a flexible decision-support solution for grounded ships in the Yangtze River. The basis of the proposed method is to develop an influence diagram based on a three-layer decision-making framework, to consider the effectiveness of the intervention measures by adding two nodes and establishing the associated conditional probability tables, and to merge the influence diagram and the intervention measures as a flexible decision-support solution. The merits of the proposed method include the intuitive representation of how the influencing factors affect the alternatives using a graphical structure, the flexibility to implement and to consider the intervention measures for grounded ships, and the ability to deal with uncertainty in both numerical data and qualitative information. The results of the case study showed that it is unanimous with the real situations and the intervention measures should be considered to make effective and accurate decision-making for grounding ships. Consequently, the method presented in this paper provides a practical and flexible decision-support solution for grounded ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively promote the construction of the Yangtze River economic belt, it has become China's national strategy to vigorously develop the river-sea-going transportation. In the present paper, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and model test are combined together to develop flat-type river-sea-going ship which is characterized with larger loading capacity, lower fuel consumption, better performance on energy-saving and environmental-friendly, excellent economy and higher transportation efficiency. Key technologies on hydrodynamic performance, structural safety, energy-saving technology and green ship technology are investigated to develop the river-sea-going ship. The developed "4E" level ship has great significance to the implementation of national strategic deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese national fiscal reforms and the transfer of power from the central government to local governments impact the governance of inland waterway transport (IWT). In this paper we argue that the development of IWT on the Yangtze River is strongly influenced by institutional changes at different levels of government in line with the path dependent transformation of the Chinese centrally planned economy. This paper deduces how institutional change of IWT on the Yangtze fails to fulfil its purposes because of institutional legacies and conflicts of interests among the various levels of government and the persistent interwovenness of the state with private enterprises (via SOEs). In order to further stimulate IWT on the Yangtze more institutional changes are on the cards, in particular a need for more (foreign) private involvement and more independent SOEs, but these changes will not necessarily break out of the development path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Different modes of governance will certainly have different impacts on the development of the inland waterway network and inland shipping economy on the Yangtze River and Pearl River in China. The inland waterway transport (IWT) economy on both rivers has recently been considered part of the national economic strategy, and it is necessary to analyze the differences between the two modes of governance applied on the arteries of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River and to explore their different impacts on the development of waterway systems. First, this paper considers the Pearl River Economic Belt as an example for comparing the effects of different modes of governance on the development of IWT systems. Second, from the perspective of systems theory, the economic structures of IWT systems under different modes of governance are described. Third, data are collected from inland shipping industries in the Pearl River system, and system dynamic (SD) models of the IWT system are constructed using the Vensim PLE software suite. Finally, the SD models are employed to compare the differences in the development of spatial patterns of waterway systems under two modes of governance and different investment structures. Highlights • A measurement of capacity of inland waterway network was proposed. • The governance modes of inland waterway transport system in China was analysed. • The impacts of two governance modes on the structure of inland waterway network were compared with SD model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, a multilayer transshipment network of bulk shipping has been formed along the Yangtze River so as to support the fast development of Chinese iron and steel industry. Yet with the decrease of iron ore trade in China since 2014, the bulk port system on Yangtze River probably will be subject to change in the future. Under this background, this paper aims to analyze the development potential of Yangtze River bulk ports system with a focus on iron ore transshipment. To realize this objective, we firstly sort out the main transshipment patterns of bulk shipping, and optimize the bulk-shipping network with an optimization model. Several scenarios are then proposed and examined in the model by changing corresponding parameters. Cooperation among ports as one scenario is analyzed by applying core theory in cooperative game. Based on the changes of transshipment plans observed under the various scenarios, we finally ascertain the different development potentials of the system, and provide suggestions to the port operators and local maritime authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Formal safety assessment (FSA), as a structured and systematic risk evaluation methodology, has been increasingly and broadly used in the shipping industry around the world. Concerns have been raised as to navigational safety of the Yangtze River, China's largest and the world's busiest inland waterway. Over the last few decades, the throughput of ships in the Yangtze River has increased rapidly due to the national development of the Middle and Western parts of China. Accidents such as collisions, groundings, contacts, oil-spills and fires occur repeatedly, often causing serious consequences. In order to improve the navigational safety in the Yangtze River, this paper estimates the navigational risk of the Yangtze River using the FSA concept and a Bayesian network (BN) technique. The navigational risk model is established by considering both probability and consequences of accidents with respect to a risk matrix method, followed by a scenario analysis to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article investigates a series of projects for the improvement of shipping conditions of the Upper Yangzi in 1805-'40. The enterprise was undertaken by two Hankou merchants, one of whom published his 'Brief Account of the Taming of the Rapids'. An analysis of the detailed data of this source provides insights into navigation conditions and rates of environmental change on a major river, and into a major infrastructure project undertaken as merchant philanthropy. This paper proposes a perspective on water transport in pre-industrial China against a wider temporal and cultural backdrop, with a particular reference to private philanthropy as a set item within the moral economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Container ports located in a delta of navigable waterways generally strive to develop the inland river services as a competitive transport mode, with a view to serving local and distant hinterland regions. The spatial and functional development of river-based container networks is location-specific and time-specific. While each barging network and associated seaport system has its own dynamics, similarities in development patterns cannot be excluded. This paper discusses similarities and dissimilarities between the spatial and the functional development of the container river service networks of the Yangtze River and the Rhine River. It is shown that the Yangtze service network has the tendency to converge, in more than one aspect, with the (historical) development pattern of inland container services in the Rhine basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]