The loss of containers at sea endangers ships and crew and causes environmental pollution. Within the Joint Research Project RetroLadung, weight-optimized container cell guides with integrated motion sensors and AI-based decision support (DSS) are developed as a technical solution for increased safety in marine transportation. Therefore, the authors developed an efficient simulation-based approach to determine the motion-induced loads acting on the containers. For the validation of the applied numerical methods, model tests have been performed in the towing tank operated by the Institute for Fluid Dynamics and Ship Theory (FDS). The paper describes the applied numerical methods for the load determination and first preliminary results from the ongoing experimental validation work. Finally, the application of the developed method is demonstrated by calculating the loads for the structural design and optimization of the cell guides for a towed container barge operated at the US east coast.
