1885-2010 PIANC The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure Transport Association Waterborne for The World 1885-2010 PIANC The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure On 25 May 1885, the fi rst Inland Navigation Congress was held in Brussels, providing a forum for an international debate on these questions. After some years, the Inland Navigation Congress merged with the Ocean Navigation Congress and the International Navigation Congress was born. During the Congress in Paris, 1900, a Permanent International Commission for the Navigation Congresses was set up. Two years later Statutes were adopted. PIANC was a fact. PIANC changed considerably over the years, from an Association organising a Congress every four years, to an Association setting technical standards and publishing high ranking reports. Th e story of the probably oldest technical Association deserved to be recorded. Th is history book is the result. Th is book, prepared by a commission of distinguished members, will take you along the early years of the Association, the diffi cult war and postwar years, the rapid changes of the last quarter of the 20th century and will elaborate on the challenges of the 21st century: sustainable development, climate change, sea level rise and the need for working with nature. Th roughout the book are descriptions of technical highlights, major engineering developments and achievements, which were built during the 125 years of PIANC’s existence. PIANC, Th e World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure ‘An association in a changing world, 1885-2010’ J.U. Brolsma (editor): PIANC, The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure, an association in a changing world, 1885-2010 EAN 9782872231737 ISBN 978-2-87223-173-7 © PIANC / AIPCN 2010, all rights reserved Published by PIANC, Boulevard Albert II, Box 3, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Printed by Peeters N.V. www.pianc.org Th is publication was made possible by: Main sponsors: ICOPMAS Compagnie Nationale du Rhône Deltares PIANC USA Jan de Nul n.v. Royal Boskalis Westminster nv Van Oord Grand Port Maritime du Havre Corporate Sponsors: Consulting Engineering Services (India) Private Limited, Mr. S. Ghosh, Honorary Vice President of PIANC and Managing Director Maatschappij van de Brugse Moffatt & Nichol Artes Group nv Zeevaartinrichtingen nv JAPAN Dredging & Port de Bruxelles Port of Rotterdam Reclamation Engineering Association Maritime Research Institute Netherlands Consulting Engineering Services (India) Private Ltd, Porto de Lisboa Mr. S. Ghosh, Honorary Vice President of PIANC PIANC België / PIANC Nederland Ports & Harbours Association of Japan AIPCN Belgique Table of contents 1. Introduction 9 2. Establishment of PIANC (before 1885) 11 International Congresses 11 First Navigation Congress 12 The steamship 14 5 3. The early days (1885 – 1914) 17 Inland Navigation Congresses 17 - AIPCNPIANC Ocean Navigation Congress 20 International Navigation Congresses 21 The creation of PIANC 24 PIANC at work 26 Executive Bureau 32 First logos 33 London Docks 22 Kiel Canal 28 Panama Canal 34 4. Interwar years (1919 – 1939) 37 Recommencement 37 Congresses 38 Study commissions 43 Publications 46 Management 50 Finances and membership 50 Zuiderzee Dam 40 The Mississippi River System 44 Ship lifts in Germany 48 5. War and postwar period (1945 – 1970) 53 Surviving the war 53 Resumption of activities 53 First postwar Congresses 58 Study commissions 59 No Regional Section 61 Headquarters 66 19th – 22nd Congress 67 Sport and Pleasure Navigation 71 Finances and membership 72 End of the postwar era 73 St. Lawrence Seaway 56 The container 62 Delta Plan 68 The development of the Rhône 74 6. Times are changing (1970 – 2000) 77 New rules 78 Finances 80 Three Congresses 81 Developing countries 85 Technical Commissions 87 Recreational Navigation 88 Centennial Congress 89 Gustave Willems Award 93 COPEDEC 94 Care for the environment 94 Attracting Young Professionals 96 6 The Congresses of the 1990s 96 Changes in location, image and administration 101 National Sections 104 Social aspects 106 At the end of the century 107 Thames Barrier 82 Main-Danube Canal 90 Kansai offshore airport 98 Two ship lifts in Belgium 108 PIANC - AIPCNPIANC 7. Twenty-first century 111 Under a new management 112 New housestyle 114 Website and electronic dictionary 115 Revision Statutes and Regulations 119 Young Professionals Commission 120 Jack Nichol Award 124 Navigation Congresses 125 COPEDEC 126 Mediterranean Days 130 Smart Rivers 131 International co-operation 132 Promotion Commission 136 National Sections 139 Strategic Plan 2006-2010 113 Monaco’s floating breakwater 116 Falkirk Wheel 122 Waterway-cross at Magdeburg 128 Le Havre Port 2000 134 Three Gorges Dam 140 8. PIANC in the future 143 Climate change 143 Working with Nature 144 Publication policy 148 Safeguarding the future 149 Tsunami protection breakwater 146 Extension of the Panama Canal 150 Palm Jebel Ali Island, Dubai 154 Annexes 156 Congresses and annual meetings 156 Member countries 158 Office bearers 159 Awards 161 Major publications 163 Statutes 166 Abbreviations 171 Illustrations 173 7 Acknowledgements 174 PIANC - AIPCNPIANC 1. Introduction At the end of the 19th century, international This book, prepared by a commission of distin- trade and the consequent demand for waterborne guished members, will take you along the early transport infrastructure increased considerably. years of the Association, the difficult war and post- The introduction of steamships and major projects war years, the rapid changes of the last quarter such as the construction of the Panama Canal of the 20th century and will elaborate on the created an additional need for exchange of know- challenges of the 21st century: sustainable develop- how. ment, climate change, sea level rise and the need 9 On 25 May 1885, the first Inland Navigation for working with nature. Throughout the book are Congress was held in Brussels, providing a forum technical highlights, short descriptions of major for an international debate on these questions. engineering developments and achievements, - AIPCNPIANC After some years, the Inland Navigation Congress which were built during the 125 years of PIANC’s merged with the Ocean Navigation Congress and existence. the International Navigation Congress was born. 2010 may well become a turning point in our During these first years, there was no perma- long history, as PIANC is aiming at widening its nent organisation to guarantee continuity but only scope and broadening its membership in order to local organising committees for the consecutive be able to deal with the many challenges water- Congresses. In 1890, at the occasion of the fourth borne transport and the related infrastructure are Congress, it was decided to establish a permanent facing. body. During the Congress in Paris, 1900, a Perma- I thank the ‘History Commission’ and other nent International Commission for the Navigation authors, who really did a splendid job and demon- Congresses was set up. Two years later statutes strated the dedication they had for PIANC during were adopted. During its 125 years lifespan, PIANC – in some cases – over half a century. I also thank managed to survive two World Wars and several the sponsors who, by their support, made it pos- economic crises. The Association was flexible sible to publish such a richly illustrated book. enough to adapt to changing times and new needs Finally, I would like to dedicate this history book of its membership. PIANC changed considerably to the many PIANC-members of the past and the over the years, from an Association organising a present, that through their voluntary contribu- Congress every four years, to an Association setting tions ensured the recognition of the Association technical standards and publishing high ranking as a source of solid technical guidance. reports. The story of the probably oldest technical Association deserves to be recorded, hence this Eng. Eric Van den Eede history book that is lying before you. President 2. Establishment of PIANC (before 1885) It was 1885, a time of full prosperity and at the zenith of an outstanding industrial expansion, which was due to the perfection of the steam engine and the development of heavy industry. During the 19th century, international organisations were considered as the new approach to creating stable and peaceful relations between nations. The Congress and Treaty of Vienna of 1815 had confirmed the principle of free navigation for ships of all nations on international rivers such as the Rhine and Danube, leading to the Act of Mannheim of 1868, the basis for the international 11 Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and in 1857 to a treaty for the creation of the Danube Commission. PIANC - AIPCNPIANC International Congresses the interests of commerce and navigation, is feasi- Among the new international organisations was ble and that, in order to take advantage of the the Congrès International d’Etudes du Canal Inter- indispensable facilities for access and operation océanique (International Congress for the Study of which a canal of this kind must offer above all, the Interocean Canal) convened in Paris on 15 May the canal should extend from the Gulf of Limon to 1871 at the headquarters of the Société de Geog- the Bay of Panama’. This resolution decided on the raphy where 136 delegates represented 22 coun- location of the interoceanic canal in the Isthmus of tries. During the Congress its President, Ferdinand Panama. At the same time, a passionate debate de Lesseps, who completed the Suez Canal one was going on in the United Kingdom with regard and a half year before, read aloud the crucial reso- to the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal. lution: ‘The Congress believes that the excavation The canal with its unique swing aqueduct bridge of an interoceanic canal at sea level, so desirable in was eventually opened in 1894. Another important The Suez Canal, opened in 1869, was a major driving force for the development of steam navigation, because sailing was not allowed on the canal.