Manga Terminal, operated by SPRC in the heart of Cartagena, Colombia, expanded at a moderate pace through the late 20th century to incorporate products ranging from cruise to Ro/Ro, and the first container handling berths were retrofit in 1995. Growth surged in recent years, precipitated by the expansion of the Panama Canal and consequent demand for nearby deep water berths and container transshipment terminals. The two terminals operated by SPRC in Cartagena, Manga and Contecar, are now one of the top five container handling entities in Latin America.
After a new berth was constructed in 2011, the terminal could not expand significantly due to land constraints, so operators turned to modernization projects to increase throughput capacity. This paper discusses port improvements which will allow docking of New Panamax vessels alongside four berth segments, totaling 700m in length, originally designed and equipped for Panamax class ships. The increase in mooring and berthing load required upgrades to fenders and localized strengthening of the mooring hardware and berth structures. Dredging at the berth face was enabled through installation of toe walls to retain the existing under berth slope – a particularly challenging design for one segment with an existing toe wall. Ship to shore operations were improved through procurement of larger gantry cranes.
Innovative engineering allowed cost-effective upgrades which maximized reuse of existing infrastructure, with the constraint of maintaining container throughput during the construction period.
This presentation will be of interest and benefit to port planners and design engineers, specifically those adapting existing infrastructure to the ever-larger needs of the shipping industry.