Port and Har
685
Part C | 31.1
31. Port and Harbor Design
Andrew Cairns, John M. Carel, Xiao Li
A harbor is defined as a haven, and in the context of this handbook, it is a body of water that
provides shelter to vessels. A harbor can be natural or artificial, situated along the shore with
water deep enough for anchoring a ship in an
area that provides protection from wind, waves
and currents. When Henry Hudson arrived in the
new world in 1609, he discovered what would become New York, and the success of New York can
be traced to its excellent natural harbor. Many of
today great seaports are located at natural harbors that have been developed into world-class
port facilities. This handbook will deal exclusively
with artificial harbors and the port facilities they
protect.
Ports can be defined as a city, town, or place
where ships are moored, loaded, or unloaded.
They typically reside within a harbor and are made
up of one or more individual terminals that handle a particular cargo including passengers, bulk
cargo, or containerized cargo. This chapter in the
handbook will define the various types of marine
terminals and the structures that can be found in
a port.
This chapter provides the coastal and ocean
engineer an understanding of the types of port
and harbor facilities that they may be involved in,
including the individual structures that make up
these facilities and the loads imposed on them. It
is intended to provide an overview of these structures, so that the coastal and ocean engineers can
better provide the design support to the marine
31.1 Port and Harbor Layout and Design ...... 685
31.1.1 Types of Marine Terminals .......... 687
31.1.2 Vessel Overview......................... 689
31.1.3 Harbor Operational Limits .......... 690
31.1.4 Harbor Navigation ..................... 691
31.1.5 Sediment Transport
Considerations .......................... 692
31.2 Structure Types .................................... 692
31.2.1 Breakwaters
and Wave Attenuation ............... 692
31.2.2 Open Pile Platforms ................... 693
31.2.3 Solid Structures ......................... 694
31.2.4 Drydock Facilities ...................... 698
31.2.5 Floating Structures .................... 701
31.2.6 Swinging Moorings .................... 701
31.2.7 Ice Breakers .............................. 703
31.3 Loads on Structures
due to Vessel Mooring and Berthing ..... 703
31.3.1 Vessel Berthing Loads ................ 703
31.3.2 Mooring Loads .......................... 704
31.3.3 Loads on Structures
due to Ocean
Environmental Conditions .......... 706
31.3.4 Tide and Storm Surge ................. 707
31.3.5 Ice ........................................... 707
31.3.6 Tsunamis .................................. 707
31.4 Suggested Reading .............................. 707
31.5 Notation ............................................. 709
References................................................... 709
structural engineers in the planning and designing
of such facilities.
31.1 Port and Harbor Layout and Design
In the design of ports and harbors, the design team must
be aware of the site-specific environmental conditions
(such as tide and storm surge, current, waves, sediment
transport), the type of marine terminal that is being constructed, and the various vessel types that may call on
the terminal. Ports can be offshore terminals or within
naturally or artificially protected harbors, bays, estuarine bodies, or rivers. Offshore terminals may be on
either reclaimed or natural islands joined to the land
by trestles or pipelines or using buoys and pipelines to
shore. The function and capacity of the terminal have
an effect on the types of vessels that will call on the terminal and in turn dictate factors in the design of the
navigation channel, berth depth and length, environmental conditions that impact berthing and mooring,
and the overall layout of the facility. This section will
685
Part C | 31.1
31. Port and Harbor Design
Andrew Cairns, John M. Carel, Xiao Li
A harbor is defined as a haven, and in the context of this handbook, it is a body of water that
provides shelter to vessels. A harbor can be natural or artificial, situated along the shore with
water deep enough for anchoring a ship in an
area that provides protection from wind, waves
and currents. When Henry Hudson arrived in the
new world in 1609, he discovered what would become New York, and the success of New York can
be traced to its excellent natural harbor. Many of
today great seaports are located at natural harbors that have been developed into world-class
port facilities. This handbook will deal exclusively
with artificial harbors and the port facilities they
protect.
Ports can be defined as a city, town, or place
where ships are moored, loaded, or unloaded.
They typically reside within a harbor and are made
up of one or more individual terminals that handle a particular cargo including passengers, bulk
cargo, or containerized cargo. This chapter in the
handbook will define the various types of marine
terminals and the structures that can be found in
a port.
This chapter provides the coastal and ocean
engineer an understanding of the types of port
and harbor facilities that they may be involved in,
including the individual structures that make up
these facilities and the loads imposed on them. It
is intended to provide an overview of these structures, so that the coastal and ocean engineers can
better provide the design support to the marine
31.1 Port and Harbor Layout and Design ...... 685
31.1.1 Types of Marine Terminals .......... 687
31.1.2 Vessel Overview......................... 689
31.1.3 Harbor Operational Limits .......... 690
31.1.4 Harbor Navigation ..................... 691
31.1.5 Sediment Transport
Considerations .......................... 692
31.2 Structure Types .................................... 692
31.2.1 Breakwaters
and Wave Attenuation ............... 692
31.2.2 Open Pile Platforms ................... 693
31.2.3 Solid Structures ......................... 694
31.2.4 Drydock Facilities ...................... 698
31.2.5 Floating Structures .................... 701
31.2.6 Swinging Moorings .................... 701
31.2.7 Ice Breakers .............................. 703
31.3 Loads on Structures
due to Vessel Mooring and Berthing ..... 703
31.3.1 Vessel Berthing Loads ................ 703
31.3.2 Mooring Loads .......................... 704
31.3.3 Loads on Structures
due to Ocean
Environmental Conditions .......... 706
31.3.4 Tide and Storm Surge ................. 707
31.3.5 Ice ........................................... 707
31.3.6 Tsunamis .................................. 707
31.4 Suggested Reading .............................. 707
31.5 Notation ............................................. 709
References................................................... 709
structural engineers in the planning and designing
of such facilities.
31.1 Port and Harbor Layout and Design
In the design of ports and harbors, the design team must
be aware of the site-specific environmental conditions
(such as tide and storm surge, current, waves, sediment
transport), the type of marine terminal that is being constructed, and the various vessel types that may call on
the terminal. Ports can be offshore terminals or within
naturally or artificially protected harbors, bays, estuarine bodies, or rivers. Offshore terminals may be on
either reclaimed or natural islands joined to the land
by trestles or pipelines or using buoys and pipelines to
shore. The function and capacity of the terminal have
an effect on the types of vessels that will call on the terminal and in turn dictate factors in the design of the
navigation channel, berth depth and length, environmental conditions that impact berthing and mooring,
and the overall layout of the facility. This section will