Inner Channel or Outer Channel

In the PIANC guidelines the recommended depths and widths depend on whether a channel section is an Inner Channel (protected water) or an Outer Channel (open water). The user can set this value for each section of the channel, or alternatively the software can make assumptions to set it automatically.

If set to automatic, the software will analyse every point along each section of the channel. It will set the section to be an outer channel if either of the two following conditions are met.

• If the wave height is greater than 1.0m
• If the cross current is equal to or more than 1.5 knots

If neither of these conditions are met, it will set it to be an inner channel.