Port Planning and Development: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on May 6, 2024 in Geography

PHASE I: PRELIMINARY PLANNING

1. ELECTION OF THE LOCATION OF THE PORT

Surface Requirements

Surface requirements for a port are determined by several factors, including:

  • The nature of the port (e.g., passenger ships, bulk cargo, containers)
  • Transportation needs (e.g., rail, road, river barges)
  • Storage requirements
  • Types of industries served (present and future)

Location and Growth Factors

Key location and growth factors to consider include:

  • Land (soil mechanics, usability)
  • Coast (water depth, waves, tides)
  • Wind (strong winds, hurricanes)
  • Interconnection between port and adjacent land growth
  • Economies of scale

2. ECONOMIC ASPECTS

a) Initial Considerations

  • Cost of new facilities
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Evaluation of alternatives

b) Competition Between Ports

  • Geographical location and facilities of neighboring ports
  • Government policies
  • Efficiencies arising from the layout
  • Effect of taxes and other government charges

c) Port Tariffs and Marginal Costs

  • Marginal costs of port services
  • Short-term and long-term marginal costs

d) Economies of Scale

  • Minimum cost and capacity of a large port compared to a smaller port
  • Controlling future costs to expand port facilities or infrastructure

e) Congestion

  • Congestion indicates a scarce and valuable resource priced too low
  • Ports may not increase rates due to congestion
  • Administrative problems can arise from congestion

3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PORTS

Potential environmental impacts of ports include:

  • Erosion of the seabed
  • Obstruction of sediment flow, currents, and waves
  • Ecological impact on marine life

Solutions to mitigate environmental impact:

  • Building piers in deep water
  • Construction of artificial islands

PHASE II: PLANNING IN DETAIL

1. ELECTION OF PORT LAYOUT

Port layout design depends on:

  • Type and size of vessels
  • Port technology
  • Port traffic (including access)
  • Transportation system (maritime, intermodal)
  • Government policies
  • Environmental aspects

2. SELECTION OF TYPES AND DIMENSIONS OF PORT FACILITIES

Characteristics of port facilities depend on:

  • Growth of trade
  • Increase in ship size
  • New transport systems
  • Fluctuations in demand

3. PRICE ESTIMATE OF PORT POLICIES

Port pricing policies depend on the level of competition, comparative advantages, and utility policies.

PORT OPERATIONS

Main functions of port operations:

  • Loading and unloading
  • Storage
  • Disposal

Machinery and equipment used in port operations:

  • Gantry cranes (fixed cranes for container loading and unloading)
  • Gottwald mobile harbor cranes (can move freely and handle containers)
  • Ship cranes (limited scope and speed)
  • Reachstacker cranes (for transport within the port area)
  • Forklifts

TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit)

A TEU is a unit of cargo capacity equivalent to a 20-foot-long container.

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SHIP LOADING METHODS

3. Bulk Upload

The main advantage of bulk transportation is reduced packaging costs and rapid unloading and reloading operations.

SOME CONCEPTS

  • Displacement: Weight of the boat
  • Scrolling Ballast: Weight of the boat ready to sail, including fuel, water, ballast, without cargo
  • Scrolling Load: Weight of the boat ready to sail with the maximum load it can transport
  • Dead Weight (DWT): Cargo weight capacity of the boat, including cargo, fuel, water, food, and crew
  • Porte: Weight of the cargo transported by ship

VARIABLES DETERMINING USABILITY OF A PORT

A port must provide ships with:

  • Shelter from waves to allow port operations
  • Handling space for maneuvering and berthing
  • Sufficient draft for safe navigation

WORKS IN MARITIME STUDIES NEEDED

Types of studies needed for maritime projects:

  • Environmental studies
  • Maritime climate and meteorology
  • Geology and geotechnics
  • Topography and bathymetry
  • Impact and feasibility of road construction

NATURAL FACTORS AFFECTING PORT WORKS

Natural factors that can affect port works include:

  • Waves
  • Currents
  • Tides
  • Sediment

WAVES

Waves are ripples on the sea surface caused by wind.

Waves involve oscillatory movement, not water transfer.

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Wave Shoaling

Wave shoaling is the increase in wave amplitude and decrease in wavelength as water depth decreases.

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Wave Breaking

Waves break when they reach shallow water and become unstable, causing surf.

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WAVE EFFECTS ON THE COAST

Waves can cause coastal erosion due to the force and persistence of water and sediment movement.

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MARINE CURRENTS

Marine currents are mass displacements of water with a fixed and constant direction.

Causes of marine currents:

  • Temperature differences
  • Prevailing winds
  • Earth’s rotation
  • Tides

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TIDES

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.

Types of Tides

  • Spring tides: More pronounced tides when the moon and sun align, exerting a stronger pull.
  • Neap tides: Less pronounced tides when the moon and sun form a right angle with the Earth, offsetting each other’s pull.

**Spring Tides**

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**Neap Tides**

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SEDIMENT

Sediment transport on the shore is caused by weathering, waves, currents, wind, and sea level changes.

Beaches can erode or be created depending on these factors.

Marine works must consider sediment transport, as it can affect the usability of structures.

Sediment Budget

The sediment budget considers the balance between sediment input and output.

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**Sediment input (source) = sediment output (sink) + erosion**