The Port of Long Beach is Big Ship Ready: Overview of Terminal Mooring and Berthing Studies

There is a trend in larger vessels calling at ports worldwide. Larger ships are more cost effective for ocean carriers and reduce impact on the environment by decreasing diesel consumption, resulting in ever increasing vessel size. Increases in vessel size have resulted in new challenges for existing port facilities, including the need for upgrades and new designs. As the industry navigates the “Big Ship Era,” the Port of Long Beach (POLB) is one of the few U.S. ports that can welcome today’s largest vessels and be able to accommodate even larger, next-generation vessels. This paper provides an overall review of the mooring and berthing studies and engineering design required to achieve big ship ready status at the POLB. In addition, this paper presents the challenges and solutions in preparing the POLB for today’s vessels, as well as for the next generation of vessels to come.