14. Planning Approach for Quayside Dimensioning of Automated Traffic Areas and Impact on Equipment Investment

In this chapter, the author first provides an overview of the quayside activities of a modern seaport container terminal. On this basis, he compares the space requirements of two different operations systems for horizontal container transport and derives reasonable planning assumptions for dimensioning their terminal layout: The focus is, on the one hand, on automated guided vehicle systems which perform quayside container transport, e.g., at several terminals on the Maasvlakte (Rotterdam) and, on the other hand, on automated straddle carrier systems being in operation, e.g., at the Brisbane Container Terminal on Fishermans Island or the TraPac Container Terminal in Los Angeles. Both system alternatives are investigated in combination with semi-automated cranes at quay wall and automated (rail-mounted) yard cranes working perpendicular to quay. Noting that in practice, only pure automated SC systems can be met until today taking both the quayside container transport and the stacking operations within the yard. Main areas for analysing planning assumptions are the quay crane portal and backreach as well as the traffic area in front of the yard blocks. Based on the findings gained by the analysis, for both systems, the author provides a viable quayside layout and an investment comparison of the equipment required for operating a mainliner berth.