The ROM Programme started at 1987 by order of the Port and Cost General Director of the Ministry for Transport and Public Works. Thus, a Technical Commission was created that would be responsible for writing a list of Recommendations or Technical Legislation. These recommendations and technical legislation gathered information about the most advanced technology fields within the Civil Engineering so that it could be easily accessed by designers, builders and port departments. Thus, these professionals would adopt the same criteria and, consequently, would optimise their professional performance, improve the prestige of the Spanish port technology worldwide and promote the exportation of this technology. 

Since its creation in 1992, the public entity Puertos del Estado, as organization that took the responsibilities and duties of the former Dirección General de Puertos, continued developing the Recommendations for Port Works (Recomendaciones de Obras Marítimas: ROM). Thus, they promoted the collaboration with other public entities and private companies in order to enhance the contents of this Programme.

Puertos del Estado has just approved the creation of the "ROM Programm 2001-2003" and hence, it becomes necessary to define a new framework that guarantees dynamism, accurateness, quality, transparency and security during the whole process. In addition, this new framework must reinforce the collaboration of public and private entities from any sector whose scientific-technical background can be helpful for the Programme . 

During the development of the ROM Programme, two phases can be distinguished: the 1987-2000 period and the Programm over the 2001-2003 period.

Next the milestones of each period are detailed.

 

a) Initial ROM Programme- .-

During its first decade, the ROM Programm was structured as follows:

0.1. Recommendations to Design Projects
0.2. Recommendations to Consider Actions
0.3. Recommendations about the Environnement Parameters
         / I: Waves, flows, tides; etc
0.4. Recommendations about the Environnement Parameters
         /II: Atmospheric and seismic parameters
0.5. Geotechnical Recommendations

1.0. General recommendations for dock projects
1.1. Recommendations for the project and implementation of slope docks
1.2. Recommendations for the project and implementation vertical docks
1.3. Recommendations for the project and implementation of mixed docks
1.4. Recommendations for the project and implementation of special docks

2.0. General recommendations for berth projects
2.1 Recommendations for the project and implementation of berths
2.2.Recommendations for the project and implementation platforms
2.3.Additional works of ships and navigation

3.0. General recommendations for floatation access and areas
3.1. Recommendations for the project and implementation of access channels
3.2. Recommendations for the anchoring project and implementation
3.3. Recommendations for dredging projects

4.1. Recommendations for projects of port paths and road surfaces

 

b) Current ROM Programme- 

The elaboration of the ROM Programme for the next period is based on the following subjects and structure. This Programm includes the corrections and reviews of the documents included in the previous structure [ see Proceedings ].