Geotechnical Issues Encountered and Overcome in the Development of Colombia’s Gateway Port

Over the last 10 years, the Port of Cartagena has experienced dramatic growth. The terminals of Manga and Contecar, operated by Sociedad Portuaria de Cartagena (SPRC) have been the engines for this remarkable growth. To achieve this growth, Manga Terminal had to be modernized and expanded while Contecar Terminal had to be developed from a sleepy one-berth terminal into a bustling, state-of-the-art, three berth facility. The development of these terminals included the full gamut of planning, design, and construction of improvements ranging from dredging to reclamation; from dikes to marginal berths; from utilities to paving; from distribution sheds to gate facilities. Along the way, many geotechnical challenges had to be overcome due to the poor soil conditions. To overcome the geotechnical challenges, virtually every technique within the geotechnical engineering toolbox was implemented. This paper describes what challenges were encountered, what techniques were implemented, and what lessons were learned along the way.