The purpose of the fendering system is to serve as a bumper to protect the hull and berthing facility from damage when vessels berth alongside. Anther function is to operate as a shock absorber by absorbing the berthing energy of a vessel on the berthing impact to the berth and hull.

Therefore the two main functions of the fendering system are:
1)To perform as a bumper to protect the hull and berthing facility from damage.
2)To perform as a shock absorber on the berthing operation.

The adoption of a suitable fendering system will help to ensure smooth berthing operation. Hence it is important to give priority to the selection of a fendering system that can actually reduce the whole berthing facility construction cost, instead of simply choosing low-cost fenders.