Depth and technical limitation
The conditions of unloading along the river Elbe are subject to fluctuations due to the inflow which is largely determined by surface water. Additionally, a certain regulation of the flow rate of inflowing rivers is possible because of barrages along the river Elbe above Ustí nad Labem, cascades of the river Moldau as well as flood protection installations along the inflows.
To determine the possible loaded draft (Immersion of the loaded vessel in off mode), the current conditions need to be checked.
Apart from considering the levels, depths of the navigation channels are determined every day in the area of the Waterways and Navigation Directorate East. Those constitute the available depth of water in one section of the route.
To Check a certain route, the lowest depth from the entire route will be determined. The effects are shown in the diagram below based on the example of a push tow (TC1100 + TC 500) using route 4 (mouth of the river Elster to mouth of the river Saale) which determines the transport between Saxony and Magdeburg.
(Value 0=blocking of the waterway, for example due to Ice, flood)
In case of technical limitation
(Minimum depth of channel for the push boat) 500t (370t+130t) = red line
with 2,20m depth of the channel 1.230t+470t can be loaded = green line
Goal of maintenance for the river Elbe:
depth of the channel 160cm on 365 days a year until the end of 2010 = blue line