A European perspective on bond finance for the maritime industry

The European Shipping Industry faces a huge capital requirement over the next decade as a result of increasing trade and ageing fleets. This growth in demand is juxtaposed with a contraction in the number of banks willing to support the industry and a general tightening of credit facilities. Consequently, companies have been forced to access the capital markets for equity and debt. The difficulties experienced particularly in the bond markets have lead to premature dismissal of this relatively new form of finance. This paper seeks to explore the suitability of bond finance and finds that it is largely dependent on the perception of the maritime industry by the investment community.     

Determinants of crew injuries in vessel accidents

This study investigates determinants of the number of non-fatal crew injuries, fatal crew injuries and missing crew in freight ship, tanker and tugboat vessel accidents based upon individual accidents investigated by the US Coast Guard for the 1991–2001 period. Poisson and negative binomial regression estimates suggest that: (1) freight ship and tanker non-fatal injuries are higher when the vessel is moored or docked and during high winds and cold temperatures; (2) tugboat non-fatal injuries are higher during poor visibility; (3) freight ship fatal injuries increase with vessel age and tanker and tugboat fatal injuries are higher for fire and capsize accidents, respectively; and (4) freight ship missing crew increase with vessel age and tugboat missing crew are higher for fire and lake accidents.     

Port state control versus marine environmental pollution

This United States stands alone amongst the nations of the world in its attempt to unilaterally regulate transnational ocean linear services. The major reason for current US regularity policies with regard to scheduled ocean transportation lies in its fundamental distruct of any form of co-operation amongst competitors as demonstrated by its history of antitrust legislation.

The linear industry, because of its unique technical and economic charectersitics has given rise to the establishment of ocean conferences—co ordinating sgreements between the operators of linear vessels. Whilst ocean conferences are permitted—even encouraged—by the their most diluted form, the so-called ‘open conferences.

This Paper offers a critical review of Successive US regulatory practices in maritime transport. It is argued that these practices result in excess costs in US trades to the order of $1 billion annually, and that the linear industry‘s efficient functioning is seriously impaired by these rules-rules imposed by a government administration which fails to recognize that the linear industry‘s technical efficiency is of far greater importance than its market performance.     

钢管混凝土拱桥徐变影响分析

基于龄期调整有效模量法推导出钢管混凝土轴心受压构件徐变系数公式,采用该公式对钢管混凝土轴心受压构件进行徐变分析.由徐变预测结果与试验数据比较可知,在CEB-FIP 78、CEB-FIP 90及ACI 209R等3种典型徐变系数模式中,ACI 209R模式较其它两种徐变系数模式更为合理.采用ACI 209R徐变系数模式对...     

钢轨波纹磨耗研究综述

一个多世纪以来,铁路直线段钢轨的短波磨耗始终是尚未解决的难题,不仅造成了噪声污染,而且增加了养护维修费用。经过世界范围内很多国家上百年的研究,积累了很多资料并加深了理解。从历史的角度来看,这些研究成果可以和如今的铁路工程技术水平及其资产相媲美。本文对不同时期钢轨波磨的研究进行评述。     

用于城市交通的直线电机推进系统

现代城市交通系统必须提供连发列车间隔时间短的高水平服务.线路的设计必须灵活并且允许存在局部陡峭路际,从而最大程度地降低交通系统成本.不管气候如何,交通系统都务必要保证列车准点到站.直线感应电机(LIM)推进系统在理论上能满足运行要求,而且其加速度和制动力都不依赖于轮轨粘着,其拓扑结构是短一次侧在车上而长二次侧在地面.为了设计可行的交通系统,必须要考虑LIM拓扑的影响.设计时需考虑气隙问题、反应轨结构改变问题、法向力及直接驱动的操作问题.LIM推进系统已经开发出两代,并在5个先进的交通系统中成功应用.