Title: Container ship size and the implications on port call workload

Authors: Jeffrey Martin; Sally Martin; Stephen Pettit

Addresses: Department of International Logistics, Chung-Ang University, 4726 Seodongdae-ro, Daedeok-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 456-756, Korea ' Department of International Logistics, Chung-Ang University, 4726 Seodongdae-ro, Daedeok-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 456-756, Korea ' Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Aberconway Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3EU, UK

Abstract: As the TEU capacity of container ships has risen, there has been an increase in the workload experienced by container terminals during a ship call. This study quantifies the changes in berth and quay workload resulting from increased ship size and the impact on ship-to-shore service levels of North European terminals. First trends in TEUs per ship metre length since 1975 are presented, then, accounting for changes in the TEU Ratio, this is converted into ship-to-shore moves to calculate a Berth Workload Index. Given the bay configurations of each ship, a Quay Crane Workload Index is then developed to determine the extent to which terminals have met these changes by deploying additional quay cranes or by improving quay crane performance. The study concludes by examining the impact of Maersk's Triple E Class container ship on the workload of a berth and quay crane.

Keywords: TEU ratio; ship size; container terminals; quay cranes; terminal capacity; terminal performance; Panama Canal; ship design; Triple E; berth workload; port calls; container ships; quay workload; ship-to-shore service levels; crane performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2015.072016

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2015 Vol.7 No.5, pp.553 - 569

Received: 17 Sep 2013
Accepted: 30 May 2014
Published online: 29 Sep 2015 *

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