Marine Board Seminar on

Waterway and Harbor Capacity

Measurement Approaches: Port Capacity Methodology

Jim Brennan, Noridge Research Associates

Port Capacity Methodology
1. Marine terminal capacity is really multiple capacities and I will talk to
those.
2. The drivers of individual components of marine terminal capacity are many
and varied. I will then speak to the major ones.
3. The ports typically do not control many of the key drivers and briefly
discuss those they control and do not control.
4. Discuss the implications for measuring and managing marine terminal
capacity.

Agenda
Why is Port Capacity Important
What are the Critical Elements of Port
Capacity
The Measurement Challenge
Practical Approaches

Why is Port Capacity Important?

Estimated Container Throughput per Gross

Terminal Acre for the World & North America's
High Volume Ports: 1999

Ho
ng
Ko
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Sh g
an
gh
ai
Pu
Ha san
m
Ro burg
tte
Lo rdam
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Ta
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Lo ntre
s A al
ng
ele
An s
tw
erp
Se
att
Oa le
k
Ch land
arl
es
Ne ton
wY
ork

TEUs per Gross

Terminal Acre

22,500
20,000
17,500
15,000
12,500
10,000
7,500
5,000
2,500
0

Why is Port Capacity Important?

Estimated Container Throughput per Gross

Terminal Acre for Selected World & North
American Ports: 1999
10,000
7,500
5,000
2,500
0
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Br Ang l
em eles
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TEUs per Gross

Terminal Acre

Why is Port Capacity Important?

Modern Container
Terminal: $1 million per
acre
Berths: $10-$20 million
Environmental Mitigation:
$???
Political Practicality
Oakland
New York
Charleston

What Are the Critical Elements?

Container Terminal Throughput Capacity

Analogy Balancing Pipelines
Terminal
Equipment

Intermodal
Truck
Truck

Cargo
Cargo Flow
Flow

Cargo
Cargo Flow
Flow

Vessel

Crane/Wharf
Crane/Wharf

Gate

Intermodal
Rail
Rail

Cargo Flow

Peaking Factor-A Critical Driver

of Capacity
Peaking is:
Periodic or random increases in activity (the Christmas
rush in the eastbound Transpacific trades
The simultaneous occurrence of activities that typically
occur independently of one another (the bunching of
vessel arrivals in winter months)

Peaking effectively diminishes capacity by

creating inefficiencies
Failure to adjust for peaking will overstate
maximum practical capacity

Critical Port Capacity Components

Vessel Access: Approach channels and
berth access
Terminal Capacity
Port-Inland Interfaces: Rail and truck
Inland transport capacities:
Rail and truck
Linehaul and destination(s)

Vessel Access
Approach Channels
Depth: MLW +2-4
Width: function of ports roles
Bulk: 800-1000
Container: 500-800
Niche: 400-600

Berth Approaches
Depth: MLW +2-4
Width: 3x Vessel Beam

Measuring Approach Channel

Capacity
Physical Parameters
Depth: typically at MLW
Width: minimum width

Operational Parameters
Vessel arrival and departure activity
Pilot and Coast Guard rules and practices for vessels
meeting and passing
Fleet characteristics: length, beam, draft

Weather parameters: wind, visibility, sea state

Terminal Capacity

Berth
Vessel-Apron
Apron to Storage
Storage
Storage to:
Gate
Rail

Rail: if on-dock
Gate

Measuring Marine Terminal

Capacity
Simple in theory
Difficult and sometimes complex in practice
Data and operators incredulity/skepticism are
typically the biggest hurdles

Measuring Berth and VesselApron Capacity

Berth Capacity

Berth length
Vessel arrival patterns
Vessel-apron capacity
Work rules and
practices
Weather

Vessel-Apron Capacity
Cargo handling
technology
Amount of equipment
Average cargo loaded or
discharged per vessel
call
Productivity, work rules
and practices

A Cautionary Note: VesselApron Transfer

Arguably, there are more than a dozen factors that
affect productivity
Very few are directly controlled by a port
authority
Many are not directly controlled by the stevedore
Information, vessel design, and vessel deployment
are three critical factors beyond the control of the
port, the stevedore or labor

Measuring Transfer Capacities

Apron to Storage

Storage to Rail or Gate

Number and type of

cranes
Vessel-apron
productivity
Distance: apron to
storage
Yard storage methods
Other terminal activities

Distances
Yard storage and
handling methods
Yard operating practices
Rail yard capacities
Gate capacity
Number of drivers
assigned
Information

Measuring Terminal Storage

Capacity
Typically storage is the constraining component
Dwell time is typically the key driver
Slow movers (empty containers, breakbulk cargoes)
typically drive dwell times

Dwell time is also the most elusive factor to

quantify
Velocity and stacking heights are critical success
factors

Measuring Terminal Storage

Capacity
Net storage area available, times
Storage density, times
Containers per acre
Units of breakbulk cargo per square meter or acre

Average stacking height, times

Turns per year (365 days divided by average
dwell time per unit)
Adjusted for peaking

Measuring Gate Capacity

Number of lanes, times

Average transactions per hour, times
Operating hours per day
Times operating days per week
Times 52 weeks
Adjusted for peaking

Measuring Rail Terminal

Capacity
The process is analogous to marine terminal
capacity
Multiple components
Interrelated
The smallest capacity determines maximum
practical capacity

The complexities are similar

Measuring Rail Terminal

Capacity
The complexities are similar
Train arrivals/departures in lieu of vessel
arrivals/departures
Rail car types instead of vessel types
Working track lengths instead of berth lengths
Lift equipment is similar
Parking spaces instead of terminal storage
Gate operations are similar, although less complex in
rail terminal operations

Measuring Rail Terminl Capacity

Load Tracks
Track length
Rail car fleet mix
Average slot utilization
per rail car
Traffic imbalances
Train schedules
Storage track capacity

Storage (Parking)
Net storage acres
Parking
configuration
Storage density
Container/trailer
mix
Dwell time