Experiences Gained from Construction of Long Beach Container Terminal Middle Harbor Automated Terminal at the Port of Long Beach

Long Beach Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach is the first fully automated container terminal in the United States, and one of the most advanced container terminals in the world. Design and construction of the terminal has taken more than a decade, and the terminal will be fully operational by 2022. The terminal can accommodate three 14,000 TEU or two 24,000 TEU vessels simultaneously, with an annual cargo handling capacity of 3.3 million TEU. In addition, the automated terminal can reduce air pollution by as much as 50% compared to a traditional container terminal. Considerable challenges were faced during design and construction of the terminal, including automated stacking cranes’ rail movements; asphalt concrete pavement requirements to withstand automated guided vehicle traffic; removal of an existing underground quay wall; and fill wick drains, surcharge, and land settlement. This paper presents the challenges faced and the valuable lessons learned in constructing a state-of-the-art container terminal.