Wharf Upgrade Considerations for Large Low Profile Cranes

There are seaports with severe aircraft clearance limits that need to accommodate ever-increasing ship sizes. A low profile container crane with a boom that shuttles in and out is sometimes required to meet these demands. However, low profile cranes to service current generation container vessels present unique design challenges for the cranes and infrastructure. A low profile crane has extreme changes in center of gravity due to the heavy shuttling boom, which results in very large wheel loads on the wharf. This paper presents key considerations for the infrastructure supporting large low profile cranes, including large crane girder and pile capacities, electrical demands, and construction challenges associated with the project, such as phased construction and daily coordination to avoid interruptions to the operations. The focus will be on the Broward County Port Everglades Department new crane girder and wharf upgrade project, which covers about 1 mi (1.6 km) of waterfront.