Automated Route Alignment Generation for Vertical Slot Fish Pass Fish Passage Facilities – A Feasibility Study

In the coming years, numerous fish passage facilities (FPFs) will need to be planned and implemented along Germany’s federal waterways. At the same time, planning and permitting processes are often lengthy. A key lever for accelerating delivery lies in the early planning phases: alternative alignment variants must be generated quickly, checked, and transparently assessed under tight structural, hydraulic, and regulatory constraints.
This feasibility study investigates to what extent alignments for vertical slot fish passes (VSPs), including the required technical equipment, can be generated automatically, and which sub-steps of variant development can be supported through digitalization, standardization, and automation. The objective is a tiered concept for automated alignment generation (including effort–benefit assessment and a clear identification of remaining limitations), complemented by a concrete requirements specification and a prototype proof of feasibility.
Methodologically, the project builds on parametric modeling, generative design, and rule-/constraint-based checks. The developed concepts are prototypically validated at selected real-world sites and consolidated into a requirements specification for a future software tool to support the generation and evaluation of alignment variants.