Manzanillo Container Terminal Redevelopment: Maximizing Throughput in a Limited Space

Increased container volumes make Manzanillo one of the fastest-growing ports on the west coast of Mexico. In the 14 years since the concession for the dedicated container terminal was awarded as a single berth, annual traffic has grown from 50,000 to approximately 750,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the number of berths has grown to four, and the container yard has been expanded almost four-fold to its practical limit of 30 hectares (approximately 74 acres). Because the yard expansion followed a layout established when the original single-berth facility was constructed, it required reconfiguration to attain maximum efficiency in terms of TEU throughput per hectare of yard. This paper describes the planning, design, and construction involved in retrofitting and redeveloping the terminal. The terminal was redeveloped with a revised yard layout and retrofitted with new lighting, utilities, and a heavy-duty paving system to maximize density and allow the effective use of electrified rubber-tired gantry cranes. The yard is located in an area of high seismic hazard and the paper also discusses the ground improvement program that was implemented to mitigate the risk of earthquake-induced liquefaction. Finally, the paper discusses the retrofit of the existing container wharves to accommodate four post-Panamax container cranes. Two cranes were modified to match the existing rail gauge of 16.76 meters (55 feet), while two were left with the original 34.80-meter (115-foot) gauge and required construction of a third rail. The installation of the cranes required retrofitting the crane cable infrastructure and relocating cable slots from the backreach area to the opposite side of the waterside crane rail.