Tandem-40 Dockside Container Cranes and Their Impact on Terminals

Conventional single-hoist container cranes have been in use since the mid-sixties. Many innovations have been developed to improve the productivity, including increases in trolley/hoist speeds, cranes with two trolleys, and elevating girder cranes. The latest development is a tandem-40 crane that can handle two 40-foot containers for each lift. Tandem crane technology has been proven successful. Several ports, including Algeciras, Spain; Antwerp, Belgium; Dubai, U.A.E.; Shanghai, China; and Yantian, China, are now using tandem-40s effectively. This paper discusses single-hoist tandem-40 (SHT40) and dual-hoist tandem-40 (DHT40) cranes. These cranes pick up two or more containers with a single trolley running on a conventional runway. We compare these cranes to conventional container cranes and discuss tandem crane components, the importance of improved yard operations to accommodate the tandem 40s, impact on wharf structure design, and possible productivity improvements.